The 5th Annual Binion's Classic & Venetian Deep Stack III
Earlier this week, we told you about the results to two tournament series that ran simultaneously with the World Series of Poker, the Golden Nugget’s Grand Poker Series and the 2011 Caesars Palace Megastack Series. To round out our coverage of the summer’s hottest poker action, here are the results from the 5th Annual Binion’s Poker Classic and Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III.
Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III
If you’re a poker fan and have been to Las Vegas in recent years, you’ve no doubt heard of the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganzas. With great structures at an affordable price, the Deep Stack Extravaganza has been hailed as one of the best and most successful poker tournament series on The Strip. This summer, the Venetian hosted the Deep Stack Extravaganza III and once again found a great deal of success.
The luxurious venue drew hordes of players throughout the 49 events, creating a combined prize pool of $15,497,403. Although mostly comprised of tourists and amateurs, the Deep Stack Extravaganza also drew many big-name pros who were looking to lay claim to the millions at stake. They included, Joseph Cheong, David “Doc” Sands, Amir Lehavot, Bryan Devonshire, James Van Alstyne, Max Lykov, Ty Reiman, Mike Beasley, Scott Clements, Carter King, Kyle Cartwright, and Jason Wheeler.
Two other pros, Steve Burkholder and Frankie O’Dell, even managed to take down events, while 2004 WSOP Main Event runner-up, bracelet winner, and WPT World Champion David Williams almost did the same, ultimately coming up short when he finished second in the $550 Pot-Limit Omaha to Paul Spillane, good for a cool $29,314.
Notable Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III Results
| Date | Event | # of Entrants | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29 | $550 No-Limit Hold’em | 306 | $147,645 | Steve Burkholder | $35,434 |
| May 31 | $1,070 No-Limit Hold’em | 274 | $264,410 | Clint Coffee | $63,454 |
| June 8 | $550 H.O.R.S.E. | 254 | $122,555 | Frankie O’Dell | $33,091 |
| June 15 | $550 Pot-Limit Omaha | 419 | $202,168 | Paul Spillane | $47,509 |
| June 27 | $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em | 275 | $151,274 | Gabriel Alarie | $151,274 |
| June 29 | $340 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em | 312 | $90,792 | Nuanmanee Khamsv | $21,784 |
| July 2 | $1,070 No-Limit Hold’em | 312 | $301,080 | Jackie Glazier | $72,257 |
| July 13 | $5,000 Main Event | 374 | $1,750,414 | Adam Elpayaa | $420,092 |
The highlight of every Deep Stack Extravaganza is the $5,000 Main Event, and this go-around was no different. The capstone event drew 374 entrants and created a prize pool of $1,750,414. Many of poker’s top professionals, most of whom had been eliminated from the WSOP Main Event, journeyed to the Venetian and found some success. While they didn’t make the final table, the following players did manage to secure a cash: Jennifer Tilly (34th - $12,253), Matt Waxman (32nd - $12,253), Tony Cousineau (31st - $12,253), Jonathan Little (23rd - $14,879), Ben Volpe (22nd - $14,879), Jamie Rosen (18th - $19,080), Sam Grizzle (14th - $25,031), and William Reynolds (11th - $33,258).
In the end, Adam Elpayaa of Forest Park, Illinois, outlasted a tough final table, which included pros Gary Friedlander and Dan O’Brien, to take home the $420,092 first-place prize.
Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III Main Event Final Table
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Adam Elpayaa | $420,092 |
| 2nd | Johnny Neckar | $254,860 |
| 3rd | Gary Friedlander | $170,665 |
| 4th | Robert Zlatkiss | $119,028 |
| 5th | Daniel O’Brien | $89,271 |
| 6th | Tim Kahlmeyer | $70,017 |
| 7th | Dustin Graves | $59,164 |
| 8th | Anthony Gregg | $49,012 |
| 9th | Tony Sinishtaj | $42,010 |
5th Annual Binion’s Poker Classic
When it comes to poker, Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas helped make the game what it is today. Having been sold and rebranded simply Binion’s, the property is still operating and banking on its reputation of poker excellence by hosting a series of low buy-in tournaments that coincide with the WSOP, appropriately called the Binion’s Poker Classic.
This marked the fifth anniversary of the event, and as tradition has dictated, it was bigger and better than the prior year. With 44 events on the schedule, there was truly a tournament for everyone from the traditional no-limit hold’em variety to the more interesting Dealer’s Choice event, which allowed participants to choose from over a dozen games on their button.
Here’s a look at the summer’s winners, along with a look at the Main Event final table.
