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Tuesday, February 13, 2018 7:41 PM Local Time
Local standout wins fourth ring, $10,801 at Coconut Creek
“All signs point to a win,” Loni Harwood said Tuesday afternoon.
She was one of the first players back for the restart of Event #5 at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, milling around the room an hour early.
Despite entering Day 2 near the bottom of the counts, Harwood was already predicting a win. After all, she’d drawn Seat 7 at the final table, her lucky seat.
“It seems that every time I get Seat 7 at the final table, I just… I don’t know,” she would explain later. “It’s crazy. I’m not superstitious or anything. But it just seems like every time I’m at a final table, it’s always seven.”
The number has always carried special weight for Harwood. She won her first of two WSOP bracelets on July 7, which happened to be the birthday of both her brother and sister-in-law. Seven-seven. If that’s not enough convincing, Harwood entered Day 2 of this event with 77,000 chips — good for seventh place with nine remaining.
And then there was today’s date, February 13. A year ago today, Harwood won her third Circuit ring just down the road at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. Thirteen was also a lucky number for Harwood’s late mother, who’s still her primary source of inspiration.
As if she needed even more run-good in her corner, Harwood was surrounded by friends and family, including her brother and sister-in-law. And her boyfriend, poker pro Phil Hui, along with his brother, Chris.
The group gathered along the perimeter of the final table, with Hui pacing nervously around the area. Harwood was as poised as a statue, though. She handily picked her way through the eliminations, eventually finding herself heads-up for the ring against Stephen Hawley.
Hawley had the chip lead to begin, but it didn’t matter. The battle was short, and it ended as Harwood predicted — with her posing for winner’s photos.
As usual, her significant other was right by her side. She and Hui are now tied with four rings apiece. Both are WSOP bracelet winners, as well.
“It’s been really great,” Harwood said of their relationship. “We talk a lot of hands. And then, obviously, we have a life outside of poker. So there’s balance. But we help each other get better a lot.”
In her years as a pro, Harwood has become a serious force on the felt. She believes that her experience in major, world-class events has helped her find success at the Circuit level.
“Your game evolves,” she explained. “As you gain experience and play higher buy-ins, you tend to pick up more things that work, especially in lower-buy-in tournaments.”
Harwood dedicated this win to her sister-in-law, Jenna. She and her husband, Scott, were on the rail for the duration of the final table. Loni calls Scott her best friend, and he provided a little extra motivation before the final table.
“At the beginning of the day, I told her if she won, we could go celebrate at Red Lobster,” Scott said.
“We are going to Red Lobster,” Harwood giggled.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 6:42 PM Local Time
Loni Harwood pretty much called her shot.
"All signs point to a win," she said earlier this afternoon, mulling around the room an hour before the restart. A few hours later, she was sitting alone at the table, posing for photos with her fourth gold ring.
Harwood defeated Stephen Hawley in the heads-up battle to seal the victory. Along with the ring, she earned the top prize of $10,801, a small boost to her career earnings of more than $2.5 million.
More about Harwood and her run to this ring will be published shortly.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 3:00 PM Local Time
The nine remaining players are back in their chairs and back in action. They'll keep going until there's a winner.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 2:44 AM Local Time
The clock has run out on Level 18 and on Day 1 of this event. The starting field of 120 entries was trimmed to nine by the time the bags came out. Here's the remaining lineup:
Seat 1: Mike Notarianni - 24,000 (4 bb)
Seat 2: Jorge Aristizabal - 264,000 (44 bb)
Seat 3: A.J. Kelsall - 137,000 (23 bb)
Seat 4: Stephen Hawley - 61,000 (10 bb)
Seat 5: Aram Zobian - 229,000 (38 bb)
Seat 6: Loni Harwood - 77,000 (13 bb)
Seat 7: Eric Polirer - 153,000 (26 bb)
Seat 8: Ricardo Jose Valim - 149,000 (25 bb)
Seat 9: Brett Apter - 106,000 (18 bb)
Jorge Aristizabal is appearing at his second consecutive final table, after a third-place finish in Event #2 earlier in the day. He'll carry the chip lead into Day 2 as he seeks his first ring.
Loni Harwood headlines the table, though. She already has three rings and two gold bracelets, looking to bolster her tournament record even further. She's one of three ring winners remaining at the table. A.J. Kelsall and Mike Notarianni also have the chance to add to the collection.
Blinds will be 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante when play resumes, putting the average stack around 22 big blinds. Everyone left will earn at least $927 tomorrow, with the ring and $10,801 reserved for the winner.
Day 2 begins at 3 p.m.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 1:54 AM Local Time
Shortly before 2 a.m., the field was reduced to a final table of 10. Here's the remaining lineup:
Seat 1: Warren Jurkowitz – 26,500 (7 bb)
Seat 2: Mike Notarianni – 70,000 (18 bb)
Seat 3: Jorge Aristizabal – 230,000 (58 bb)
Seat 4: A.J. Kelsall – 79,000 (20 bb)
Seat 5: Stephen Hawley – 114,500 (29 bb)
Seat 6: Aram Zobian – 192,000 (48 bb)
Seat 7: Loni Harwood – 144,000 (36 bb)
Seat 8: Eric Polirer – 131,500 (33 bb)
Seat 9: Ricardo Jose Valim – 108,500 (27 bb)
Seat 10: Brett Apter – 116,000 (29 bb)
Loni Harwood headlines of the group. She's a two-time bracelet winner and a three-time Circuit winner, looking to add to her box of poker jewelry.
A.J. Kelsall and Mike Notarianni have one ring apiece, too, while the rest of the finalists are seeking their first. Jorge Aristizabal almost got his earlier today in the restart of Event #3, and he's earned himself a second crack at it tonight.
Blinds are 2,000/4,000 with a 500 ante, so the average stack is 30 big blinds. Everyone left is guaranteed to earn at least $752.
Play continues tonight until the end of Level 18, which is about 45 minutes from now.
Monday, February 12, 2018 9:54 PM Local Time
Registration closed a short while ago for Event #5.
This $365 event ended up with 120 entries, creating a prize pool worth $36,000. That money will be shared by the final 12 players, with a min-cash worth $752. The winner gets $10,801 and the series' fifth gold ring.
The full breakdown of the payouts can be found in the Prizepool tab above.
Monday, February 12, 2018 4:07 PM Local Time
A tidy field has gathered for the start of Event #5, and the cards are in the air.
Sunday, February 11, 2018 10:08 PM Local Time
