Power Weekend

Registration is now closed!

Level: 5

Small Blind: 300

Big Blind: 600

Ante: 75

Chip Average: 29.6K

Remaining: 329

Entries: 390

2016/03/13 - 13:31 by

Play has moved into level 5 and registration is now closed in the Tag Team event. There are a total of 195 teams in total in this edition, though with just 329 of 390 players, it’s quite likely that at least one whole team has already been eliminated.

Play will continue for another 35 minutes (the balance of level 5 plus level 6) at which time there will be a break, during which tournament staff identify any eliminated teams and perform a redraw for the remaining teams. The tournament will also move to 8-handed play at that time.

Settling in to the grind

Level: 2

Small Blind: 100

Big Blind: 200

Ante: 25

Chip Average: 25.5K

Remaining: 371

Entries: 380

2016/03/13 - 12:03 by

The Tag Team event is most of the way through level 2 of individual play and so far 380 players – 190 teams – have been seated, including most but not all of the alternates. Alternates were seated almost from the beginning of the event, because although there were well over 200 teams registered, with no deposit required there is always a decent number of no-shows. Teams that were registered have until the end of level 4 to arrive and take their seats in the event.

Cards are in the air!

Level: 1

Small Blind: 50

Big Blind: 100

Ante: 0

Chip Average: 25K

Remaining: 315

Entries: 316

2016/03/13 - 11:24 by

The Tag Team event is now underway as players have bought their team tickets and taken their seats at the individual tables they will start at. Evidently not everyone got the message (posted to Facebook) to arrive early, as there is still a long lineup of people buying in to the event – but they’ll all be seated with full stacks soon enough, and alternates will also start to be seated shortly.

A note about the tournament info we’ll post today. Before the teams come together after level 6, the “Entries” will be individual players – for the number of teams in the event, divide by 2. It’s possible for one player to bust while the other plays his own stack for the first 6 levels – in such a case when the team is merged, they’ll start with the chips remaining from the one player who survived the first 6 levels. If both players are eliminated in the first 6 levels, then the team is eliminated altogether! It’s rare, but it does happen.

It’s a great day for the Tag Team tourney!

2016/03/13 - 10:36 by

Today is a very special day in the TonyBet Power Weekend – it’s the day for the Tag Team event! Over the years this has proven to be one of the most popular events held at Playground Poker Club – it always sells out, and the “team” aspect of the event adds a buzz to the room that’s only found during the biggest events we host.

The formula for the Tag Team at Playground Poker Club is simple: everyone registers in a team of 2 players, each of whom play the first 6 levels as an individual. After level 6, there is a redraw and each team takes a seat at a table, merging the two stacks into one stack that will be used to continue the tournament. For the rest of the tournament, teammates alternate, switching at the beginning of each new level.

While one team member is playing, he or she can only consult with a partner during a hand by using a “consultation chip” – and each team only gets three of these to start the event. Teams can accumulate additional consultation chips by eliminating teams – one chip for each team eliminated.

This edition of the Tag Team event has been sold out since mid-week last week (capacity was 200 teams), and an alternates list already has 17 additional teams on it… and counting.

Good luck to all of the teams today!

$220 Freeze Champion: Jacques Blais

2016/03/13 - 5:15 by

There were 149 players in the $200 + $20 NL Hold’em Freeze in the TonyBet Power Weekend, and it took about 10 hours to play down to a champion. It didn’t take long for several players to grow “industrial-sized” stacks – there were players with 3 times the average before the first break of the night. Eliminations came at a constant pace throughout the night, and then as the money bubble and the final table approached, deals were made to keep up the steady pace of the tourney.

The first agreement reached was to offer a bubble save prize of $220. $100 was taken from the 1st place prize money and $80 and $40 from 2nd and 3rd respectively. Then, with 5 players remaining the players agreed to an event chop of $4,000 each, reserving $1,286 for the eventual winner. Two players were eliminated in the following hand, and once the 3rd place player was eliminated.

When heads-up play began, Jacques Blais had a huge 2.3M to 770K advantage, but after just a few hands the players were even. A further deal was made to keep $400 each of the remaining $1,286, leaving an additional $486 for the champion – which ended up being Jacques Blais!

Champion: Jacques Blais, $4,886

2nd place: Carlo Nini, $4,400

Final hand of the tournament:

A deal and some eliminations

Level: 21

Small Blind: 20K

Big Blind: 40K

Ante: 5K

Chip Average: 1.5M

Remaining: 2

Entries: 149

2016/03/13 - 4:38 by

During the recent break, the 5 remaining players agreed to each take $4,000, leaving an additional $1,286 for the eventual champion. Immediately after the deal was struck, there was a 3-way all-in and Jacques Blais eliminated 2 players in the hand.

Jacques Blais: