$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Shootout Level 10: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 70
Nick Palma moved all in on the button for 105,000 and Michael McNeil called out of the big blind. It was a flip for Palma’s tournament life with his up against McNeils’ .
“Do the right thing dealer,” said Palma as the dealer was beginning to burn and turn.
The flop was and Palma flopped bottom set to leave McNeil drawing slim. The turn was the , which gave McNeil some outs with the nut flush draw.
The river was the , which gave McNeil his flush, but Palma filled up to secure the double.
“They didn’t know that I have all the heart,” said Palma after the hand.
Nick Palma – 215,000 (26 bb) Michael McNeil – 550,000 (68 bb)
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Shootout Level 8: 3,000/6,000 with a 500 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 70
Michael McNeil raised to 14,000 on the button and Nick Palma three-bet to 40,000 out of the small blind.
“I knew you were going to three-bet that hand,” said McNeil. “You’re so obvious. I’m all in.”
McNeil moved all in for 278,000 and Palma called. It was a flipf for a massive pot with McNeil’s up against Palma’s .
The flop was and McNeil took a massive lead with top pair and the nut flush draw. The turn was the , which gave Palma a set, but McNeil made the nut flush.
The river was the and McNeil faded a board pairing river to double up.
Michael McNeil – 560,000 (93 bb) Nick Palma – 45,500 (6 bb)
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Shootout Level 8: 2,000/4,000 with a 500 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 70
Brad Patton
Nick Palma raised to 9,000 on the button and Brad Patton moved all in for 55,000 out of the small blind. Palma got a count from the dealer, took a few minutes to think over his decision, and then called.
Patton tabled and was dominated by Palma’s .
The board ran out and Palma won the pot with a pair of sevens. Patton’s pair of sixes sent him to the rail in fourth place and took home $5,907 for his run.
Nick Palma – 300,000 (75 bb) Brad Patton – Eliminated
The 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open is nearly two weeks old, but the action isn’t getting stale as the prelim events begin to wind down.
On Tuesday, the first installment of the $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Shootout event got underway. It attracted 70 players to the field and there were 10 tables that played down to a winner.
Brad Patton, Jack Duong, Michael Aron, Michael McNeil, Jean Gaspard, Nick Palma, Mark Smith, Haim Tourgeman, Lawrence Paden, and 2016 November Niner Jerry Wong all won their table to make the money and secure a spot at the final table.
Those 10 players will come back on Wednesday at 2 p.m. to play down to a winner. Everybody is guaranteed a cash of at least $1,664, but the top prize is worth $23,765 and the hardware.
Along with the shootout running, the $570 No Limit Hold’em with a single re-entry got cards in the air at noon. It drew 207 players and Hard Rock regular Michael Newman took the win in a five-way chop. It was Newman’s first SHRPO title and he earned $17,579 as part of an ICM deal.
The other big news on Tuesday was the announcement that the staff has extended registration for the $1,650 Heads-Up tournament.
Registration was originally scheduled to close at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, but the staff has decided to leave registration open until 2 p.m. on Thursday. The tournament is set to start at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be a two-day event.
Here is a look at Wednesday’s Schedule:
12 p.m. – Day 1 – $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max Freezeout – $100,000 GTD Prizepool
2 p.m. – Day 2 – $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Shootout
5 p.m. – Single Day Event – $360 Pot Limit Omaha Re-Entry
2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood Event #15 $570 No Limit Hold’em Total Entries: 207 Total Prizepool: $103,500
Michael Newman Captures $570 No Limit Hold’em Title
If you’re looking for Michael Newman, he can usually be found in the tournament area at the Seminole Hard Rock.
The New York native is a regular tournament grinder in the South Florida area and has gone deep in several events, but the trophy has eluded him.
That all changed in the early hours of Wednesday morning when Newman bested a field of 207 players as part of a five-way chop in the $570 No Limit Hold’em. Newman was the chip leader when the final five players agreed to an ICM chop. Newman took home his first career SHRPO trophy and $17,579.
