SHRPO Championship Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship (Freeze-Out)
$5,000,000 Guarantee

August 15-18th, 2015

Total Entries:  907
Total Prize Pool:  $5,000,000

Omar Zazay, 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Champion
Omar Zazay, 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Champion

Recap:

The 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship featured a new format for the biggest event on the schedule. It featured a $5,000,000 guaranteed prize pool but the freeze-out format limited all players to a single entry into the tournament.  The marquee event drew 907 players to leave the prize pool at an even $5,000,000.

The first day of the tournament drew players from all walks of life including past champions, poker professionals, actors, and athletes. Blair Hinkle won this tournament in 2013 and he returned for a chance to earn a second victory. We also had defending champion Dan Colman enter the Championship looking to repeat his run from last year.

The big field included former WSOP Main Event champs Joe Cada and Jonathan Duhamel, 8-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel, along with local poker legends Jason Mercier and Michael Mizrachi.

Former NBA star Earl Barron and NFL Pro Bowler Richard Seymour also played in the tournament though neither could match their athletic success. The acting world was represented by Mekhi Pfifer, Omar Benson Miller, Jennifer Tilly, and Sasha Barrese.

The first day saw 303 of the starting 907 players advance to Day 2 where they quickly hit the money bubble. The last 150 players earned a piece of the $5,000,000 prize pool with the smallest payout being $7,500 and the winner picking up $1,000,000.

Day 3 had 43 players coming back for a long day of action. The schedule had them continue until the last nine players remained for final table. Among those starting Day 3 but falling short of the final table were former November Niner Joseph Cheong, current November Niner Neil Blumenfield, and last woman standing Karen Onheiser. The final table nine moved to the Hard Rock Live Arean on Day 4 play in front of the  Poker Night in America cameras

Larry Moccia of Pembroke Pines, FL was an interesting story as the tournament moved further along. The local Seminole Hard Rock Poker regular was playing a cash game when he decided to play a $140 Step Satellite. Mocchia won a ticket in that tournament and turned into a $5,250 into the Championship.

Dan Colman continued to impress throughout Day 3 and he once again found himself returning to the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Championship final table. He was joined by Mocchia, WSOP bracelet winner Paul Volpe, and former leader Randy Pfeifer.

Volpe, Rick Alvarado, and Vladislav Mezheritsky quickly dropped at the final table before action slowed down. Mocchia’s feel good story ended in 4th place and our defending champion Colman was knocked out in 3rd by local poker dealer Brian Phillis.

The hand propelled Phillis to a big chip lead but he was unable to maintain. The two battled for more than 100 hands during the heads up battle before Zazay finally overcame Phillis. He picked up a cool $1,000,000 for the win while Phillis walked away with $575,000.

Zazay talked aobut his run through the tournament, facing off with one of the toughest poker players in the world in Dan Colman and the drawn out heads-up battle.  “It was a really long journey – a four-day tournament and I was just trying to take stay focused and take it one step at a time.  Getting down three-handed with Dan Colman was definitely a sticky situation.  I had him on my right so I had a little edge on him.  I was trying to do the best I could against him and not give him chips so he could use them against me.  I picked my spots well.  The heads-up was a lot going on.  I know I really wanted this title so I tried my best to win.  I think he had me at almost a 3 to 1 chip advantage.  I just took it one hand at a time and slowly edged my way to the win. ”

Omar was thrilled with the victory and his road to poker success.  “It’s an amazing feeling. This is very huge for me.  It been a lot of hard work.  I played a lot of poker and come up short lots of times and feel like I can do better so it’s good to accomplish a big title under my belt.”

Zazay was also very complimentary toward the Hard Rock and the Big Four set-up in Hard Rock Live.  “It was amazing.  It was a great set-up.  The Hard Rock did a great job setting up a big event like this.  It was a huge success.  All the players are happy and everyone that played got their money’s worth and I hope they do it again.  Congrats to the Hard Rock – they did an amazing job.”

Congratulations to our Main Event Champion – Omar Zazay!

