The period between mid- December and the New Year is really a short offseason for tournament poker. Even so, there were still a few results to report on, and both involved a “palm” theme. The Epic Poker League’s big event took place at the Palms in Las Vegas, and you can read about it right here in Poker Player Newspaper, while the other Holiday season tournament occurred a continent away, at Florida’s Palm Beach Kennel Club.

 Scott Zakheim, of Davie FL, took home first place money of $84,712 at the main event, a $1,000 + $80 no-limit hold’em tournament that attracted a field of 397 players to the sunny sands of Palm Beach. In garnering his victory, Zakheim defeated Jason Mullen heads-up, to send the second-place finisher home with $52,353. Third place went to Robert Hume, who earned $38,255.

 Fourth and fifth place payouts of $28,404 and $21,419 went to Derek Ecenarro and Andrew Dakoski respectively. The entire series included 17 events compressed into a ten-day schedule, with two events on some days making for a nearly continuous festival of tournament poker.

PALM BEACH CHRISTMAS CLASSIC
EVENT 13 12/16/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
CHAMPIONSHIP
BUY-IN $1,000 + $80
PLAYERS 397
PRIZE POOL $385,090

1. Scott Zakheim . . . . . $84,712
2. Jason Mullen . . . . . . $52,353
3. Robert Hume . . . . . $38,255
4. Derek Ecenarro . . . $28,404
5. Andrew Dakoski . . . $21,419
6. Jeremiah Keane . . . $16,393
7. Paul Ramkissoon . . $12,731
8. David MacDonald . $10,028
9. Andrew Stringer . . . . $8,010

EVENT 16 12/18/11
LADIES—
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $100 + $20
PLAYERS 20
PRIZE POOL $1,940

1. Erica Hite . . . . . . . . . . .$728
2. Brittany Darvin . . . . . .$727
3. Deborah Hinson . . . . . .$365

EVENT 13 12/18/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 46
PRIZE POOL $8,924

1. Philip Stein . . . . . . . . $2,200
2. Andrew Glock . . . . . . $1,556
3. Donald Lawrence . . . $1,556
4. Jay Feingold . . . . . . . $1,556
5. David Felger . . . . . . . $1,556
6. Tracy Steele . . . . . . . . . .$500

EVENT 12 12/15/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 44
PRIZE POOL $8,536

1. Jeffrie Charlton . . . . $2,800
2. Alfredo Araujo . . . . . $2,239
3. Donald Delancy . . . . $1,308
4. Robert Gianquitti . . . . .$998
5. Joseph Patalano . . . . . .$841
6. Adam Smith . . . . . . . . .$350

EVENT 11 12/14/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $100 + $20
PLAYERS 28
PRIZE POOL $2,716

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1. Daniel Sacks . . . . . . . $1,000
2. David MacDonald . . . .$728
3. Terry Hardy . . . . . . . . .$728
4. Brian Polston . . . . . . . .$130
5. Larry Ramsey . . . . . . . .$130

EVENT 10 12/14/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BOUNTY BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 72
PRIZE POOL $10,368

1. Hassan Sadler . . . . . . $2,381
2. Christopher Cristillo $2,381
3. Christopher Gilkey . $2,381
4. Kevin Spires . . . . . . . . $1,005
5. Seamus Eireannach . . .$745
6. Erica Hite . . . . . . . . . . .$582
EVENT 9 12/13/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 55
PRIZE
POOL $10,670
1. Robert Santiago . . . . $2,070
2. Donald Cook . . . . . . . $1,800
3. Debra Neser . . . . . . . $1,500
4. Shawn Burgard . . . . $1,500
5. Marcos Cedeno . . . . . $1,500
6. Adam Smith . . . . . . . $1,500

EVENT 8 12/13/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $1500 + $20
PLAYERS 27
PRIZE POOL $2,619

1. Scott Sommer . . . . . . $1,000
2. Patrick Tiller . . . . . . . . .$800
3. Eric Schillow . . . . . . . . .$699

EVENT 7 12/12/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $100 + $20
PLAYERS 39
PRIZE POOL $3,783

1. Robinel Eugene . . . . . $1,205
2. Laurence Rosario . . . $1,000
3. Kevin Spires . . . . . . . . $1,000
4. Arthur Smith . . . . . . . .$378
5. Antoine Lutfy . . . . . . . .$100

EVENT 6 12/12/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 76
PRIZE POOL $14,744

1. Bruce Gorman . . . . . $4,763
2. Edward Tronolone . . $2,952
3. Mark Shulla . . . . . . . $1,942
4. Eugene Nussbaum . . $1,429
5. Philip Stein . . . . . . . . $1,059
6. Robert Panetta . . . . . ..$828

PALM BEACH KENNEL CLUB
PALM BEACH CHRISTMAS CLASSIC
EVENT 5 12/11/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $100 + $20
PLAYERS 13
PRIZE POOL $1,261

1. Jorge Alberto Pimentel $756
2. Dominic Ferrauilo . . . .$505

EVENT 4 12/11/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 41
PRIZE POOL $11,931

1. Joe Eder Johnson . . . $4,353
2. John Utley . . . . . . . . . $2,646
3. Robert Gianquitti . . . $1,806
4. Stephen Ekin . . . . . . . $1,373
5. August William Grothe . $1,153

EVENT 3 12/10/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 16
PRIZE POOL $3,104

1. Michael Laake . . . . . $1,862

EVENT 2 12/9/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $100 + $20
PLAYERS 65
PRIZE POOL $6,305

1. Joe Farrar . . . . . . . . . $2,207
2. Henrik Antanesian . . $1,364
3. Gary Bodley . . . . . . . . .$904
4. Robert Hofstetter . . . . .$640
5. Robert Mclay . . . . . . . .$482
6. John Devia . . . . . . . . . .$384

EVENT 1 12/9/11
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $500 + $50
PLAYERS 408
PRIZE POOL $197,880

1. Jacob Schidler . . . . $43,539
2. Matthew Smith . . . . $26,902
3. Tony Hoskins . . . . . $19,657
4. Tevor Samuels . . . . . $14,596
5. Greg Rosen . . . . . . . $11,006
6. Armando Marsal . . . $8,424
7. Mordecei Benowitz . . $6,542
8. David Healy . . . . . . . $5,153
9. Joseph Healy . . . . . . . $4,116