2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, FL
Event 15
$50,000 Super High Roller
Entries: 28
Prize Pool: $1,380,400
March 29 – 30, 2017

The biggest buy-in tournament on the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown schedule drew some of the top players in the game. Each entrant in the Super High Roller put up a $50,000 buy-in and the 28 entries created a prize pool worth nearly $1.4 million. After a day and a half of action, WSOP bracelet winner and High Roller specialist Dietrich Fast was the last player standing and earned $483,693 for the title.

Erik Seidel, Jason Mercier, Byron Kaverman, Scott Seiver, Tom Marchese, Steven Chidwick, Dan Colman, and Bryn Kenney were some of the big names taking part in the Super High Roller but none were able to make it into the money and advance to Day 2.

Five players made the money late on the first day and returned for Day 2 with two Germans, two Americans, and Spanish Adrian Mateos leading the way. Jason Koon suffered a bad early beat at the end of Rainer Kempe to exit in fifth followed by Day 2 short stack David Peters.

Kempe held the chip lead late but fell behind both Fast and Mateos once they were three-handed. He quickly lost ground and went out in third place when his flopped two pair was no good against Fast’s flopped trip nines.

Fast held better than a two-to-one chip lead at the start of heads up play against Mateos and the two quickly agreed to an ICM chop of the remaining prize pool. Mateos earned $413,567 for his part while Fast banked $483,693 along with the SHRP trophy and custom-framed winner’s photo courtesy of IMPDI.

On a side note and entry in the “who loves it more” category, both Fast and Mateos immediately moved into the ballroom to late register for the $2,200 Eight-Handed No Limit Hold’em Freeze-Out.

Super High Roller payouts:

1st: Dietrick Fast – $483,693*
2nd: Adrian Mateos – $413,567*
3rd: Rainer Kempe – $220,864
4th: David Peters – $151,844
5th: Jason Koon – $110,432
* – denotes heads up deal