Event 10 (Day 1A)

$400+$50 Almighty Stack NLH
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Level 3:  Blinds 200/400/50
Entries:  252

While Flight B continues to grow today, let’s take a look at yesterday’s Flight A results.  Out of ~480 entrants, there were 87 players who managed to put chips in a bag.  Here they are with their reported chip counts:

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Level 17 (complete): 6,000/12,000/2,000 
Players remaining: 87
Average chips: 560,920

Andrew Spears (Buffalo, NY): A quiet and effective day on the felt.

Event 10’s flight A is over, and it’s Andrew Spears who has the lead with 1,795,000.

However, the real story is the continuing drama that follows Teddy Geddes where ever he goes.

Once he and Paul “Big Cock” Nguyen joined the aggressive Victor Ramdin’s table, time was ripe for clashes and drama in today’s late levels.

Geddes first upset big stacked Budwey Salhab by calling clock in an absolutely critical spot where Nguyen had shoved over Salhab for over 700,000. While Geddes complained, wanting to play hands during the final minutes of the level, and while the floor counted down, Salhab somehow came up with the right decision, risking all but a few blinds to call down Nguyen’s big ace holding pocket eights.

Brutal moment: A satisfied Nguyen vs. the bitter Salhab, who stands and examines what’s left of his tournament life.

After such an effort and all the fuss, Salhab was of course miserable when Nguyen smashed the flop, and from that point until the last bag was sealed, Salhab and Geddes bickered.

However, Salhab wasn’t Geddes’ only object of antagonism. Victor Ramdin had made a big move on Geddes holding {kx} {2s} while Geddes held {jx} {jx}.

The flop came Jack high with two spades, and Geddes flatted Ramdin’s continuation with his set. The turn brought another spade, which Geddes pot controlled. The river brought a fourth spade which went check check, and Ramdin claimed a big pot thanks to that {2s} – shades of Geddes’ earlier {8s} flush against Hayward. However, Geddes apparently was not in the mood for irony and bitterly lashed out at Ramdin while the chips were counted down and bagged.

Ramdin, however, seemed philosophical and amused, in the face of Geddes’ diatribes: the old pro had heard it all before, apparently.

Salhab gets a little relief

It seemed cruel that Salhab might go out at the hands of his antagonist Geddes when he shoved his stub in with{kx} {tx} and Teddy made the call with {as} {4s}. Geddes flopped an ace but as the board ran out he sportingly called for a queen, which would give the beleaguered Salhab a straight. And so it came – leaving Salhab with something to put in the plastic bag. Geddes was no longer irritated with Salhab and could focus his wrath on Ramdin.

Day 2 should be interesting.

Notable stacks that move on

Phouc (Paul) Nguyen – 1,509,000
Max Desai – 1,188,000
“Tony Bagels” Cavezza- 1,240,000
Phong VIP Nguyen – 1,060,000
Josias Santos – 1,059,000
Victor Ramdin – 1,048,000
And of course, we looked around for “The Donkey of the Sands”…

He did it! Blad wakes up with some chips at the end: Get some sleep.

Day 2 will start Thursday January 26 at 12 pm noon in the event center.

Flight B begins tomorrow January 25th at 10:00 am in the event center.

Good luck, everyone!

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$400+$50 Almighty Stack
NLH $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 17: 6,000/12,000/2,000 
Players remaining: 110
Average chips: 443,636

Anderson collects the pot from Musumeci; Jesse Cohen in the background.

Another big stack in 10A is Brian Anderson. We paused to observe him to play his big blind in hopes of seeing how he’s gotten up around 900,000, and weren’t disappointed.

Amanda Musumeci opened from under the gun. With around 150,000, it would be hard to expect a fold from her in this spot, and the table found a fold all the way until Anderson.

He started with a flat, and the two players saw a flop of {tc} {qd} {js}.

Anderson simply led, putting Musumeci in a very awkward situation. The wet board favored some of her higher value hands from early position so why was Anderson betting out?

