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

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