$5,250 SHRPO Championship (Single Re-Entry) $3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure Level 6: 300/600 with a 600 ante Flight A Entries: 371
Nuri Kural (left) studies Blair Hinkle as Hinkle tanks on the river.
With a full table of nine players, eight of them limped to see a flop of . Three players check to Nuri Kural, who bet 5,000 from the hijack. Blair Hinkle called from the cutoff, the button folded, and the small blind called. The next four players folded.
Three players still in action to the turn, which is the . The small blind checked, and Kural bet 13,300. Hinkle called, and the small blind folded.
The river card was the , and Kural took a good look at Hinkle’s remaining chips (Hinkle had about 34K behind) before betting about half of Hinkle’s stack — 17,300.
Hinkle tanked for a very long time before he folded, and Kural took the pot.
$5,250 SHRPO Championship (Single Re-Entry) $3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure Level 6: 300/600 with a 600 ante Flight A Entries: 371
Olivier Busquet (left) and Mohsin Charania
With the board showing on the turn, Olivier Busquet bet 6,500 under the gun. Mohsin Charania called from UTG+1, and a third player folded in late position.
The river card was the , Busquet bet 7,500, Charania raised to 18,000, and Busquet folded. Charania took the pot to reach 140K in chips.
2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Florida Event 18 $50,000 Super High Roller (Single Re-Entry) $1,000,000 Guaranteed Entries: 41 Prize Pool: $1,988,500 August 8-9, 2019
Natasha and Jason Mercier
Two years ago, Jason Mercier’s wife Natasha was seven months pregnant when he entered the $25K High Roller at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, and Mercier won that event — his last tournament victory before he pulled back from the tournament circuit to focus on fatherhood.
Yesterday, Jason Mercier’s wife Natasha was seven months pregnant when he entered the $50K Super High Roller, and today Mercier steamrolled the final table with an overwhelming chip stack to win $715,860.
“We’ve been talking about that the whole time,” said Mercier after his victory. “Even before the event, Natasha said, ‘I’m seven months pregnant. This is exactly when you won the $25K two years ago, so you have to win the $50K.'” Mercier added, “It’s kind of weird that it actually happened this way. I wish she could always be seven months pregnant, but I don’t think she wants that.”
Jason Mercier grew up in nearby Davie, Florida, and his father Rick was here today to watch him win one of his many poker titles.
With 41 entries, this was the biggest $50K Super High Roller in the history of Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, creating a total prizepool of $1,988,500 that nearly doubled the $1 million guarantee.
Mercier entered the seven-handed final table with nearly a 5-to-1 chip lead over everyone else, and none of the other players ever acquired enough chips to pose much of a threat.
The key hand for Mercier came last night to burst the Money Bubble. Mercier raised, and Dan Shak — who was second in chips at the time — reraised. Mercier called and the flop came . Shak shoved with , and Mercier thought for a bit before calling with . The best hand held up for Mercier to eliminate Shak and end Day 1 with a monstrous chip lead.
Today’s final table was a quick one, finished in a little more than 90 minutes, with the other six players effectively battling for second place. Franklin Fok knocked out Tom Boivin in third place to get heads-up against Mercier, though Fok was still down nearly 7-to-1 in chips. In the ninth hand of heads-up play, Fok got it all in with , but never improved against Mercier’s .
“I won a ton of hands that I probably shouldn’t have, just because of stack sizes,” said Mercier. “I had over half the chips in play when we were seven handed, so I was playing a ton of hands and just taking advantage of spots. But I also got dealt really good hands, and was able to call all ins when I was in the big blind, and those hands won.”
Mercier has won more than $19.5 million in live tournaments over his career, but this was actually his first cash in nearly a year as he’s been spending most of his time with his wife Natasha and two-year-old son, Marco. “I didn’t realize it until I got in the money,” said Mercier. “I hadn’t cashed in a year, so this was a really nice one to win.”
Jason Mercier plays with his two-year-old son Marco shortly after his victory.
Final Results:
1st: Jason Mercier – $715,860 2nd: Franklin Fok – $457,355 3rd: Tom Boivin – $288,330 4th: Giuseppe Iadisernia – $198,850 5th: Manig Loeser – $139,195 6th: Sam Sweilem – $109,370 7th: Albert Daher – $79,540
$5,250 SHRPO Championship (Single Re-Entry) $3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure Level 5: 300/500 with a 500 ante Flight A Entries: 361
Matt Brady
Jared Jaffee raised to 1,300 from middle position, Matt Brady called from the button and Brian Ray (who was the chip leader at the break) three-bet to 5,500 from the big blind. Jaffee folded and Brady called.
