2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 26
$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 83
Prize Pool: $394,250
April 16, 2019

Event 26 of the 2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown was a $5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry) with a guaranteed prize pool of $200,000. A field of 83 entries nearly doubled that amount, generating a prize pool of $394,250. Earning the outright victory was Paul Snead, winning the first-place prize of $116,245.

“It feels great,” Snead told us afterward. “It’s been a long time coming. I haven’t won first place since 2007, and that was my only win until now.”

This win was certainly a long time coming for Snead, who after his biggest career score in 2008 took time away from the game.

“I took a long time off after the 2008 World Series Main Event (Snead finished in 21st place for $257,334). It really crushed me, and I stopped playing poker for a while,” reminisced Snead of his tough exit in the Main Event, where he was two-outed on the river.

“My brother and I started a business together after, and I didn’t really play poker for about eight years. We sold the business, and now I’m free to do whatever and play poker again.”

Snead’s win today marks his second largest career score, and he believes it’s a sign of things to come.

“I feel like the universe is lining up, finally. I took a lot of bad beats in the past, and it just feels nice to win a race like that in a big spot. I’m just very grateful. I have a lot of support from my family, and they’re going to be thrilled. It just feels great.”

Results:
1st: Paul Snead – $116,245
2nd: George Wolff – $77,500
3rd: Brian Yoon – $52,545
4th: Brent Roberts – $36,955
5th: Michael Tureniec – $27,000
6th: Kristen Bicknell – $20,520
7th: Brian Altman – $16,255
8th: Barry Hutter – $13,440
9th: Eric Panayiotou – $11,625
10th: Brock Wilson – $11,625
11th: James Romero – $10,540