2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
$350 Seniors (50+) No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$20,000 Guarantee
April 9th, 2015
Total Entries: 60
Total Prize Pool: $20,000
Recap:
Marsha Wolak of Pompano Beach, Florida, won Event 4 ($350 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em) in a seemingly impossible way — by losing the final hand of heads-up play. (More on that in a bit.)
The tournament started at noon, and attracted 60 players who were battling all day for the guaranteed prizepool of $20,000. The event was originally scheduled to play out over two days, but when they reached the final table, the players decided to continue playing all the way down to a winner — even as talk of a chop was nipped in the bud by chipleader John Merchant.
Merchant had the chip lead when the final table began, and held it all the way down to three-handed play, when he was facing Wolak and Phyliss Jefferson. Neither women should have been underestimated, however, as Jefferson won this event four years ago, and Wolak is fresh off a victory in another Seniors Event a couple months ago.
Merchant’s chip lead faded quickly once three-handed play began. With the board showing 
on the turn, Jefferson moved all in, and Merchant called with 
for two pair with a ten-high flush draw. But Jefferson turned over 
for a queen-high flush draw, and only had to fade a full house to double up. The river card was the 
, and Jefferson doubled.
Merchant’s tournament only got worse from there, as he lost a preflop all in with 
against Jefferson’s 
, and then lost the last of his chips with 
against Wolak’s 
. Ace-queen was not kind to Merchant, and he was eliminated in third place.
When heads-up play began with blinds at 4K-8K, Wolak had 430,000 to Jefferson’s 170,000. But Jefferson steadily built up her stack to take a slight chip lead, and then they got it all in after a flop of 
. Jefferson had flopped two pair with 
, while Wolak had 
for a flush draw. The turn was the 
, the river was the 
, and Wolak rivered a club flush to win the pot and double up — knocking Jefferson down to just two big blinds.
It seemed that the tournament was over, but over the course of the next 12 hands, Jefferson won four all-in situations and several other hands to completely even things up at 300,000 each.
Their chip stacks remained close for the next 20 minutes or so, until they got it all in after a flop of 
. This time, Jefferson’s 
was behind Wolak’s 
(pair of jacks), and Wolak’s hand held up to win the pot. Once again, Jefferson was nearly felted, this time left with just 10,000 — a single big blind.
They played one more hand, with Jefferson’s against Wolak’s . The board came 
— Wolak flopped two pair, but Jefferson rivered a straight to double up to two big blinds.
That’s when Wolak — having flashbacks of Jefferson’s previous comeback — raised a white flag and made a peace offering in the form of a deal. She offered Jefferson an extra $100 to take second place, and Jefferson said, “Make it $200, so I can take care of the dealers.” Wolak agreed, and their heads-up deal ended the tournament.
And that’s how Marsha Wolak won a tournament while losing the final hand of heads-up play.
Congratulations to Marsha Wolak!
Results:
1st: Marsha Wolak – $7,200
2nd: Phyliss Jefferson – $4,600
3rd: John Merchant – $2,700
4th: Morris Heider – $1,900
5th: Richard Riviello – $1,500
6th: Harry Eisenberg – $1,200
7th: Grady Yeager – $900