Suspicious, she found a float, but on the turn, essentially committed if she continued, Musumeci declined. She has about 135,000 to work with.

On table 2, big stack Geddes was moved to Karokieves vacated seat, and immediately made his presence known by calling a Ramdin open.

Table 2 features both Ramdin, background, and Geddes, seat 1.

“The community cards may help me,” Geddes advised the table and Ramdin.

Interestingly, Ramdin declined a cbet on {4d} {8h} {8s}. Geddes, however, counted his reds and seemed dubious. He took a long time and announced a check.

The turn was the {qc}, and Ramdin found a big delayed continuation, 28,000. Geddes had to ask the dealer for the blind amounts, struck by the sizing.

He folded.

“A big bet sir. You’re a strong player. I’m scared,” said Ramdin, “to death!”

Ramdin laughed heartily at the slight exaggeration.

Ramdin is around 700,000.

Another stack on the uptick:

Woke up with AA when a shorty ripped and JJ isoed so we have 865k still at 10kbb. #Almighty #BWPO2017

— Matthew Emmel (@Mattraq1) January 25, 2017

This level is our last for today’s flight.

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 Level 15 (complete): 4000/8000/1000 
Players remaining: 150
Average chips: 320,000

Geddes and Concepcion don’t seem like the type to back down.

Since we last checked in on Table 16, Teddy Geddes has continued a very even ascent. He’s pushing 900,000 and is one of the chip leaders in 10A

He’s not only found a heap of tournament chips, but he’s found his voice.

He talks, he sings. He takes on Mario Concepcion in a pot, while simultaneously sparring with Robert Elias.

“You want to play with me? I have position and I’m a good postflop player.”

When Concepcion returns verbal fire from his flank, Geddes warns him, “Yeah, you can talk, you may just talk your away out of the tournament!
I have chips, I can talk.”

Geddes knows when to avoid risk. On {qs} {4d} {8s}, Concepcion lays a bet of 60,000.

“I’ll fold a big hand to you,” concedes, and mucks a {2x} face up.

While Concepcion gathers the chips, Geddes tussles with Elias some more, then admits, “My wife blocked my number.”

Concepcion helpfully offered, “I think I know why.”

Meanwhile, Blad seems to be fading a bit.

Making poker great again takes it out of you.

We go to break.

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Level 14: 2500/5000/500
Players remaining: 190
Average chips: 247,368

On 2, tournament legend Victor Ramdin is running over his table, and the field.

Victor Ramdin has 890,000.

But some of his victims aren’t ready to yield the spotlight quite yet.

“He has enough photos!”

Garik Kakorieve and Ahmed Miller have a great attitude and position on Ramdin, but can they get any chips out of the big stack?

Meanwhile, having opened from early position, Ramdin just took out a short stack.

Ramdin had opened {qx} {8x} and hit a piece:

Quads. Just quads.

A player nearby murmured, “playing good, running good”

Meanwhile on 15, another big stack has emerged: Ragavan “Rags” Thiagarajah.

Rags has more than 750,000.

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Level 13: 2500/5000/500
Players remaining: 220
Average chips: 211,000

We’re into the next stage of the tourney and now it’s time to start looking for the movers and shakers.

Before the break, we found one who’s doing a bit of both.

Paul Nguyen has 560,000.

“Never had big hand to win,” Nguyen boasted. “Seven-nine, and I showed them.”

Just before the break, the kings folder, Jeff Hayward busted to Robert Elias in an equally interesting hand at exciting table 16.

Elias opened to 9,000, Geddes flatted, and Hayward now again went after an under the gun raise, pushing the action to around 30,000. Folds to Elias, who found a fourbet to 77,000.

Geddes folded but the three bettor Hayward was less eager to yield this time. He made the call, leaving only a pot bet behind.

On {ax} {kx} {9x}, Elias checked, and it was Hayward’s turn to ship it in.

Unfortunately for the formerly prudent player, Elias had flopped gin – bottom set- and snapped off Hayward.

