2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Hollywood, FL
Event 16
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Entries: 260
Prize Pool: $252,200
March 29, 2017

Miguel Riera Suarez has had a very successful poker career, but it was almost exclusively on the virtual felt. The Bristol, Spain native has played over 40,000 tournaments online, but only had about $3,500 in live cashes before the wee hours of Thursday morning.

Suarez added a lot more to his live tournament earnings after winning the $1,100 no limit hold’em. He bested a stacked final table and a field of 260 players to win his first trophy and $57,437.

“It’s always nice to win, no?” said Suarez. “It’s my first tournament win in live. In tournament live, it is my first time I win. I won the trophy. The money doesn’t matter.”

Suarez left Spain with a few friends to travel around the U.S. and Panama to play some poker tournaments and see the country. Before coming to South Florida, he already tasted some success in Panama.

“Last week in Panama, he finished third in a similar event,” said one of his friends working as a translator. “He’s been doing well in PokerStars for years, but this is his first win live. He is a top online player, but he’s only played like 15 tournaments live.”

It’s obvious that Suarez is one of the top online players on PokerStars because he was able to come out on top of a final table that featured a lot of poker talent. With a final table that featured James Romero, Kevin MacPhee, Cord Garcia, Scott Montgomery, David Prociak, and Team SHRP member Chance Kornuth, there were plenty of WPT titles and WSOP bracelets to go around the table.

Suarez waded his way through the shark infested waters that was the final table and got heads-up with Tony Tran. After a heads-up battle that was very swingy, Suarez slammed the table and celebrated his victory with his friends after the final card hit the felt.

The 35-year-old poker pro has a win under his belt, but will be staying here through the main event and is looking to build his live resume even further before he leaves South Florida to head back across the Atlantic.

Even if he does leave without another cash under his belt, it’s likely he’ll be back at some point to take another shot.

“We love traveling,” said Suarez. “And it’s nice to come here and know the country. I like Miami and California too much. I will try to come here every time.”

Here are the final table results:

1st: Miguel Riera Suarez – $57,437
2nd: Tony Tran – $40,410
3rd: Aleks Dimitrov – $25,851
4th: Chance Kornuth – $15,725
5th: Kevin MacPhee – $12,143
6th: Scott Montgomery – $10,063
7th: Cord Garcia – $8,449
8th: David Prociak – $7,062
9th: Spencer Champlin – $5,745
10th: James Romero – $4,855

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 27: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 260

On a flop of , Tony Tran moved all in and Miguel Riera Suarez called.

Tran tabled , giving him ten-high and some backdoor draws. He had more equity than he thought, though, after Suarez showed .

The turn was the , giving Tran a flush draw to go with his live pair outs, but the river was the and Suarez won the pot. He eliminated Tran in second place and won the tournament.

Suarez took home the Hard Rock Trophy and $57,437, while Tran earned $40,410 for his runner-up finish.

Miguel Riera Suarez – $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Champion
Tony Tran – Eliminated

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 27: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 260

Tony Tran raised on the button and Miguel Riera Suarez moved all in from the big blind for 855,000.  Tran called.

Tran showed and was flipping with Suarez’s . The board ran out and Suarez won the flip to double up.

Miguel Riera Suarez – 1,710,000 (42 bb)
Tony Tran – 1,500,000 (37 bb)

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 27: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 260

Miguel Riera Suarez raises on the button and Tony Tran moved all in from the big blind for 830,000. Suarez snap-called.

Tran showed and needed help against Suarez’s . The board ran out and Tran hit a pair on the river to double up.

Tony Tran – 1,670,000 (41 bb)
Miguel Riera Suarez – 1,450,000 (36 bb)

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 27: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 260

Miguel Riera Suarez raised on the button and Aleks Dimitrov moved all in out of the big blind for about 550,000. Suarez snap-called.

Suarez tabled and was dominated by Dimitrov’s . The was the window card and Suarez took the lead on a flop of .

The turn was the and the river was the to send the pot to Suarez and eliminate Dimitrov in third place. Dimitrov earned $25,851 for his efforts and Suarez starts heads-up play with a big chip lead over Tony Tran.

Miguel Riera Suarez – 2,350,000 (58 bb)
Aleks Dimitrov – Eliminated

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 260

Tony Tran moved all in from the small blind and Aleks Dimitrov called from the big blind and was all in for 340,000. Dimitrov showed and was in the lead against Tran’s .

The board ran out and Dimitrov doubled up with kings and eights.

Aleks Dimitrov – 695,000 (23 bb)
Tony Tran – 1,000,000 (33 bb)

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 260

On the river with a completed board of , Tony Tran led out for 200,000 from the small blind and Aleks Dimitrov moved all in from the big blind.

Tran snap-called, all in for 560,000, and showed , good for top full house, and won the pot against Dimitrov’s . Tran doubled up and left Dimitrov very short.

Tony Tran – 1,250,000 (42 bb)
Aleks Dimitrov – 250,000 (8 bb)

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 260

On the turn with the board reading , Miguel Riera Suarez got all in for his last 595,000 out of the big blind against Tony Tran on the button.

Tran showed , good for top pair and the nut flush draw, but Suarez tabled , good for bottom two pair.

Tran could hit a lot of cards on the river, but the came and Suarez doubled up with two pair.

Miguel Riera Suarez – 1,250,000 (42 bb)
Tony Tran – 730,000 (24 bb)

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 260

Miguel Riera Suarez gets his last 310,000 into the middle preflop on the button against Tony Tran in the small blind.

Suarez shows and has Tran’s dominated. The board ran out and Suarez doubled up.

Miguel Riera Suarez – 665,000 (23 bb)
Tony Tran – 1,430,000 (47 bb)

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 260

Miguel Riera Suarez raised on the button and Aleks Dimitrov defended his big blind. The flop was and both players check to the turn card.

Dimitrov checked and Suarez bet 80,000. Dimitrov check-raised to 220,000 and Suarez called.

The river was the and both players check again. Dimitrov showed , good for bottom two pair and wins the pot against Suarez’s .

Aleks Dimitrov – 940,000 (31 bb)
Miguel Riera Suarez – 445,000 (15 bb)