2021 bestbet Jacksonville Spring Series

bestbet Jacksonville Spring Series $2,500 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2021 bestbet Jacksonville Spring Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
kj
Prize
$180,986
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,500
Prize Pool
$898,242
Entries
401
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
54
Players Left
1

Level: 22

Blinds: 15,000/25,000

Ante: 25,000

Two Pair Times Three

Level 21 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Zach Gruneberg opened in the cutoff and received calls from Warren Teal on the button and Stephen Strout, who defended his big blind. The three saw a flop of {4-Clubs}{j-Hearts}{9-Spades} and Strout checked to teal, who continuation-bet 60,000. Both Teal and Strout called.

The turn {k-Clubs} saw Strout check again and Gruneberg continued with another 110,000. Both players called once more and then all three players checked on the river {q-Spades} to take the hand to showdown.

Zach Gruneberg: {k-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}
Warren Teal: {k-Spades}{j-Clubs}
Stephen Strout: {k-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds}

All three players had two pair with Strout making top two on the river to earn him the pot and bring his stack just shy of 1 million.

On the other table, a pot of roughly 500,000 had was in the process of being pushed to Jake Ferro, who was in early position with {q-Spades}{10-Spades} on a board reading {10-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{q-Hearts}{6-Spades}{9-Spades} that bested the {a-}{q-} of William Thomas on his left.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jake Ferro us
Jake Ferro
1,665,000
310,000
310,000
Profile photo of William Thomas us
William Thomas
1,005,000
-45,000
-45,000
Profile photo of Stephen Strout us
Stephen Strout
985,000
425,000
425,000
Profile photo of Warren Teal us
Warren Teal
550,000
-155,000
-155,000
Profile photo of Zach Gruneberg
Zach Gruneberg
485,000
-40,000
-40,000

Tags: Stephen StroutWarren TealZach Gruneberg

Catch the Final Table Streamed on bestbet LIVE and Broadcast by the E-Train

Level 21 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
E-Train
E-Train

Sunday night, eight players will make the final table of the bestbet Jacksonville Spring Series $2,500 Main Event. Come that time, the tournament will be live-streamed on bestbet LIVE until a winner has been declared.

The local duo of Eddy Mroczkowski and Eric "1k" Steinbaugh will be in the booth calling the action.

More than Just Playing Poker

Of the two, Mroczkowski was the one to get his foot into the door of the broadcasting booth, so to speak. bestbet Jacksonville held a contest in January 2018 in search of a worthy commentator for its live stream, and having been around the local poker scene for over a decade, Mroczkowski proved himself well-versed enough to win the contest.

Commentating has become another poker-related hobby for Mroczkowski, but it is still secondary to playing. With over $450,000 in lifetime earnings on his Hendon Mob database, Mroczkowski said the dream is to travel to play poker tournaments and then jump into the booth should they fall short of the final table. A win-win situation.

Eddy Mroczkowski and Eric Steinbaugh aka "The E-Train"
Eddy Mroczkowski and Eric Steinbaugh aka "The E-Train"

The E-Train Enters the Station

As soon as Mroczkowski got onto the broadcast, he knew that bringing his friend Steinbaugh into the booth would work well, and as of around a year and a half ago, the E-Train pulled into the station for the first time. COVID-19 prevented the two from working together in 2020, and regardless they are often busy in their own lives. Still, they try to get together on stream as often as possible, and certainly for every big event at bestbet Jacksonville.

Both Steinbaugh and Mroczkowski know poker well enough to talk about it on air and are able to entertain while staying focused on the game. They get along great in the booth because it is an extension of their friendship away from the game of poker, one Mroczkowski's wife actually predicted years prior to the two crossing paths.

Mroczkowski's wife and Steinbaugh worked together at Daytona's poker room and she told him that the two would get along well. Years later, they found themselves in Las Vegas together one summer for the World Series of Poker and immediately connected. Now, they travel the world together, having visited destinations domestic and international alike such as Utah, Colorado, London, and Amsterdam.

For more updates all tournament long, stay tuned to PokerNews to catch all the action. Also, be sure to catch the live stream on the bestbet LIVE Twitch Channel.

Another Triple Thanks to the River

Level 21 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Warren Teal
Warren Teal

Warren Teal open-jammed for 225,000 under the gun and was called by Dustin Holladay in the cutoff. Zach Gruneberg was in the big blind and three-bet shoved for a bit more than Holladay's remaining chips. Holladay went into the tank for more than two minutes, apologizing to the table before finding a fold.