What did Hayward choose to felt? Well, the {qx} {2x}, naturally.

At least he had runners.

In a twist of fate, however, the runners that came were five, five.

What had Geddes’ folded?

“Pocket five! Quads!” the big stack exclaimed.

Elias is now more than healthy with over 450,000.

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Level 12 (complete): 2000/4000/500
Players remaining: 250
Average chips: 183,600

Geddes, Hayward, and Ayers after the hand.

The end of the this break is your final opportunity to re-entry flight A of the almighty.

Back on Geddes’ table, one player apparently didn’t want to have to re-enter.

At 2,000/4,000, Jeff Ayers min raised under the gun to 8,000, and the button flatted.

In the big blind, Jeff Hayward now squeezed to 22,000.

Then, rapid action.

Ayers absolutely snap shipped his 240,000, and then, nearly as quickly, Hayward mucked {kx} {kx} face up.

Let off the hook, Ayers rolled over the ole'{ax} {qx}.

The table couldn’t believe it and went into discussion.

“He leapt out of his chair! I’d never seen anything like it,” explained Hayward.

Ayers smiled and confirmed. “I just put it in there, immediately!”

Geddes reminded Hayward playfully, “You’re right, an ace could come and you would be out!”

Robert Elias looked pained. “Give me two kings!”

Either way, a fun table to be on.

We head to the break.

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Level 11: 1500/3000/500
Players remaining: 250
Average chips: 170,800

Teddy Geddes at ease.

There are two levels to play before you’re on your own in the Almighty and have work with what you’ve got.

One player who running it up is Teddy Geddes. He was already doing well, but earlier benefited from a bit of gamble holding {8s} {8x}. He opponent raised him preflop, and together they say a monotone ten high board – all spades. Geddes put the raiser on a big ace and jammed on him, getting called by naked kings.

That little {8s} ended up mattering. Geddes turned a spade, and the two kings were drawing dead.

Geddes has nearly 600,000.

Nearby on table 1 is another big stack.

Richard Gagliano – no relation to the Borgata Poker Ambassador – has 570,000.

Not everyone has a giant stack, of course, but you can still run well. Robert Elias reported a recent orbit simply sick run good, where he made trips, two full houses, and top two. He couldn’t get all the action he wanted, but is above average at 200,000.

Robert Elias, running well and hopeful.

On 27, we saw a little run good help Steven Synder. He called down Sean Berrios’ barrels, then shoved river for full value.

Snyder, in the cap, doubled up to near average, through Berrios, foreground left. Here the two chat after the hand.

Berrios had assumed he was good with ace-queen when the turn gave him top pair top kicker, when in reality had been flopped dead by a set on {4s} {6d} {8h} {qc} {ac}. The river made folding near impossible.

Meanwhile, Blad is back and continues to fire. Last night he caught a one outer to super cooler an opponent in the cash games- and doubtless looks to keep it up today.

Ellen Lambeth, taking her new seat, may not realize she’s about to be a part of “making poker great again!”

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Level 1:  Blinds 100/200

The Almighty Stack has arrived!  Since the inception of this event, which debuted in the 2015 Summer Poker Open, it has become a must play event on many players’ schedules.  Players start with an ‘Almighty Stack’ of 100,000 chips.  The first of three starting flights has just put cards in the air in the Event Center.

Day 1 will consist of 17 levels, which are 30 minutes long.  This fight will be wrapping up about 8:30pm.

This is a best stack forward event and features unlimited re-entries through the first 12 levels.  This means players who bust out can re-enter and in addition, players who bag chips at the end of any flight can play any subsequent flight as well. If they bag chips again, they will take only their best stack into Day 2, forfeiting any other bagged chips.

Late registration is also available until the start of level 13, which should fall at about 5:45pm.

Flights B and C run Wednesday at 10am and 6pm, respectively.  Survivors of all three starting flights will come together on Thursday at 12 noon for Day 2 and the Almighty Stack will conclude on Friday, beginning at 12 noon.

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