The MoneyMaker Tour hopped down to Florida once again for a series at the Palm Beach Kennel Club and a $1,500 Main Event with a $300,000 guarantee.
The 278 entries who turned out to chase a six-figure prize pool stacked up $371,130 for distribution among the final 36 players and Nesly Jean-Baptiste took the big share of $82,306 for the victory.
Jean-Baptiste beat Manelic Minaya in heads-up play on a final day that also included Yevhenii Cherniak, Craig Pollak, Den O'Donnell, and Darryll Fish. Fish is on the heels of a second-place finish in the Main Event at WSOPC Pompano.
Back in the swing of things
"I've been playing a lot of live poker in the last year or two," Fish told us on the penultimate day. "I had taken a four or five-year hiatus."
"I had a really good year in 2018. I had two big tournament results and I was peaking financially, but I didn't feel fulfilled. I started doing event production during COVID, throwing music festival events."
Fish worked in a restaurant for eight months before he returned to poker. "It was very fun and I learned a lot, but I wasn't making great money. Poker offers access to a type of income that is really hard to get without high-level credentials in another field."
He eventually busted out in sixth place but Fish added $14,771 worth of momentum to what is turning into a big year. Even his bust-out was a highlight, losing to the very best hand.
'Get your head in the game'
Meanwhile, Jean-Baptiste cleaned up the final table for a career-high score.
"It was a good run," he told us after the win. "I made Day 2 with 500K and caught a couple of bad beats but I bounced back."
A phone call from a friend helped Jean-Baptiste find the right frame of mind.
"My boy Gino called me and said 'Hey, you're being too comfortable, get your head in the game.' That changed my whole mentality."
Jean-Baptiste adds a five-figure score to a long list of cashes that previously totaled up to $58,683, according to The Hendon Mob. He has recorded scores all over Florida and at the WSOP since 2014, with $4,977 as his previous high-water mark.
"It is my biggest cash. I cashed in Vegas but nothing as big as this. It hasn't sunk in yet. Ask me in a couple of days and I'll tell you more."
Moneymaker Tour West Palm Beach final day results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nesly Jean-Baptiste | $82,306 |
| 2 | Manelic Minaya | $57,896 |
| 3 | Yevhenii Cherniak | $37,313 |
| 4 | Craig Pollak | $23,103 |
| 5 | Ken O'Donnell | $17,833 |
| 6 | Darryll Fish | $14,711 |
Stay tuned for the next stop on the Moneymaker Tour, a trip down I-95 to The Casino at Dania Beach in Florida. Four one-day trophy events offer $150,000 in guarantees from March 6-9.
Photos courtesy of Moneymaker Tour/Omar Sader
