2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, FL
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship
Entries: 1,207
Prize Pool: $3,862,400
March 31 – April 5, 2017

The 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown ran two full weeks of big tournaments and all were heading toward the last big set of three World Poker Tour events, kicking off with the $2,000,000 guaranteed Championship. After three long days and a tough final table, Tony Sinishtaj walked away with the WPT title, a seat in the WPT Tournament of Champions, a seat in the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship, and $661,283.

The $3,500 buy-in tournament drew 1,207 entries in one starting day to push the prize pool up to $3,862,400. Only 476 players were able to advance a stack to Day 2 with Alejandro Duque leading the way.

The Day 2 field had a lot of work to do before making some money. The last 151 players earned part of the huge prize pool and it took most of the day to get them down that far. They hit the money late in the day and packed up for Day 3 with 27 players remaining.

Those 27 players showed off their skill as they tried to make it to the six-handed final table. It took until the early morning hours but the table was set when Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member Matt Affleck was eliminated in seventh place.

The WPT live-streamed final table included six players with combined tournament earnings of nearly $40,000,000. The three biggest names left in the game were World Series of Poker Big One for One Drop winner Dan Colman, four-time WSOP champ Robert Mizrachi, and Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member Darryll Fish.

Simeon Naydenov and Eric Beller were quick casualties at the final table and the four remaining players settled in to a long battle that saw the lead change several times.

Colman began the day with the chip lead and held it again during four-handed play but was the victim of a tough beat by Sinishtaj to send him out in fourth place.

“It was a tough field right down the stretch, but I got the right cards, got lucky a little bit, got unlucky a little bit,” Sinishtaj said later. “And at the end of the day it happened the way it was supposed to happen I guess and I came out on top.”

Crowd favorite Mizrachi followed him out shortly after to set up the heads-up match between Fish and Sinishtaj.

Fish erased an early deficit but Sinishtaj soon regained the lead for good when he doubled with sevens against deuces. A few hands later, Fish was all-in and at risk before Sinishtaj turned a flush to knock the the SHRP team member out in second place. Fish picked up $453,185 for his runner-up finish while Sinishtaj earned $661,283 for his efforts.

“It feels amazing,” Sinishtaj said. “I can’t wait, I just want to keep playing, it’s awesome.”

Sinishtaj won’t have to wait long to play again. His win today also earns him a seat in the $15,000 buy-in WPT Tournament of Champions that kicks off on Friday.

“I love playing here. It’s been a few years since I’ve been here, but I feel like I run great.” Sinishtaj said when asked about his experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. “It’s a great place to play, [they] do an amazing job with the tournament.”

“The structure, the series, everything is great. The dealers are amazing, the staff, the floor, everything, I love the place.” He continued. “I should definitely be playing here more often, and I definitely will.”

Welcome back to Tony Sinishtaj and congratulations on the big World Poker Tour win.

Final table results:

1st: Tony Sinishtaj – $661,283* + $5,250 SHRPO Seat
2nd: Darryl Fish – $453,185
3rd: Rob Mizrachi – $293,864
4th: Dan Colman – $217,686
5th: Eric Beller – $164,438
6th: Simeon Naydenov – $132,889
* – Includes $15,000 WPT Tournament of Champions seat

Full 2017 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Payouts

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 37: 250,000/500,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,207

Tony Sinishtaj opened to 1,250,000 from the button and Darryll Fish called to the flop. Fish checked, Sinishtaj bet 1,500,000 and Fish moved all-in for 10,950,000. Sinishtaj quickly called to put the SHRP team member at risk.

Fish:
Sinishtaj:

Fish was ahead with his pair but Sinishtaj had a ton of outs with two over cards and the flush draw. It was the flush that got there on the turn and Fish was drawing dead to the river.

1st: Tony Sinishtaj – $661,283* + $5,250 SHRPO Seat
2nd: Darryl Fish – $453,185
* – Includes $15,000 WPT Tournament of Champions seat

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 36: 200,000/400,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,207

Darryll Fish limped his button, Tony Sinishtaj raised to 1,400,000 and Fish moved all-in. Sinishtaj had the shorter stack and called for his 11,000,000 stack.

Sinishtaj:
Fish:

Sinishtaj was ahead for the double up and he saw a clean board to move back ahead.