Warren Teal: {a-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}
Zach Gruneberg: {a-Spades}{k-Clubs}

Teal only had three outs but had a chance to triple with just one opponent to beat. The flop {5-Spades}{2-Hearts}{a-Hearts} and turn {4-Clubs} added four unnecessary outs to his total before the river {6-Spades} completed the runout to give him top two pair and earn him the triple.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Warren Teal us
Warren Teal
705,000
480,000
480,000
Profile photo of Zach Gruneberg
Zach Gruneberg
525,000
-205,000
-205,000
Profile photo of Dustin Holladay us
Dustin Holladay
405,000
-225,000
-225,000

Tags: Dustin HolladayWarren TealZach Gruneberg

Strout Saved by the River

Level 21 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Stephen Strout
Stephen Strout

All of the chips got into the middle in a three-way all-in scenario with Between Paul Petraglia in the hijack, Stephen Strout in the cutoff, and Dustin Holladay who was on the button. Strout was the shortest stack of the three and Petraglia covered both Holladay and Strout with a shot at a double knockout.

Stephen Strout: {a-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds}
Dustin Holladay: {j-Spades}{j-Diamonds}
Paul Petraglia: {a-Hearts}{k-Clubs}

Holladay remained out in front through the flop {8-Spades}{4-Hearts}{5-Clubs} and turn {9-Clubs}, but the river {8-Clubs} gave Strout trips and tripled him up. Holladay's remaining 315,000 was doubled for the side pot and 15 players still remain.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Dustin Holladay us
Dustin Holladay
630,000
80,000
80,000
Profile photo of Stephen Strout us
Stephen Strout
560,000
340,000
340,000
Profile photo of Paul Petraglia us
Paul Petraglia
430,000
-530,000
-530,000
WPT 1X Winner

Tags: Dustin HolladayPaul PetragliaStephen Strout

Kobzyev Kyrylo Eliminated in 16th Place ($9,674)

Level 21 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Kobzyev Kyrylo
Kobzyev Kyrylo

Kobzyev Kyrylo open-jammed in early position and action folded around to Zach Gruneberg in the cutoff, who also announced he was all in. All remaining players folded.

Zach Gruneberg: {k-Clubs}{k-Diamonds}
Kobzyev Kyrylo: {8-Hearts}{8-Diamonds}

Gruneberg held on the runout {3-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}{2-Clubs}{q-Diamonds}{6-Clubs} and stacks were counted. Gruneberg's 340,000 was barely covered Kyrylo's 360,000 and he scored the double while leaving Kyrylo with just 20,000 behind that he lost a couple of hands thereafter.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Zach Gruneberg
Zach Gruneberg
730,000
365,000
365,000
Profile photo of Kobzyev Kyrylo us
Kobzyev Kyrylo
Busted

Tags: Kobzyev KyryloZach Gruneberg

Petraglia Doubles; Zhang Busts

Level 21 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

As time expired in the previous level, Kyle Cartwright opened to 30,000 under the gun and action folded around to Paul Petraglia, who put in a raise after not seeing Cartwright's open. He was forced to three-bet to 45,000 and Cartwright thought for a bit before announcing a four-bet jam. Petraglia immediately jammed.

"Did you angle me?" asked Cartwright.

"No!" said Petraglia innocently as he turned over {9-Spades}{9-Clubs}.

Cartwright acknowledged the pending coin flip as he turned over {a-Diamonds}{j-Spades}, and he had a perfect view to see a jack come in the window of the flop {k-Spades}{9-Hearts}{j-Diamonds}. Luckily for Petraglia, he also picked up a set. The turn {k-Diamonds} gave Petraglia a counterfeit sweat, but the river {2-Diamonds} fell cleanly to earn him the double.

Moments later, Steve Zhang was eliminated after getting the last of his chips into the middle with {a-}{3-} and losing to the {j-}{j-} of Dustin Holladay to bring about his elimination from the tournament in 17th place. Two tables now remain.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Paul Petraglia us
Paul Petraglia
800,000
370,000
370,000
WPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Dustin Holladay us
Dustin Holladay
500,000
315,000
315,000
Profile photo of Kyle Cartwright us
Kyle Cartwright
360,000
-575,000
-575,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Steve Zhang us
Steve Zhang
Busted

Tags: Dustin HolladayKyle CartwrightPaul PetragliaSteve Zhang

Level: 21

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 20,000