Final Table Results:

1st: Omar Zazay (Richardson, TX) $1,000,000
2nd: Brian Phillis (Boynton Beach, FL) $575,000
3rd: Dan Colman (Holden, TX) $310,000
4th: Larry Moccia (Pembroke Pines, FL) $220,000
5th: Randy Pfeifer (Lancaster, NY) $180,000
6th: Joseph Couden (Blacklick, OH) $150,000
7th: Vladislav Mezheritsky (Aventura, FL) $125,000
8th: Paul Volpe (West Chester, PA) $100,000
9th: Rick Alvarado (Las Vegas, NV) $75,000

Event 18 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$1,650 Six-Max Dealer’s Choice (Freeze-Out)

August 13–14, 2015

Total Entries:  18
Total Prize Pool:  $27,000

Robert Mizrachi
Robert Mizrachi, Event 18 Champion

Recap:

Event 18 attracted 18 players who were brave enough to face off against each other in Dealer’s Choice — where players take turns picking which version of poker will be played on each round. There are 10 choices, ranging from old reliable hold’em (limit and no-limit) to rare options like five-card draw and Big O (5-card pot-limit Omaha hi-lo).

It wasn’t a big surprise when Robert Mizrachi won the final hand to claim the trophy. Why? Mizrachi has more than $5.5 million in career live earnings and three WSOP bracelets — one of them in Dealer’s Choice. But when asked about how he ranks as a Dealer’s Choice player, Mizrachi won’t go further than calling himself “decent.”

That’s not an opinion shared by those around him. Even Bradley Ruben, who finished as the runner-up, complimented Mizrachi’s skill before heads-up play began: “Good luck. Not that you need it.”

The big hand of the final table came moments before that line, when Adam Friedman was eliminated in third place. The game was Big O, and all three players got to the river when Mizrachi pot-bet enough to put Friedman all in on a board of KdQd3c8c6c. Ruben folded (claiming he had pocket queens for a set), and Friedman called with Ad9c5d4c6s for a nine-high flush and an 8-6-4 low. But Mizrachi turned over Ac10c7d5h2d for the double nuts — an ace-high flush and the nut low (8-6-3). Mizrachi carried the momentum from that hand on to the victory.

The Seminole Hard Rock is the home casino for Mizrachi, who lives right here in Hollywood, Florida. While he has bigger titles and higher scores on his resume, Mizrachi looked at his SHRPO trophy and said, “It’s fun to win one in my home city.”

Congratulations to Robert Mizrachi!

Final Table Results:

1st:  Robert Mizrachi  (Hollywood, FL)  $16,200
2nd:  Bradley Ruben  (Hernando, FL)  $10,800

Event 16 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$1,100 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out)
$100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

August 12–13, 2015

Total Entries:  219
Total Prize Pool:  $219,000

Rick Alvarado
Rick Alvarado, Event 16 Champion

Recap:

Event 16 was scheduled as a one-day event, but since it more than doubled its guarantee of a $100,000 prizepool (a continuing theme here at SHRPO), action carried over to a Day 2.

There were no deals in this one, as the players wanted the title and the trophy. But only one player could win, and Rick Alvarado outlasted a very tough final table that included big-name players like Joe Serock, Nacho Barbero, and Matt Stout. For his victory, Alvarado received $50,497, a SHRPO trophy, and a custom-framed winner’s photo from IMPDI.

Serock went out on a bad beat when his AdKd lost to the Kh5h of Tom Dobrilovic (who made a heart flush), and Stout’s elimination hand was even worse — his QsQc lost to Barbero’s QhJh (Barbero turned a straight).

Rick Alvarado vs Nacho Barbero
Rick Alvarado (left) and Nacho Barbero as they played heads-up for the trophy.

When Dobrilovic exited in third place, heads-up play began with Barbero holding a 1.65M-to-950K lead over Alvarado, who slowly grinded down the lead until they were nearly even. Then they played a pot on a board of As9h3d8hQh that would become the biggest of the tournament when Alvarado check-raised all in on the river. Barbero tank-called, and Alvarado won the pot with Kh3h for a runner-runner flush. Barbero was left with 3 big blinds, and busted on the next hand.

Alvarado is originally from Ontario, California, but currently calls Las Vegas, NV his home. Alvarado has been playing poker for a long time, but just started playing a heavier tournament schedule this year. It appears to be a good move so far, as he picked up six cashes at the WSOP, and his first big tournament victory here today. While this victory isn’t his biggest live score, Alvarado says it’s the sweetest, because it’s his first trophy.