“A win is always great,” said Newman after the win. “I’ve gotten so deep so many times, but if you don’t run well at the end it doesn’t matter. Even if you are playing well, the cards have to hold up. And they did for me tonight. I got lucky.”
Newman didn’t get into poker until a couple years ago when he was still working on Wall Street. He worked for Paul Snead, who finished 21st in the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event. It was Snead who took him under his wing and taught him the game.
“I started working for his place back in 2011,” said Newman. “So I kind of got real series into poker around 2012 or 2013. I got real serious about it when I moved down here about a year ago.”
Newman left Wall Street about a year ago to move to Florida. He still is in the banking industry, but has much easier access to a poker room than he did living in New York.
“I couldn’t really play much up in New York,” said Newman. “Borgata was kind of far away and so was Foxwoods. But living down here, this place is only 10 minutes away. So it’s great.”
Having only been playing serious tournament poker for about a year, Newman has quickly racked up quite a resume. The win tonight gives him over $150,000 in career tournament earnings.
Even with his own personal success, Newman stays in touch with Snead to go over hands and talk strategy. He gives Snead credit for some of the concepts that he uses at the table today.
“He pretty much wants me to take my time,” said Newman of Snead’s advice. “I would say that the most important thing is knowing the percentages and the odds.
“And to try to get max value for my hands. I wasn’t getting max value and [Paul] told me that I needed to get more max value for my hands.”
Newman started off the final table on the right note by winning a massive pot in one of first few hands after the re-draw. He eliminated George Abdo in 10th and nearly tripled up after getting it in with the nut flush draw against the second nut flush draw and Abdo’s bare king-high.
Newman turned the flush to leave both players drawing dead. He eliminated Paul Balzano two hands later and had a huge chip lead over the field. He was able to ride that chip lead down to the final five players. When they agreed to an ICM chop, he just barely edged out Frankie Flowers for the chip lead and the title.
This is Flowers’ second chop in as many days as he continues his post-WSOP heater.
Newman finally gets the thrill of victory and the trophy, but it seems like he will continue to grind the tournaments at the Hard Rock and look for more hardware.
“This is the best place for tournaments,” said Newman. “I love it here. Nobody runs better series than here at the Hard Rock.”
Here is a look at the final table results:
1st: Michael Newman – $17,579 2nd: Frankie Flowers – $16,742 3rd: Nicholas Baurichter – $15,459 4th: Zoltan Czinkota – $11,039 5th: Brian Blanchard – $9,243 6th: Joseph Hubbell – $5,175 7th: Robert Engle – $4,190 8th: Silvio Derubeis – $3,105 9th: Paul Balzano – $2,070
$570 No Limit Hold’em Level 21: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante Players Remaining: 5 of 207
Michael Newman
The final five players have agreed to an ICM chop. Michael Newman was the chip leader at the time of the deal and will take the most money and the trophy.
Here is a look at the breakdown of the chop:
1st: Michael Newman – $17,579 2nd: Frankie Flowers – $16,742 3rd: Nicholas Baurichter – $15,459 4th: Zoltan Czinkota – $11,039 5th: Brian Blanchard – $9,243
, Michael Aron bet from the big blind and Michael MicNeil called on the button.
came on the river. Aron bet 52,000 and McNeil called.
, but McNeil dragged the pot with his 
. McNeil takes the pot and is extending his chip lead over Aron and Nick Palma.
up against McNeils’ 
.
and Palma flopped bottom set to leave McNeil drawing slim. The turn was the 
, which gave McNeil some outs with the nut flush draw.
, which gave McNeil his flush, but Palma filled up to secure the double.
.
, good for an open-ended straight draw, had plenty of outs against Palma’s 
.
, giving Palma trips and leaving Aron with just four outs. The river was the 
and Palma doubled up with trips.
.
.
, which gave Palma a set, but McNeil made the nut flush.
and McNeil faded a board pairing river to double up.
and was dominated by Palma’s 
.