5th Annual Binion’s Poker Classic Results
| Date | Event | Buy-in | # of Entrants | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 30 | #1 Casino Employee NLH | $100 | 115 | $10,040 | Steve Lee | $1,366 |
| May 31 | #2 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 141 | $18,464 | Rodrigo Reyes | $3,618 |
| June 1 | #3 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 144 | $18,857 | Tom Withers | $2,405 |
| June 2 | #4 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better | $200 | 120 | $20,952 | Dan Scott | $3,940 |
| June 3 | #5 No-Limit Hold’em | $200 | 121 | $21,127 | Ronald Phipps | $5,005 |
| June 4 | #6 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 103 | $13,488 | Keith Murdock | $3,200 |
| June 5 | #7 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 125 | $16,369 | Jame Samsone | $4,650 |
| June 6 | #8 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 110 | $14,405 | Scott Stewart | $4,000 |
| June 7 | #9 H.O.R.S.E. | $200 | 71 | $12,397 | Adam Clayman | $3,520 |
| June 8 | #10 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 102 | $13,357 | Kyle Roland | $2,740 |
| June 9 | #11 Limit Omaha 8 or Better | $200 | 80 | $13,968 | John Van Laan | $3,220 |
| June 10 | #12 No-Limit Hold’em | $200 | 151 | $26,365 | Clint Holmes | $5,000 |
| June 11 | #13 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 113 | $14,797 | Bill Shepherd | $2,844 |
| June 12 | #14 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 143 | $18,726 | Nicole Mummy | $5,035 |
| June 13 | #15 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 139 | $18,202 | Josh McQuoid | $4,705 |
| June 14 | #16 No-Limit Hold’em Six Handed | $200 | 162 | $28,285 | Kevin O’Leary | $7,620 |
| June 15 | #17 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 112 | $14,666 | Randy Propson | $4,255 |
| June 16 | #18 Limit Stud 8 or Better | $200 | 74 | $12,920 | Meg MacRae | $1,730 |
| June 17 | #19 No-Limit Hold’em | $200 | 122 | $21,301 | Julio Rodriguez | $4,650 |
| June 18 | #20 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 156 | $20,428 | Christi Koide | $3,695 |
| June 19 | #21 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 121 | $15,845 | Rich Chase | $3,012 |
| June 20 | #22 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 139 | $18,202 | Steffen Schmid | $3,800 |
| June 21 | #23 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better | $200 | 111 | $19,381 | Ryan Miller | $3,554 |
| June 22 | #24 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 95 | $12,440 | Yann Pauchon | $3,058 |
| June 23 | #25 H.O.R.S.E. | $500 | 62 | $27,665 | Robert Gray | $5,450 |
| June 24 | #26 No-Limit Hold’em | $200 | 75 | $13,095 | Yann Pauchon | $3,810 |
| June 25 | #27 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 107 | $14,012 | Chad Holloway | $2,758 |
| June 26 | #28 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 79 | $10,345 | Randy Enos | $2,608 |
| June 27 | #29 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em | $200 | 72 | $12,571 | Eleanor Gredger | $3,875 |
| June 28 | #30 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 103 | $13,488 | Sander Springer | $2,743 |
| June 28 | #31 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better | $200 | 149 | $26,015 | Joshua Palmer | $5,200 |
| June 29 | #32 Main Event | $1,000 | 314 | $289,351 | Todd Breyfogle | $55,635 |
| July 1 | #33 No-Limit Hold’em | $200 | 67 | $11,698 | Brandon Setzer | $3,775 |
| July 1 | #34 No-Limit Hold’em | $200 | 105 | $13,750 | Brad Russell | $3,940 |
| July 2 | #35 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 91 | $11,916 | Eric Wossner | $3,535 |
| July 3 | #36 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | 96 | $12,571 | Arika Funahashi | $2,423 |
| July 4 | #37 No-Limit Hold’em | $150 | NA | NA | Tyler Fields | $4,550 |
| July 5 | #38 H.O.R.S.E. | $200 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| July 6 | #39 No-Limit Hold’em | $200 | 68 | $11,873 | Jerry Yamachika | $3,975 |
| July 7 | #40 Limit Omaha 8 or Better | $200 | 78 | $13,619 | Jason Riesenberg | $4,360 |
| July 8 | #41 No-Limit Hold’em | $100 | 109 | $8,458 | Joe Young | $1,179 |
| July 9 | #42 No-Limit Hold’em | $100 | 111 | $8,614 | Kent Odgaard | $1,495 |
| July 10 | #43 No-Limit Hold’em | $100 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| July 11 | #44 Dealer’s Choice | $150 | 46 | $6,024 | Kendall Fukumoto | $2,110 |
5th Annual Binion’s Poker Classic Main Event Final Table
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Todd Breyfogle | $55,635 |
| 2nd | Rhys Jones | $49,000 |
| 3rd | Steve Watts | $48,000 |
| 4th | Lukasz Grabowski | $26,765 |
| 5th | Javier Cal | $20,255 |
| 6th | Joseph Accordino | $14,470 |
| 7th | Jeff Myers | $9,405 |
| 8th | Kevin Pionkowski | $7,235 |
| 9th | Peter Lubrano | $5,780 |
*Photo courtesy of ConsumerTravel.
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