Congratulations to Rick Alvarado!

Final Table Results:

1st:  Rick Alvarado  (Las Vegas, NV)  $50,497
2nd:  Nacho Barbero  (Buenos Aires, Argentina)  $34,164
3rd:  Tom Dobrilovic  (West Nyack, NY)  $22,338
4th:  Matt Stout  (Las Vegas, NV)  $17,849
5th:  Joe Serock  (Albuquerque, NM)  $13,403
6th:  Michael Chiappetta  (Boca Raton, FL)  $10,315

Event 17 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$350 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)

August 12 – 13, 2015

Total Entries:  140
Total Prize Pool:  $42,000

Devon Shalmi, Event 17 Champion
Devon Shalmi, Event 17 Champion

Recap:

We are closing in on the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship Big 4 weekend and there was a $350 Pot Limit Omaha on the late schedule that created a lot of action. The tournament drew 140 entrants to the ballroom and it was local player Devon Shalmi outlasting them all for the title and $9,300.

The tournament was originally schedule to play out in one day, but the field size and talent meant they had to stop at 3am with seven players remaining. The final table featured some big name players but WSOP bracelet winners Dan Heimiller and “Miami John” Cernuto went out before they paused the tournament but current WSOP November Niner Joshua Beckley made it through.

Shalmi came into the bonus day with chip lead among the seven returning players and only lost it briefly. He let Chris Karambinis do most of the heavy lifting when he knocked out the last three players to get heads up with Shalmi.

The stacks were nearly identical but Shalmi won the last hand before they made a deal giving him the title, trophy, and custom-framed winner’s photo from Eric Harkins and IMPDI.

Final Table Results:

1st: Devon Shalmi (Boca Raton, FL) $9,300
2nd: Chris Karambinis (Park Ridge, NY) $9,088
3rd: Lonnie Heimowitz (Monticello, NY) $4,872
4th: Nick Palma (Bronx, NY) $3,608
5th: Joshua Beckley (Marlton, NJ) $2,705
6th: Gary Bolden (Chesterfield, MO) $2,163
7th: Jason Sugarman (Pensacola, FL) $1,798
8th: Dan Heimiller (Las Vegas, NV) $1,441
9th: Zachary Barnett (David, FL) $1,079

Event 13 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$250 Seniors No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

August 10 – 11, 2015

Total Entries:  176
Total Prize Pool:  $36,960

James Dickson, Seniors Event Champion
James Dickson, Seniors Event Champion

Recap:

The Seniors Event is always a good time on the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open schedule. The players have a a lot of fun and there is laughter all around. The tournament drew 176 entrants and it was James Dickson taking it down in the end with an even seven-way deal.

Event 13 had a $250 buy-in and they generated a $36,960 prize pool with the last 18 players getting paid. They quickly played down past the bubble and found themselves with a 10-handed final table near the end of Level 18.

Those ten players decided to pause the tournament for the evening and return for an extra day of play. Two of the shorter stacks, Robert Bass and former Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open champ Lui Santoni, were out early after the restart to send up a long battle.

Dickson’s commanding lead held for much of the final table. He let the other players mix it up, they beat up on each other until he found a big hand to put on the pressure.

Once there were seven players remaining, the dynamics changed. Short-stacked Diane Schmidt caught a triple up, Stanley Quinn doubled through Saied, and the stacks had almost evened out with the blinds set to climb.

The seven players came to a decision and chopped the remaining prize pool right down the middle, or seven equal ways, to give each player $4,171. James Dickson really wanted the trophy, stating as much during negotiations, and there was no additional drama since he held the chip lead.

Dickson was dominant for large portions of the tournament and earned his trophy along with his custom-framed winners picture courtesy of IMPDI.