Seat 1: Tony Sinishtaj – 22,200,000 (56 bb)
Seat 2: Darryll Fish – 14,000,000 (35 bb)

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 35: 150,000/300,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,207

Tony Sinishtaj began heads up play with better than a two-to-one advantage but Darryll Fish clawed back to make it a virtual dead heat in several smaller pots, then he took over the lead.

Fish opened to 750,000, Sinishtaj three-bet to 2,300,000 and Fish called to the flop. Sinishtaj bet 2,000,000 and Fish called after a few moments to think it out.

Both players checked the river and Fish’s was good enough to take the pot.

Seat 1: Tony Sinishtaj – 14,750,000 (49 bb)
Seat 2: Darryll Fish – 21,450,000 (72 bb)

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 34: 125,000/250,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,207

Seat 1: Tony Sinishtaj – 20,900,000 (83 bb)
Seat 2: Darryll Fish – 15,300,000 (61 bb)

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 33: 100,000/200,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,207

Darryll Fish opened to 600,000 from the button and Rob Mizrachi moved all-in for 3,500,000 from the small blind. Tony Sinishtaj released his big blind and Fish called.

Mizrachi:
Fish:

They were racing with Mizrachi needing to hold to stay in the Championship but Fish caught the flop. The turn left Mizrachi with one out, the , but he blanked the river to exit in third place.

Tony Sinishtaj – 23,850,000 (119 bb)
Darryll Fish – 12,350,000 (62 bb)
Rob Mizrachi – Eliminated in 3rd place ($293,864)

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 33: 100,000/200,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,207

Dan Colman went from chip leader to our fourth place finisher in two consecutive hands.

The first saw him raise to 425,000 from the button and Tony Sinishtaj called in the big blind to the flop. Sinishtaj bet 550,000, Colman raised to 1,500,000 and Sinishtaj moved all-in over the top for 8,275,000.

Colman agonized over the decision; standing up, sitting down, shuffling chips, and talking it out. He eventually called with a slightly bigger stack.

Sinishtaj:
Colman:

Colman was ahead with the aces against Sinishtaj’s top pair/backdoor flush draw. The turn gave Sinishtaj more outs and the flush completed on the river for the chip leading double up.

The tough beat knocked Colman down to 525,000 and they were all-in on the next hand. Darryll Fish and Tony Sinishtaj checked down the board and Fish took the pot with against Colman’s .

A tough ending for the WSOP Big One for One Drop winner.

Tony Sinishtaj – 17,425,000 (87 bb)
Darryll Fish – 10,425,000 (52 bb)
Robert Mizrachi – 8,350,000 (42 bb)
Dan Colman – Eliminated in 4th place ($217,686)

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 33: 100,000/200,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 1,207

Tony Sinishtaj opened to 475,000 from the button and Dan Colman announced all-in from the big blind. Sinishtaj called for his last 4,475,000 and needed to catch to stay in the game.

Colman:
Sinishtaj:

Sinishtaj missed the flop but his rail squealed when he hit the turn. He made the overkill aces up on the river to earn his double.

Tony Sinishtaj – 9,150,000 (46 bb)
Dan Colman – 10,600,000 (53 bb)

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 33: 100,000/200,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 1,207

Tony Sinishtaj opened to 475,000 from the button and Darryll Fish moved all-in from the small blind for 4,575,000. Sinishtaj called and Fish needed help.

Sinishtaj:
Fish:

Fish flopped an open-ended straight draw on the board and it completed on the turn. Fish needed to fade a paired board and the river sent him his double.

Darryll Fish – 9,350,000 (47 bb)
Tony Sinishtaj – 5,150,000 (26 bb)

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 33: 100,000/200,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 1,207

Dan Colman opened to 425,000 from under the gun and Rob Mizrachi three-bet to 1,075,000 from the button. Colman called to the flop and he checked.

Mizrachi bet 1,100,000 and Colman called, the turn came and Colman checked again. Mizrachi checked behind and they both checked the river.

Colman tabled to win the pot and retake the lead.

Seat 1: Tony Sinishtaj – 12,650,000 (63 bb)
Seat 2: Darryll Fish – 4,250,000 (21 bb)
Seat 3: Dan Colman – 12,800,000 (64 bb)
Seat 6: Robert Mizrachi – 6,500,000 (33 bb)