Chad_Holloway
PokerStars Championship Panama Super High Roller
Welcome back to the PokerStars Championship Panama here at the Sortis Hotel, Spa & Casino in Panama City. Today, we’re proud to bring you live updates straight from the floor of the $25,750 Single-Day High Roller.
Yesterday’s Day 1a flight of the Main Event drew a ton of pros, many of who were no doubt looking to clear their schedule so they could play this very event. Among those that played and bagged yesterday were Jason Koon, Steve O’Dwyer, David Peters, Byron Kaverman, and Anthony Zinno, all of who we expect to see in action today.
We also expect to see Ben Tollerene, who a couple days ago won the PokerStars Championship Panama $50,000 Super High Roller for $538,715. He played and busted the Main Event already, so we know his schedule is free to play this event if he so chooses. The same can be said for usual High Rollers Timothy Adams, Justin Bonomo, Ike Haxton, and Dan Colman.
While single-day high roller events were introduced on the EPT — many of which we live reported right here in the blog – we’ve only captured the action from one in the modern PokerStars Championship era. It was a $50,000 buy-in Single-Day High Roller from the PokerStars Championship Bahamas, a tournament that saw 49 unique players account for 20 re-entries. Bryn Kenney walked away with that title for $969,075, while many of the players mentioned above, even Tollerene (6th place for $205,400) were at that final table.
It’s not every day we capture all stages of a tournament in a single go, but today we have that opportunity.
Follow along as we bring you all the latest and greatest straight from the floor of the PokerStars Championship Panama $25,750 Single-Day High Roller. While you wait, check out these “Rapid Fire Questions” with Tito Ortiz, who bagged up the second-biggest stack on Day 1a of the Main Event.
We managed to snag a rule sheet regarding the 30-second shot clock that'll be in use today. Here's the five-step outline dealers of the event have been provided for easy reference.
1.) Players will receive 30 seconds per decision throughout the event.
2.) Dealers will make a silent count to 5 prior to starting the shot clock.
3.) Once the clock reaches 15 seconds, the dealer will place the clock in front of the player.
4.) Each player will receive 3 (60 second) time extension chips.
5.) Time extension chips will be automatically put into play once the initial 30 second clock has expired.
After Dario Sammartino raised to 4,000 under the gun and Erik Seidel called from the small blind, Ben Tollerene three-bet jammed for 50,600 from the big.
Sammartino paused for a few beats before making the call, and that prompted Seidel to get out of the way.
Sammartino:
Tollerene:
Tollerene was pipped and needed to improve to stay alive. That didn't happen though as instead the board ran out an unhelpful . Tollerene is out, but we're guessing he'll exercise his single re-entry option in due time.
Seated under the gun, Bryn Kenney opened for 7,000. Isaac Haxton three-bet to 22,000 from the hijack and Koray Aldemir shoved from the button. The blinds and Kenney folded instantly and action was on Haxton. He thought about it for a bit before he called all in.
Isaac Haxton:
Koray Aldemir:
The board ran out and Haxton succumbed his stack to Aldemir. Haxton had already eliminated once before today, so he no longer has the option to reenter.
Action folded to Timothy Adams in the small blind and he moved in. Big blind Orpen Kisacikoglu had just over 30,000 or so left it seemed, and he snap called.
Orpen Kisacikoglu:
Timothy Adams:
The board ran out and Kisacikoglu sais his goodbyes.
Mike McDonald opened under the gun for 11,000 and small blind Le Fernandez pushed for 115,400. The big blind decided to fold but McDonald called.
Mike McDonald:
Leo Fernandez:
McDonald had the lead but the flop was not good for him by any means. The on the turn and on the river brought no help to McDonald and he doubled Fernandez.
Action folded to Byron Kaverman in the small blind and he simply moved all in to put the pressure on Justin Bonomo in the big. Bonomo called off for right around 55,000 and the cards were turned up.
Kaverman:
Bonomo:
Bonomo got it in good but that didn't matter as Kaverman ended up with the best of it after the board ran out .
Steve O'Dwyer (cutoff) and Igor Kurganov (big blind) got their stacks in the middle before the flop. "Ow come on!" O'Dywer said with a smile as he saw the showdown.
Igor Kurganov:
Steve O'Dwyer:
The flop brought O'Dywer some outs, but neither the on the turn or on the river helped him. O'Dywer pushed his stack of 185,000 in the direction of Kurganov and said "That was quick" as he made his exit.
New Team PokerStars Pro Igor Kurganov opened up to Sarah about his decision to join the team.
We missed the preflop action, but we do know that Belgian Davidi Kitai got his stack of 80,000 all in and was at risk against Italy's Mustapha Kanit.
Kanit:
Kitai:
It was a flip and Kitai was just looking to hold to double. That proved easier said than done though as the flop paired Kanit. Neither the turn nor river helped Kitai and he was sent to the exit.
Adrian Mateos shoved from the hijack for 69,000 and his neighbor Mustapha Kanit three-bet to 150,000 from the cutoff. Over on the button sat Daniel Dvoress and he called all in for fewer chips than Mateos had.
Mustapha Kanit:
Adrian Mateos:
Daniel Dvoress:
The board ran out and both Mateos and Dvoress made their exit.
"Seat open!" Kanit shouted, "Ciao belli!"
Kanit, just about the only person to get away with such needles as his ever smiling face shows he's just kidding, continued: "See you next time! Try again next time!"
As Dvoress laughed while packing his things, Kanit shifted his focus: "Table three two seats open! We need new players! Bring Timex, I want to bust Mike McDonald!"
. Tollerene is out, but we're guessing he'll exercise his single re-entry option in due time.
and Haxton succumbed his stack to Aldemir. Haxton had already eliminated once before today, so he no longer has the option to reenter.
flop was not good for him by any means. The 
on the river brought no help to McDonald and he doubled Fernandez.
on the turn or 
flop paired Kanit. Neither the 