Final Table Results:

1st: James Dickson (Cataula, GA) $4,171
2nd: Saied Zamiri (Ormond Beach, FL) $4,171
3rd: Rogert Stewart (Sanford, FL) $4,171
4th: Diane Schmidt (Cape Coral, FL) $4,171
5th: Stanley Quinn (Henderson, NV) $4,171
6th: Nancy Thomas (Laud by Sea, FL) $4,171
7th: Arlene Vazquez (Parkland, FL) $4,171
8th: Robert Zuckerman (Baco Raton, FL) $1,109
9th: Luis Santoni (Pembroke Pines, FL) $832
10th: Robert Bass (Fort Lauderdale, FL) $739

Event 12 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

August 9 – 10, 2015

Total Entries:  129
Total Prize Pool:  $129,000

Ryan Van Sanford, Event 12 Champion
Ryan Van Sanford, Event 12 Champion

Recap:

Event 12 had the biggest buy-in at this point in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open and it brought out some of the best players in town. Matt Stout, Sheddy SiddiquiDarryll Fish, Tim Burt, and Ryan Tepen. In the end it was former WPT champion Ryan Van Sanford taking the title for $26,692 after a four-way final table deal.

That final table was a gathering from around the country and even one from across the Atlantic. Five different states were represented (Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, Texas, and Virginia) along with Marc MacDonnell from Dublin, Ireland.

Qasem Jamhour went out in 9th soon after they switched up to hour-long levels followed by Dan Buzgon making his second big final table of the series. MacDonnell, Scott Zakheim, and John Gorsuch followed them out the door to set up a long four-way battle.

Van Sanford had more than half of the chips in play for much of the time before he doubled up two of his competitors to lose a third of his stack. His lead wasn’t as dominant and they returned after the Level 19 break to work out a quick deal to chop up the remaining money between the final four.

Van Sanford still had the most chips at the time and was declared the winner. The $26,692 money he received was his third biggest career cash which includes a WPT title in 2014.

Final Table Results:

1st: Ryan Van Sanford (Colorado Springs, CO) – $26,692
2nd: Erik Christensen (Miami, FL) – $21,262
3rd: Enrique Roman (Hollywood, FL) – $19,507
4th: Trevor Doughty (Seguin, TX) – $15,097
5th: John Gorsuch (Woodbridge, VA) $7,740
6th: Scott Zakheim (Davie, FL) $6,450
7th: Dan Buzgon (Marlton, NJ) $5,160
8th: Marc MacDonnell (Dublin, IE) $3,870
9th: Qasem Jamhour (Miami, FL) $2,903

Event 10 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$570 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

August 6–10, 2015

Total Entries: 2,928
Total Prize Pool: $1,464,000

Mike Ortiz
Mike Ortiz, Event 10 Champion

Recap:

Event 10 was the tentpole event for the second weekend of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, and it didn’t disappoint. The prizepool was guaranteed at $1 million, but with 2,928 entries, the prizepool cleared $1.4 million.

The player who took the largest piece of that prizepool was Mike Ortiz of Miami Lakes, Florida, who earned $184,730 for his first-place finish.

The event attracted some of the top players who are arriving early before the Big Four tournaments that kick off at the end of this week, including Victor Figueroa (2012 Seminole Hard Rock Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open Main Event champion), reigning Seminole Hard Rock Player of the Year Angel Vu, WPT winner Ryan Van Sanford, WPT Players of the Year Mukul Pahuja and Joe Serock, and recent WSOP bracelet winners Barry Hutter and Cord Garcia. Some non-professional poker players in the field include poker media hero Kevin “Kevmath” Mathers, NBA champion Earl Barron, and NFL champion Richard Seymour.

After six starting flights, there 552 players who made it to Day 2, and the early standout was Cord Garcia, who outlasted the largest WSOP field in history when he won the WSOP’s Colossus event. Garcia was the first big chipleader, with 2 1/2 times as many chips as anyone else near the Money Bubble. Garcia was among the 14 players who would return for Day 3.

The big moment early on Day 3 was when Edgar Varas rivered a Royal Flush to eliminate Kevin Butler in 11th place. Last woman standing Nancy Birnbaum went home in 9th place, and Garcia followed a short while later in 6th place.

The final four players battled it out for a while, and when short-stack Michael Lewin doubled up by catching a three-outer on the river, they started talking about making a deal. It took a little negotiation, but they came to an agreement that everyone was happy with. Mike Ortiz had a sizable chip lead at that point, so he took home the title, the trophy, and he’ll also receive a custom-framed winner’s photo from IMPDI.

