Event #1

Colossus late registration ends in 30 minutes

Level: 8
Small Blind: 300
Big Blind: 600
BB Ante: 600
Chip Average: 27K
Remaining: 157
Entries: 209

August 25, 2019 | 10:51pm | Playground

If you planned on playing the Colossus Turbo flight, you had better move fast! With levels of only 15 minutes, the beginning of level 9 (which is also the end of late registration) is almost upon us. In just 30 minutes (11:15pm) the window of opportunity will be closed!

The tournament is jumping at the moment, with more than 200 entries in the last two hours. Remember, to qualify for Day 2 (coming up tomorrow at noon), all you have to do is still have chips in front of you when the field has been reduced to 15% of the total entries. Based on the number of entries so far, all you have to do is be one of the last 30 players left standing (well, sitting actually).

So if you want to jump right into the middle of the action and earn your spot in Day 2, now is the time. Let’s go!

Mansour bags the lead on Day 1G

August 25, 2019 | 10:21pm | Playground

Day 1G brought out a huge field of 683 entries that battled it out for 17 levels of play. Following less hand-for-hand play than anyone in the field expected, 103 players advanced from this flight.

The fast and loose approach seen throughout the flight was maintained all the way to end. The players had just returned from their fourth break of the day when 107 players remained. From there, it did not take long to send the field into Day 2 and the money. The bubble hand was a heads-up pot where all the chips went in on the flop. Following the conclusion of play on the other tables, the hands were revealed to show top pair against second pair on a relatively dry board. But the run out turned the tables and brought about the final elimination of the day.

Three players – Steve Mansour, Joshua Marr and Tibor Bizony – bagged more than 300,000 in chips to put themselves in a great position to start tomorrow’s Day 2. The complete list of Day 1 results can be found here. The action will resume for Day 2 tomorrow at noon.

Ofogh makes it above 200K to lead at the second break

Level: 9
Small Blind: 400
Big Blind: 800
BB Ante: 800
Chip Average: 38.8K
Remaining: 300
Entries: 582

August 25, 2019August 26, 2019 | 9:52pm | Playground

The late registration and re-entry period has finally closed and the total number of entries reached 582 (including 143 re-entries). That means that the total number of Day 1 players has already reached 3,309, just a few players shy of the total amount required for the $1,000,000 guarantee (which has now already been hit in the turbo Day 1I that started at 9:00pm).

There was just another break and after looking at the stacks, one player has managed to go north of 200,00; Hamid Ofogh is the chip leader with 212,500 (approximately five times the chip average). In second place is Naveen Thorati with 190,800.

Here are the top stacks in play:

First Name \| Prénom	Last Name \| Nom	Stack \| Tapis
Hamid	Ofogh	212,500
Naveen	Thorati	190,800
Christopher	Nother	166,100
Randy	Khalil	136,600
Tu Kham	Tran	121,400
Anthony	Ribeiro	115,200
Rohit	Joshi	105,000
Philippe	Boucher	98,200
Selajtin	Jakupovski	97,300
Tomas	Schlesinger	94,400
Chen	Turjeman	93,500

The many hats of the Colossus Turbo flight

Level: 3
Small Blind: 100
Big Blind: 200
BB Ante: 200
Chip Average: 22K
Remaining: 123
Entries: 132

August 25, 2019 | 9:48pm | Playground

In just 45 minutes we’ve had 132 entries into the Colossus Turbo flight, and even though we just started, there remains only an hour and a half until the registration period closes. Below are photos of some of our Day 1I Turbo players doing their thing.

If you haven’t yet taken your seat, now’s the time to grab your hat and take a seat. Day 2 (and glory) awaits!

Mansour leads as Day 1G winds down

Level: 17
Small Blind: 2.5K
Big Blind: 5K
BB Ante: 5K
Chip Average: 127.7K
Remaining: 107
Entries: 683

August 25, 2019 | 9:25pm | Playground

The field is only four eliminations away from bagging chips for the day and reaching the money. The pace of play maintained a brisk pace in the lead up to the last break, contrary to most expectations. But things are likely to grind to a (near) halt now that the bubble is so close.

The blinds have caught up to the field, as the chip average now only provides about 25 big blinds, meaning that many players are feeling lots of pressure every time the button makes its way around the table.

Here are the current chip leaders:

First Name \| Prénom	Last Name \| Nom	Stack \| Tapis
Steve	Mansour	380,000
Andrew	Nortcliff	332,000
Tibor	Bizony	300,000
Trevor	Delaney	270,000
Christopher	Funari	245,000

Moss picks up AA for the win

Level: 8
Small Blind: 300
Big Blind: 600
BB Ante: 600
Chip Average: 34.4K
Remaining: 332
Entries: 572

August 25, 2019 | 9:13pm | Playground

One of the things that happens when there is a large field like tonight is that pocket rockets just keep showing up on table after table. Interestingly enough, tonight they seem to be holding, well, at least for the hands that this blogger has witnessed.

On table 99, Zohrain Ladha raised it up UTG to 1,400. Ralph Gidaro smooth called in mid position. Two seats over to his left, Frederick Moss 3-bet to 5,000. Ladha, the original raiser, then shipped it for 19,250. Gidaro went deep into the tank until finally he mucked his hand. When action was back on Moss he snap called.

Ladha:
Moss:

The board came and Moss scoops the pot. Gidaro mentioned that he folded pocket tens as he just felt he was behind. It appears that he made a good decision.

It’s nice to see how many times AA has held on the different tables tonight.