The flop was and Ray continued for 5,000. Brady called.
The turn was the , Ray checked, Brady bet 15,000 and Ray called.
The river was the , Ray checked, Brady shoved for about 65,000 and Ray thought it over for a bit before he folded.
Matt Brady – 118,000 (236 bb) Brian Ray – 88,000 (176 bb)
$5,250 SHRPO Championship (Single Re-Entry) $3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure Level 5: 300/500 with a 500 ante Flight A Entries: 348
Brian Ray
Trent Smith dipped and Brian Ray rose up. We have a new leader after the second break and it is Brian Ray with 140,000. That is good enough to put him up top but 2013 SHRPO Champ Blair Hinkle is not far behind with 134,000.
Other notable big stacks include Ben Tarzia (128,400), Matt Berkey (110,000), Nipun Java (108,000), Sergio Giha (108,000), Kitty Kuo (105,000), and Igor Merda (104,000),
$5,250 SHRPO Championship (Single Re-Entry) $3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure Level 4: 200/400 with a 400 ante Flight A Entries: 342
Matthew Wantman (left) and Matthew Waxman (right), the Matthew W***mans together
Flight A of the Championship is enjoying the second break of the day as the entry count continues to click higher. They will return to play two more levels before the 75-minute dinner break.
$5,250 SHRPO Championship (Single Re-Entry) $3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure Level 4: 200/400 with a 400 ante Flight A Entries: 342
Loni Harwood (left) versus Matthew Zarcadoolas (center) versus Nipun Java (right)
Loni Harwood raised all in for 2,000 from under the gun, Matthew Zarcadoolas three-bet to 6,500 on her immediate left and Nipun Java four-bet to 21,500 on his immediate left.
Action folded back to Zarcadoolas who thought for a bit before he reraised all in for about 41,000. Java called.
Harwood: Zarcadoolas: Java:
The board came down , no help to Harwood, chopping up the pot for Zarcadoolas and Java.
$50,000 Super High Roller (Single Re-Entry) $1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 17: 15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante Players Remaining: 1 of 41
Jason Mercier (right) and His Father Rick
HAND #82 – Franklin Fok limped for 25,000, Jason Mercier moved all in, and Fok called all in for 515,000.
Jason Mercier: Franklin Fok:
The board came , and Mercier won the pot — and the SHRPO Super High Roller — with a pair of fives.
Franklin Fok finished as the runner-up, earning $457,355.
Jason Mercier wins the $50,000 SHRPO High Roller, earning $715,860, a SHRPO trophy, and a custom-framed winner’s photo courtesy of IMPDI.
Congratulations, Jason Mercier!
1st: Jason Mercier – $715,860 2nd: Franklin Fok – $457,355 3rd: Tom Boivin – $288,330 4th: Giuseppe Iadisernia – $198,850 5th: Manig Loeser – $139,195 6th: Sam Sweilem – $109,370 7th: Albert Daher – $79,540
. Three players check to Nuri Kural, who bet 5,000 from the hijack. Blair Hinkle called from the cutoff, the button folded, and the small blind called. The next four players folded.
. The small blind checked, and Kural bet 13,300. Hinkle called, and the small blind folded.
, and Kural took a good look at Hinkle’s remaining chips (Hinkle had about 34K behind) before betting about half of Hinkle’s stack — 17,300.
on the turn, Olivier Busquet bet 6,500 under the gun. Mohsin Charania called from UTG+1, and a third player folded in late position.
, Busquet bet 7,500, Charania raised to 18,000, and Busquet folded. Charania took the pot to reach 140K in chips.
and Leah check-called 2,000 from Baumstein.
, Leah led for 3,900, Baumstein raised all in for 12,600 and Leah called.
, safe for Baumstein to double up.
. Shak shoved with 
, and Mercier thought for a bit before calling with 
. The best hand held up for Mercier to eliminate Shak and end Day 1 with a monstrous chip lead.
, but never improved against Mercier’s 
, Ray checked, Brady bet 15,000 and Ray called.
, no help to Harwood, chopping up the pot for Zarcadoolas and Java.
, and Mercier won the pot — and the SHRPO Super High Roller — with a pair of fives.