Ortiz is a local player from Miami Lakes, Florida, and he considers the Seminole Hard Rock to be his home casino; he’s been playing here since the days when they only offered sit-n-go tournaments. Ortiz has had success here before, as his only other six-figure cash came here a little over a year ago when he finished second in Event 1 of the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown for $113,515.

In addition to the money, Ortiz said the title is meaningful because it’s a confirmation of how much work he has put into improving his game. He was thankful for his friends, many of whom were here on the rail to cheer him on, saying, “They’ve always been there for me. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”

Mike Ortiz and Friends
Mike Ortiz and Friends, Ready to Celebrate

Congratulations to Mike Ortiz!

Final Table Results:

1st:  Mike Ortiz  (Miami Lakes, FL)  $184,730
2nd:  Eric Becks  (Plantation, FL)  $154,966
3rd:  Peter Walsworth  (Sarasota, FL)  $154,975
4th:  Michael Lewin  (Delray Beach, FL)  $125,211
5th:  Jason Appel  (Deer Park, NY)  $76,274
6th:  Cord Garcia  (Katy, TX)  $60,756
7th:  Ivan Barbuto  (Monaco)  $45,384
8th:  Edgar Varas  (Miami, FL)  $30,744
9th:  Nancy Birnbaum  (Fort Lauderdale, FL)  $21,960

Event 5 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guarantee

August 3 – 5, 2015

Total Entries:  2,022
Total Prize Pool:  $243,271

Joe Gales, Event 5 Champion
Joe Gale, Event 5 Champion

Recap:

Event 5 drew one of the biggest crowds of the young 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open and it paid out big money for a small buy-in. The tournament drew 2,022 entrants and it was Joe Gale holding all the chips at the end to win the title for $35,090.

The $150 buy-in tournament had a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool which was passed before the last of the six starting flights kicked off. Players had to make it through 14 levels in their starting flight to return for action on Day 2. There were 239 players able to do just that and they played down to the money bubble in less than three hours.

The last 117 players were set to earn a piece of the  $243,271 prize pool and the tournament barely paused as Perry Shiao knocked out David Somers before hand-for-hand action could commence. Shaio had an interesting story coming into this event. The former poker dealer went to Vegas this summer and won a bracelet in the 7,192-entrant WSOP Monster Stack event.

Once they were in the money, they played down quickly to the final table when our last women standing, Elizabeth Davis, went out in 10th place. The pace was fast throughout and soon they were five-handed with Joe Gale in the lead.

They agreed to split the remaining money up and chip leader Gale was declared the champion. It was a nice comeback for Gale. He was the chipleader late in the tournament but lost nearly all his stack to Jeffrey Trudeau after the dinner break. Gale battled back, built his competitive stack up, and was rewarded with the Event 5 title.

Final Table Results:

1st: Joe Gale (Staten Island, NY) $35,090
2nd: Marty Robbins (Lake Worth, FL) $29,696
3rd: Perry Shiao (Hollywood, FL) $28,717
4th: Roberto Ramirez (Humacao, PR) $24,139
5th: Jose Avila (Miami, FL) $17,039
6th: Timothy Myers (Ormond Beach, FL) $8,128
7th: David Jackson (Jonesboro, GA) $6,187
8th: Jeffrey Trudeau, Jr. (Orlando, FL) $4,537
9th: Robert Wiercinski (Niwot, CO) $3,251

Event 1 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

July 30 – August 3, 2015

Total Entries:  2,906
Total Prize Pool:  $871,800

Jorge Gomez, Event 1 Champion
Jorge Gomez, Event 1 Champion

Recap:

Event 1 was such a big success that it took an extra day of action to determine a winner. After 15 players returned for Day 3, it was local grinder Jorge Gomez capturing his first major Seminole Hard Rock Poker title along with $85,832 after the final table made a deal.

The first event of the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open drew 2,906 entrants over the six starting flights and it attracted plenty of top names from South Florida and around the world.  Just a few of those included Sheddy Siddiqui, Stewart Newman, Jessica Dawley, and Stuart Paterson along with WSOP bracelet winner Jason Young, Jacqueline Scott, and Marsha Wolak.

Those six flights saw a total 574 players returning for Day 2 where they hit the money bubble more than three hours into play with 250 getting paid out of the $871,800 prize pool. Once they were in the money, it was a steady stream of players to the payout desk to grab their money.

