The second annual Pala Summer Open (Aug. 13-17) included a wide variety of tournaments culminating with the Quest for the Cup main event that featured a $135 buy-in, three days of qualifying, 244 entries and a $24,400 prize pool.
Nick Spiteri of Vista, Calif., captured his second title at Pala (he won this trophy in May, too) over Kelly Sprunkle. During heads-up play Spiteri raised on the button with A-K. Sprunkle, who held JH-7H, went all-in and Spiteri called. The final board was AC-4H-3S-6S-QC. Spiteri pocketed nearly $6,500 for the victory as Sprunkle earned $3,855 for second.
The series kicked off with a Ladies International Poker Series event. Diana Radford of Seattle took first place in an event that attracted 49 players and generated a $4,900 prize pool. She earned $925 and a seat to the LIPS Grand Championship (valued at $230) in Las Vegas.
Event 2 was an $80 buy-in with $10 bounties. It drew 89 entries for $6,230 prize pool, which was chopped 10 ways.
Event 3 saw another 10-way chop, a popular theme in this series, as the $55 Survivor tournament had 100 entries for a $5,500 prize pool. Each player earned $550.
Gilbert Gorou of San Diego and Josh Hickock of Poway captured Event 4, a tag-team NLHE tournament that had 50 teams. They won $1,000.
Event 5, a $55 turbo, had a 10-way chop, giving the final 10 players $500 each.
Though a deal was made when the six-max Event 6 reached seven-handed play, chipleaders Dan McGetrick and Don Devore, both of Temecula, each won $1K as the remaining five players each earned $600.
These days you don’t find much no-limit Omaha, but Event 7 was an $80 NLO tournament with 50 players, and again a 10-way chop earned $500 each.
— Kittie Aleman is Ante Up’s Southern California Ambassador. Email her at anteupkittie@gmail.com.