Frederick Moss

It’s your last chance to conquer the Colossus

Level: 1
Small Blind: 50
Big Blind: 100
BB Ante: 100
Chip Average: 20K
Remaining: 72
Entries: 72

August 25, 2019August 25, 2019 | 9:11pm | Playground

Play has officially just begun on the thirteenth and final Day 1 flight of the $300 + $30 Colossus, an absolutely massive event with a guaranteed $1,000,000 prize pool. Playground Poker Club has been packed since noon, with over 1,000 players choosing to hit the felt today alone, and the action isn’t over yet!

This evening’s flight is the Turbo, which means – you guessed it – it’s fast. Levels will increase every 15 minutes (as opposed to every 30 minutes in the other live flights) however, players still begin with 20,000 chips, as with the other live flights. The competitors will continue play until 15% of the field remains, and this event features unlimited re-entries until the end of late registration, which occurs at the start of level 9, or 11:30pm.

Cards are in the air folks. Come on down and join the action!

Larivee-Magni gets it in with AA vs 55 and the winner is…

Level: 7
Small Blind: 250K
Big Blind: 500
BB Ante: 500
Chip Average: 30.1K
Remaining: 353
Entries: 532

August 25, 2019 | 8:21pm | Playground

The crowd just keeps growing as Day 1H is now up to 532 runners (including 109 re-entries) and it looks like those re-entries will keep happening right up to the very last minute when the late registration period ends at 9:00pm.

On table 103, Tomas Larivee-Magni was one of those players who did make a re-buy after getting into a bad spot earlier on. He seems to be running better now as he just took down a pot and eliminated another player. With the blinds at 250/500, action folded to Larivee-Magni who opened to 1,200. When it reached Robert Viola in the cutoff position, he 3-bet to 3,500. Without hesitation, Larivee-Magni 4-bet to 7,000. Viola flat called.

The flop came . Larivee-Magni checked, followed by a shove by Viola. Larivee-Magni snap called the shove.

Viola:
Larivee-Magni:

The turn was the and the river was the , and the dealer scooped the pot and shipped the chips to Larivee-Magni.

Down the home stretch

Level: 15
Small Blind: 1.5K
Big Blind: 3K
BB Ante: 3K
Chip Average: 103.5K
Remaining: 132
Entries: 683

August 25, 2019 | 8:03pm | Playground

After 14 levels of play on Day 1G, the field has been reduced to only 132 players out of 683 total entries. There is now a huge gap between the big and small stacks in the field, but the slow structure makes it possible for the shorter stacks to remain patient and pick their spots carefully. In the meantime, the big stacks in the field are taking the opportunity to play lots of hands and pressure their opponents at every chance, an approach brings risks of its own but exploits the dynamics of this starting flight. The top 103 finishers will qualify for Day 2 and reach the money, giving each hand greater importance as the flight continues.

Here’s an updated look at the field:

Kharagni takes the lead at the first break

Level: 5
Small Blind: 150K
Big Blind: 300
BB Ante: 300
Chip Average: 24.8K
Remaining: 360
Entries: 447

August 25, 2019 | 7:33pm | Playground

There are now 447 entries (with 78 re-entries) and minute by minute the players still keep arriving. It will surpass 500 entries very shortly, and who knows where it will stop as there remains 90 minutes in the re-entry and late registration period.

The players just had their first break of the day and it gave us a chance to see who the leaders are. With the chip average sitting around 25,000, Fuad Kharagni has amassed a stack of 96,600, almost four times the average.

Here are the leaders from the first break:

First Name \| Prénom	Last Name \| Nom	Stack \| Tapis
Fuad	Kharagni	96,600
Anthony	Ribeiro	87,200
Hamid	Ofogh	78,500
Aaron	Valencia	77,200
Naveen	Thorati	75,800
Chia	Chang	74,200
Yan	Kaznachey	64,400
Alex	Longuepe	63,300

Gerontakos leads after 12 levels

Level: 13
Small Blind: 1K
Big Blind: 2K
BB Ante: 2K
Chip Average: 75.9K
Remaining: 180
Entries: 683

August 25, 2019 | 7:04pm | Playground

Less than 200 players remain on Day 1G. Vasilios Gerontakos is our current chip leader, who is sitting comfortably with a stack of more than triple the current average. Many players are keeping their heads safely above water with stacks of more than double the chip average, but everything can change quickly in tournament poker so there players will have to stay sharp if they hope to bag chips at the end of the flight.

The end of the flight, which also serves as the money bubble, has come into view now that the field is down under 200 players. The top 103 finishers will advance to tomorrow’s Day 2 so the tension will only mount from here.

First Name \| Prénom	Last Name \| Nom	Stack \| Tapis
Vasilios	Gerontakos	243,000
Trevor	Delaney	206,500
Shunn	Jacques	202,000
Dave	Graham	183,000
Andrew	Wareen	180,000
Robin	Leacock	165,000
Jimy	Roy	156,000
Gautam	Lillaney	156,000

AA vs AA vs KK: and the winner is…

Level: 3
Small Blind: 100
Big Blind: 200
BB Ante: 200
Chip Average: 22.3K
Remaining: 327
Entries: 366

August 25, 2019 | 6:22pm | Playground

The play has been fast and furious and in level three there have already been almost 400 entries with over 40 re-entries.

Table 91 had a three way all in a few minutes ago that saw two players with pocket aces up against another player with pocket kings.

With the blinds at 100/200, Brandon Breton-Ortega raised it up to 1,500. It folded to Ryan Tjong who decided to move all in. When it was Kevin Hanka’s turn to act, he also went all. Back to Breton-Ortega, he snap called.

Breton-Ortega:
Tjong:
Hanka:

As the dealer was getting ready to fan the board, Hanka kept repeating out loud “king, king, king, king…” however he found no saving grace on the board, and both Breton-Ortega and Tjong chopped up Hanka’s chips as well as the blinds and ante.

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