The second day wasn’t enough to whittle the field down to a winner and 15 returned for some bonus poker. Dustin Murphy returned with a huge chip lead but the blinds were climbing. Jonathan Ulrich quickly exited the final table followed by Tuyen Le.

Players at that point decided the risk was too great, with blinds at 125,000/250,000/25 Ante and going up, to gamble further and they made the uncommon move to chop of the remaining $477,775 in prize money between the last seven players.

The calculations were based on chip counts and Jorge Gomez was the top man at that point, not much further ahead than Murphy but it was good enough for the top prize, trophy, and custom-framed winner photo from IMPDI.

“This is my home casino,” Gomez said, “This is where I play and all the tournaments.”

Congratulations to Gomez on his title and great start to the series.

Final Table Results:

1st: Jorge Gomez (Miami, FL) $85,832
2nd: Dustin Murphy (Arcadia, FL) $75,533
3rd: Dan Iman (Los Angeles, CA) $70,934
4th: Marc Sacheli (Miami Beach, FL) $64,529
5th: Robert Aron (Boca Raton, FL) $62,995
6th: Viorel Chelariu (Brasov, RO) $61,910
7th: Michael Morton (Davie, FL) $56,042
8th: Tuyen Le (Sunrise, FL) $18,308
9th: Jonathan Ulrich (Delray Beach, FL) $13,077

Event 3 Recap

2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$250 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

August 2, 2015

Total Entries:  221
Total Prize Pool:  $46,410

Event 3 Champion Raminder Singh
Event 3 Champion
Raminder Singh

Recap:

This turbo lived up to its billing with fast-paced action, rapid-fire decisions and eliminations taking place in the blink of an eye.  And when the dust settled, Raminder Singh emerged as the Event 3 Champion.

With the tournament kicking off at noon, 25 levels had passed by 7:00 PM when we’d reached our final table.  And in a matter of fifteen minutes after that Bob Farmer was out in 10th, Dave Maddox was gone in 9th and Santana Noronha exited in 8th place.  Nemy Alegado had done most of the damage and was threatening to pull away from the pack.

But Raminder Singh had other ideas.  After being in danger of being knocked out himself, Singh began to chip back up.  He doubled up with tens and then hit kings to knock out David Felger in 7th.  The tens were good to him again as he claimed another victim taking out Joe Yselonia in 6th.

With the final table down to five players and everyone at twenty big blinds or less, the potential volatility was too much and the remaining players came to an agreement to end Event 3.  Raminder Singh held the chip edge over Nemy Alegado, Tim Frazin, Jon Ounjian and Philip Consolo giving him the title.

Singh reflected back on how he made it through such a wild tournament and his victory.  “It’s a turbo and ace-king vs. tens is never fun and tens is my nemesis hand.   I just stayed aggressive, three-betting at the right time and keeping an eye on the ball.  I wasn’t on the phone, I wasn’t talking to people.  I was just focusing on each and every player, their body language and how they were betting.  Three-betting in a turbo tournament means a lot of chips so that kept my chip count up.  This is my first championship at Hard Rock and looking forward to the big one.  Hopefully I’ll do well in that one.”

He also had very kinds words for the Seminole Hard Rock-Hollywood team.  “They’re all terrific.  This morning we were talking about how great and warm it is for poker here like in Las Vegas.  This has definitely exceeded my expectations and I know my colleagues and friends love coming here too.  Great job by the staff here and everyone else,”

Congratulations to our Event 3 Champion – Raminder Singh!

Final Table Results:
1st: Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) – $6,716
2nd: Nemy Alegado (Rolling Meadows, IL) – $6,233
3rd: Tim Frazin (Dallas, TX) – $6,233
4th: Jon Ounjian (Boca Raton, FL) – $6,233
5th: Philip Consolo (Adventure, FL) – $6,002
6th: Joe Yselonia (Coral Springs, FL) – $2,321
7th: David Felger (Lantana, FL) – $1,856
8th: Santana Noronha (Davie, FL) – $1,392
9th: Dave Maddox (Boynton Beach, FL) – $928
10th: Bob Farmer (Bal Harbour, FL) – $603