2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, FL
Event 6
$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty 
Entries: 157
Prize Pool: $31,400 + $15,700 in bounties
March 20, 2017

Gil Aboodi won the $360 no limit hold’em black chip bounty event on Monday night. Aboodi came out on top of a basically even six-way chop, where he bested a field of 157 entries to win $3,647, the trophy and a seat into the freeroll with a $10,000 WPT Finale seat on the line.

Aboodi, who splits time between New Jersey and Florida, doesn’t like the spotlight that tournament poker can sometimes put on him, but was still fairly elated about the win.

“It feels great,” said Aboodi. “I left some money on the table since I was the chip leader, but hopefully I win the next tournament and get that seat.”

During the chop negotiations, Aboodi was one of the players hesitant to accept the deal, but once he realized that he had secured a seat in the freeroll, he was more amenable towards finalizing the deal.

Unlike many other deals, this event had a basically even six-way chop. Aboodi received two dollars more than the second through sixth place finishers. Even John De Soto, who had five big blinds at the time of the chop, took home an even share of the prizepool.

Runner-up James Conner was adamant about doing an even chop. Aboodi was skeptical about the deal at first, but the freeroll seat that he would receive tipped the scales in favor of doing it. Just from a math perspective, Aboodi likes his chances of getting a seat into the WPT Finale.

“It’s only 14 people,” said Aboodi. “So, I got a better chance than in a tournament that has hundreds of people. We’ll see.”

Aboodi has been playing poker for quite some time, but mostly in a cash game setting. He didn’t make the switch to tournament poker until two years ago, but he likes the steady improvement he’s been seeing.

“I’m climbing the ladder,” said Aboodi. “I got two fifths and sixth places and now I’ve won a couple. It feels good.”

Here is a look at the results:

1st: Gil Aboodi – $3,647 + Freeroll seat
2nd: James Conner – $3,645
3rd: Haim Toorgeman – $3,645
4th: Anthony Astarita – $3,645
5th: Wai Ngai – $3,645
6th: John De Soto – $3,645
7th: Narimaan Ahmadi – $1,091
8th: Paula Alibrandi – $980
9th: Gary Greenlee – $844
10th: Austin Paramore – $738
11th: Michael Watkins – $738
12th: Alfred Vargas – $738
13th: Daren Stabinski – $636
14th: Aaron Hemphill – $636
15th: David Lithgow – $636
16th: Yousef Nassr – $537
17th: Mark Wiser – $537
18th: Claudio Docarmo – $537
19th: Dmitry Savelyev – $440
20th: Donald Drapel – $440