$25,400 High Roller Event (Re-Entry)
Level 10: 1,500/3,000/500 Ante
It’s very early in our High Roller event but a few players have gotten off to solid starts. George Dolofan checked in at 346,000 with Ian O’ Hara right behind him at 333,000. Phil Laak has also made a move and is now up 364,000.
We’re now up to 73 entries tallied so far with registration closing at the start of Level 13.
$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-Out)
Level 21: 6,000/12,000/2,000 Ante
It was a quick march to the last two tables with Alex Rocha rode his short stack into a flip with Andrew Hinrichsen.
Rocha was ahead with 
against Hinrichsen’s 
and stayed that way on the 
. The 
turn prompted Rocha to say “well that makes things interest”.
Hinrichsen completed his flush on the 
river to send Rocha out in 16th.
“Why did I have to say that?” he laughed.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship (Freeze-Out)
Level 26: 30,000/60,000/10,000 Ante
The final 10 players in the SHRPO Championship are on their dinner break, scheduled to return at 8:20 pm ET.
As soon as they return, they’ll redraw for random seats at the final 10-handed table, and continue until one more player is eliminated.
The average chip stack is about 2.7 million (45 big blinds). Here are their official chip counts, along with the remaining prizepool:
Randy Pfeifer – 8,950,000* (149 bb)
Brian Phillis – 3,460,000 (58 bb)
Dan Colman – 3,035,000 (51 bb)
Omar Zazay – 2,550,000 (43 bb)
Vladimir Mezheritsky – 2,500,000 (42 bb)
Lawrence Moccia – 1,920,000 (32 bb)
Christoph Csik – 1,385,000 (23 bb)
Rick Alvarado – 1,130,000 (19 bb)
Paul Volpe – 1,070,000 (18 bb)
Joseph Couden – 990,000 (17 bb)
1st: $1,000,000
2nd: $575,000
3rd: $310,000
4th: $220,000
5th: $180,000
6th: $150,000
7th: $125,000
8th: $100,000
9th: $75,000
10th: $50,000
* Not a typo. Randy Pfeifer has roughly 33% of all the chips in play.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship (Freeze-Out)
Level 25: 25,000/50,000/5,000 Ante
Tim Seidensticker raised from the cutoff to 110,000, and Brian Phillis called from the big blind. Both players checked to the turn on a board of 
, Phillis bet 75,000, and Seidensticker called.
The river was the 
, Phillis checked, Seidensticker bet 75,000, and Phillis check-raised all in. Seidensticker tanked for a long time before he called all in for about 530,000.
Phillis showed 
for a flopped ace-high straight, and Seidensticker mucked as he was eliminated from the tournament. But tournament rules dictate that all-in hands must be shown, so the dealer flips over Seidensticker’s cards — 
for a pair of aces.
Brian Phillis – Chip Count to come
Tim Seidensticker – Eliminated in 11th Place ($50,000)
This hand extended into the dinner break, so the players will redraw for random seats at the final table when they return. Action will continue tonight until one more player is eliminated.
$25,400 High Roller Event (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 1,200/2,400/400 Ante
Plunk down $25,000 to play a poker tournament and you get treated right here at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Check out the lounge area complete with a bar and an amazing food spread the players are enjoying while on dinner break. There’s pretty much anything they could want including carved beef tenderlion, a mashed potato bar and such specialties as duck prosciutto with tallegio blistered tomato, a goat cheese, fennel and fig croquette and herb panko crusted lamb chop with pesto aioli.
It’s good to be a high roller.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship (Freeze-Out)
Level 25: 25,000/50,000/5,000 Ante
Paul Volpe moved all in under the gun for 500,000, and Omar Zazay thought for a bit before he called from the big blind with 
. Volpe turned over 
, and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive.
The board came 
, and Volpe won the pot with trip kings to double up in chips.
Paul Volpe – 1,055,000 (21 bb)
Omar Zazay – 2,420,000 (48 bb)
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship (Freeze-Out)
Level 25: 25,000/50,000/5,000 Ante
Paul Volpe raised under the gun to 105,000, and Omara Zazay called from the big blind.
The flop came 
, Zazay checked, Volpe bet 60,000, and Zazay called.
The turn was the , Zazay checked, Volpe bet 140,000, and Zazay called.
The river was the 
, Zazay checked, and Volpe bet 350,000 — leaving himself 500,000 behind. Zazay moved all in for 1,135,000, and Volpe went into the tank.
After some time in the tank, Volpe said, “Do you really have the nine of spades?” Zazay didn’t move, and he didn’t respond. Volpe thought a little longer and then said, “Crazy. So crazy. I don’t think this has ever happened to me.”
After some more time in the tank, Volpe asked, “Show me if I fold?” As he had the entire time, Zazay didn’t move, and he didn’t respond.
Volpe began talking himself thru the hand. “Once you call the turn, you either have king, queen, or nine of spades.” Volpe talked thru one or two more scenarios before he folded 
face up (ace-high flush), and Zazay took the pot.
