After 4 starting flights, 670 entries were accounted for in the first event of the Winter Festival. $90,450 were accumulated, which was short of the guarantee boasted by the house. Playground Poker Club, of course, covered the difference. The total prize pool remains at $97,000 ($100,000 minus 3% for staff gratuity).

Here are the payouts:

Level 7 photographs:

Elie Abdallah went all-in from a late position with a hand that does not fare very well in a showdown. However, with a short stack and decent fold equity, Abdallah decided to put maximum pressure on the blinds, which he needed for himself. Giovanni Giannitti was waiting for him with a big ace, so Abdallah had to rely on plan B – connect with the board.

Elie Abdallah:
Giovanni Giannitti:

Board:

A nice hit! Abdallah is back to about 22K, and moves forward.

Level 6 photographs:

The overlay on the first Event of the Winter Festival 2018 is now official. 209 players took part in this last of 4 starting flights, and all entrants are now gunning for some nicely bloated prizes. The payouts will be published as soon as the tournament staff is done crunching the numbers.

Now, although Guy Lebrun’s triple up in the last moments of level 4 got him to a nice 50K stack, the actual chip leader is Spencer Jean-Baptiste, a.k.a. Mister 16. In just 4 levels, he built his arsenal to an amazing 88,900 chips. Here is a look at his impressive stack:

When we got to the table, the flop was out, and 2 all-in cards were distributed. Diego Aguilar and Guy Lebrun were all-in, and Karim Abdelhamid was contemplating a call, which he ended up making.

Diego Aguilar:
Guy Lebrun:
Karim Abdelhamid:

Board:

2 straights and 1 set! The nut straight held, and both Aguilar and Abdelhamid were crippled. Here are some shots taken during the run out:

We are closing in on the first break of the night, after which registration will be closed. The Event is still 110 players short of the guarantee, and you have 40 minutes to jump in the candy store.

Level 3 photographs:

Let’s break it down. An overlay is the difference between the cash pool generated by buy-ins and the guarantee offered by the house. That difference spells value, sought after by all calculating poker players. It means that by playing such an event, the dollar equity associated with your investment goes up, thus diminishing or even obliterating the vigorish charged by the house.

161 players have answered the overlay call so far, which seems more and more like a sure thing. Can this Event round up 142 more players? Few people think so.

Level 2 photographs: