The World Poker Tour has become the epitome of the axiom “There’s no rest for the wicked.” Less than 48 hours after WPT announcer Mike Sexton achieved his personal goal of winning a WPT event (the WPT Montreal at the Playground Poker Club in Quebec), the entirety of the tour shifted WAY south to the sunny climes of Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic, and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for the 2016 WPT Caribbean. With much of the States of America under chilly conditions and, in some areas, blizzards, the opportunity for many to escape to the Caribbean couldn’t be resisted.
The $5000 buy in event will follow what has become the standard on the WPT of late. Players are allowed one re-buy (should they be eliminated) on the day they are playing and, if Day 1A didn’t work for them, there was the ability to come back on Day 1B to take another double barrel shot. If a player can get through both Day Ones, then their biggest stack would move on to Day 2. Finally, if a player couldn’t get anything going on the two Day Ones, there will be one last chance to get two stacks of chips – if you get in before the end of the first level on Day 2, bust and rebuy. All totaled, it is possible for a player to spew off $30,000 (six buy-ins) if they are forced to use every option available.
With the multitude of entry options available, it is to be expected that Day 1A didn’t have a flood of players on the tables. In the early going, only 27 players were on the tables, but they were some difficult opponents. In addition to Sexton – looking to pull of the back-to-back championships – players such as fellow WPT Champions’ Club member Darren Elias, Paul Klann, Mike Leah, Matt Salsberg and Mark Radoja were arranged around the tournament arena. Starting off with 30K in chips, the action was abbreviated but there were some moments of action.
Dylan Linde was one of those who was in on the action. After raising out of middle position, Linde saw Jeremie Bilodeau pop him from the hijack. After everyone else scrambled, Linde called for a J♥ 4♠ 3♥ flop and check-called a bet from Bilodeau. A 9♥ on the turn lit the fuse as Linde led out and, after Bilodeau reraised him, put out a three-bet that would essentially put Bilodeau all in. Bilodeau made the call and, much to Linde’s dismay, showed K♥ Q♥ for the turned second nut flush. Linde’s pocket threes had potential for a boat, but the 2♦ on the river wasn’t helpful as the dealer pushed a stack of chips (45K) to Bilodeau and Linde was left with fumes.
As the day wore on, more notable professionals showed they were in town for the festivities. WPT Champions’ Club member Anthony Zinno, Keven Stammen and Mohsin Charania pulled up some felt alongside such pros as Samuel Chartier, Manig Loeser and Michael Telker. Zinno was one who felt the pinch of bad fortune, though, as he saw his first stack of chips go to Roberto Vahlis and his second go mostly to Hertsel Levy (it is expected that Zinno will be back again on Sunday).
Vahlis didn’t stop with the decimation of Zinno. He would pull off a huge double elimination of two of the “big guns” in the tournament – Sexton and Stammen – when the three mixed it up late in the evening. Vahlis, with pocket sevens, had the edge over Sexton (A♠ 9♠) and Stammen (drawing dead with his J♠ 3♠) when the money went in on a flop and turn of A♥ K♠ 7♠ 9♥. With only a spade saving Sexton, the J♥ completed the wrong flush, sending him out along with Stammen and giving Vahlis a stack he can confidently sit on and wait for Day 2 on Monday.
1. Roberto Vahlis, 145,700
2. Luiz Duarte, 97,000
3. Ryan Yu, 86,125
4. Thomas Taylor, 86,100
5. Michael Gathy, 77,475
6. Alex Papazian, 67,000
7. David Miscikowski, 61,650
8. Mark Radoja, 61,000
9. Paul Hoefer, 55,925
10. Ema Zajmovic, 54,900
Of the 60 entries that were received on Day 1A, 42 of those have chip stacks they could use to push on to Day 2. For some such as Loeser (15,500), Linde (20,425) and Salsberg (22,200), another day of work on Day 1B may be in the cards.
Day 1B is expected to have a MUCH larger field and will kick off at 5PM this afternoon. Even after that day is concluded (because of late entry that won’t close until after the first level of Day 2), all that will be known is that the champion of the tournament will be crowned on Wednesday.
