2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood
Event #1
$350 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack (Re-Entry)
Total Entries: 2,692
Prize Pool: $807,600
March 31 – April 4, 2016
It took most of an extra day to find a champion in the opening event of the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Event 1 drew 2,692 entrants over six starting flights and it was local favorite Vitor Coelho taking home the title along with the $140,476 top prize.
The tournament easily surpassed its $500,000 guaranteed prize pool and eventually settled at $807,600 when registration closed for the final starting flight. Of the 2,962 entrants who bought it, 517 of players survived to move on to Day 2.
Day 2 saw the field quickly play down to the money bubble after a few hours. Only 250 would earn a piece of the money and action slowed down when they could see their chance to cash.
Once they were in the money, action picked up speed once again with the chip lead swapping between several players including Lou Stadler, Jon Borenstein, and Luke Brereton. But it was Coelho who had the lead at the end of Day 2 when they shut down to return for an extra day of play.
The final table resumed on Monday with Borenstein close on Coelho’s heels. The rest of the table needed to make something happen to move into contention but we saw the four quick eliminations of Dani Dayan, Bernard Muhire, Brent Philbin, and Chris Scionti in the first hour.
Lou Stadler and Marcus Stein followed close behind and Borenstein’s elimination set up a long heads up battle. Coelho and defending champ James Salmon swapped leads several times over the three hour match until Coelho came from behind to take the title.
It was a great way to open the big series and congrats to everyone who cashed, the great final table members, and Vitor Coelho for picking up the second biggest cash of his career.
Final table results:
1st: Vitor Coelho (Wesley Chapel, FL) $140,476
2nd: James Salmon (Plantation, FL) $91,097
3rd: Jon Borenstein (Teaneck, NJ) $59,657
4th: Marcus Stein (Pembroke Pines, FL) $50,717
5th: Lou Stadler (Miami, FL) $42,076
6th: Chris Scionti (Montgomery, IL) $33,515
7th: Brent Philbin (Cape Coral, FL) $25,036
8th: Bernard Muhire (Stockbridge, GA) $16,960
9th: Dani Dayan (Sunrise, FL) $12,114