Omar Zazay – 2,850,000 (57 bb)
Paul Volpe – 500,000 (10 bb)
As the dealer pushed the pot to Zazay, Volpe offered to pay to see Zazay’s cards. Volpe pulled out his wallet and offered $40. Zazay countered with $100, and Volpe offered $60. Zazay asked for $80, and Volpe agreed to the deal.
Zazay showed 
for the rivered jack-high straight flush, and Volpe paid him $80.
$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-Out)
Level 21: 6,000/12,000/2,000 Ante
Table 14
Seat 1: Leroy Jones – 226,000 ( 19 bb)
Seat 2: Alex Rocha – 138,000 ( 12 bb)
Seat 3: Gary Bolden – 420,000 ( 35 bb)
Seat 4: Daniel Fuhs – 328,000 ( 27 bb)
Seat 5: Eracles Panayiotou – 100,000 ( 8 bb)
Seat 6: Fabrizio Gonzalez – 1,550,000 ( 129 bb)
Seat 7: Matt Glantz – 253,000 ( 21 bb)
Seat 8: Casey Yontz – 706,000 ( 59 bb)
Seat 9: Empty
Table 15
Seat 1: Tom Sheets – 236,000 ( 20 bb)
Seat 2: Empty
Seat 3: Phil Rigby – 170,000 ( 14 bb)
Seat 4: Chris Hunichen – 807,000 ( 67 bb)
Seat 5: Seth Davies – 431,000 ( 36 bb)
Seat 6: Andrew Hinrichsen – 338,000 ( 28 bb)
Seat 7: Darryl Ronconi – 180,000 ( 15 bb)
Seat 8: Ping Lin – 276,000 ( 23 bb)
Seat 9: Empty
Table 16
Seat 1: Xuan Liu – 1,588,000 ( 132 bb)
Seat 2: Empty
Seat 3: Scott Anderson – 188,000 ( 16 bb)
Seat 4: Kane Lai – 650,000 ( 54 bb)
Seat 5: David Diaz – 508,000 ( 42 bb)
Seat 6: Jonathan Marks – 60,000 ( 5 bb)
Seat 7: Empty
Seat 8: Jon Borenstein – 795,000 ( 66 bb)
Seat 9: Empty
Xuan Liu – 1,588,000 ( 132 bb)
Fabrizio Gonzalez – 1,550,000 ( 129 bb)
Chris Hunichen – 807,000 ( 67 bb)
Jon Borenstein – 795,000 ( 66 bb)
Casey Yontz – 706,000 ( 59 bb)
Kane Lai – 650,000 ( 54 bb)
David Diaz – 508,000 ( 42 bb)
Seth Davies – 431,000 ( 36 bb)
Gary Bolden – 420,000 ( 35 bb)
Andrew Hinrichsen – 338,000 ( 28 bb)
Daniel Fuhs – 328,000 ( 27 bb)
Ping Lin – 276,000 ( 23 bb)
Matt Glantz – 253,000 ( 21 bb)
Tom Sheets – 236,000 ( 20 bb)
Leroy Jones – 226,000 ( 19 bb)
Scott Anderson – 188,000 ( 16 bb)
Darryl Ronconi – 180,000 ( 15 bb)
Phil Rigby – 170,000 ( 14 bb)
Alex Rocha – 138,000 ( 12 bb)
Eracles Panayiotou – 100,000 ( 8 bb)
Jonathan Marks – 60,000 ( 5 bb)
$25,400 High Roller Event (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 1,200/2,400/400 Ante
The players have hit their dinner break in the High Roller and there’s more money on the line than anyone thought possible. 72 entries have now recorded taking the prize pool to $1,800,000.
It’s quite an eclectic mix of players in the private high roller room with many of the top superstars in the game plus some players you may not be as familiar with.
Andy Philachack has over 1.6 million dollars in tournament earnings including a WSOP circuit main event title and has twice just missed winning a WSOP bracelet having two runner-up finishes.
Also in the field is someone many players here at Seminole Hard Rock are familiar with – Bruce “SkullCrusher” Kramer. Kramer and his ever-present crystal skull card protector are looking to destroy the competition here on Day 1.
As a side note, we’re lucky that the Kramer’s card protector has not been at the same table with Phil Laak so far. Phil has gone to the glowing super-goggles and the shine off the two might be too much for everyone to handle.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship (Freeze-Out)
Level 25: 25,000/50,000/5,000 Ante
Dan Colman raised under the gun to 115,000, Marc Macdonnell moved all in from the button for 605,000, and Brian Phillis thought for a while before calling from the small blind. Colman folded.
Macdonnell turned over , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Phillis.
The board came 
, and the pocket jacks held up for Phillis to win the pot and eliminate Macdonnell from the tournament.
Brian Phillis – 2,835,000 (57 bb)
Marc Macdonnell – Eliminated in 12th Place ($50,000)