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Tuesday, September 26, 2017 11:00 PM Local Time
Cash-game pro validates recent tournament success with breakthrough in South Florida
After a near-miss at the recent stop at Foxwoods, David Gunas took care of business at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. Gunas won the $365 Monster Stack, topping a field of 430 entries to win his first ring. He also collected the top prize of close to $30,000, the largest payout of his career.
Gunas, 24, is a professional poker player from Boston, Mass. He doesn’t play tournaments, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at his recent results. He cashed twice in Foxwoods, including a runner-up finish, and this result is his second in-the-money finish of the week at Seminole, too.
“I wanted to start playing some tournaments,” Gunas finally admitted in his postgame interview. “A friend of mine and I always travel together, but this is the first full series I’ve played.”
It’s off to a good start, but Gunas doesn’t have any intentions of making the full switch. “Cash is a steady grind,” he said. “Tournaments? Not so much.”
Gunas has been playing poker since he was a teenager, having only briefly held a job in sales. Nowadays, it’s all poker, and his recent scores have provided a nice boost to his cash-game bankroll, if nothing else.
[Full results]
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 3:56 PM Local Time
The field has been reduced to 10 players, and they've just combined around the final table for Event #3. Here's the remaining lineup:
Seat 1: Mike Ortiz - 1,386,000 (58 bb)
Seat 2: Jack Rolnitzky - 407,000 (17 bb)
Seat 3: Steven Bennett - 436,000 (18 bb)
Seat 4: Bryce McVay - 987,000 (41 bb)
Seat 5: Carlos Loving - 1,690,000 (70 bb)
Seat 6: Nancy Thomas - 472,000 (20 bb)
Seat 7: Georges Boyadjian - 650,000 (27 bb)
Seat 8: Herbert Woodbery - 470,000 (20 bb)
Seat 9: David Gunas - 855,000 (36 bb)
Seat 10: Jeffrey Dickman - 1,277,000 (53 bb)
Blinds are 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante in the current level, putting the average stack just north of 35 big blinds. Everyone left is guaranteed to earn at least $2,172, but all eyes are on the ring and the top prize of $28,379.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 12:56 AM Local Time
Level 21 concludes, and the clock has run out on Day 1. From a starting field of 430 entries, just 22 players remain.
Thanks to a huge pot during the last level, Carlos Loving (pictured) finished the day atop the counts with 1,228,000 chips. Loving is a local two-time ring winner and a former Casino Champion, and he'll be the man setting the pace when play resumes.
Jessica Dawley, one of Seminole Hard Rock's sponsored players, also advanced to Day 2.
Day 2 chip counts | Day 2 seat draw
Blinds will be 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 when play resumes, putting the average stack around 33 big blinds. Everyone left is guaranteed to earn at least $1,067 tomorrow, with the ring and a top prize of $28,379 reserved for the winner.
Day 2 begins at 1 p.m.
Monday, September 25, 2017 3:53 PM Local Time
Monday, September 25, 2017 5:03 AM Local Time
