$3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Event

Blinds 250k/500k/50k ante

On the seventh hand of heads up play, Eric Afriat calls the 10.8 million (22 bb) all-in bet of Vinny Pahuja.

Afriat:
Pahuja:

Flop: (Afriat still leads)

Turn: (no change)

River:

Afriat wins the coin flip with two pairs, 8s and 5s to take the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship and the first place prize of nearly $1.1 million.

“Everything was just magical,” said Afriat who is enjoying the win with a strong Canadian rail made up of family and friends. “You can’t fight faith and it was my time.”

The 44 year-old businessman wins $1,081,184, taking Afriat’s career recorded live tournament earnings past $1.5 million.

“I always envisioned it, always felt I was going to win,” he says, “but the fact, after everything is over, it just sunk in that it’s ridiculous what I just accomplished.”

$3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Event

Blinds 250k/500k/50k ante

Mukul Pahuja loses a coin flip to Eric Afriat and finish runner-up in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship.

Pahuja’s doesn’t improve against Afriat’s and settles for second place and $691,965.

“It’s still a celebration, it’s something to be really happy about and the grind continues and I’m just going to be hungrier the next time and try to get back here again.”

Pahjua says a key hand came when he moved all in on the turn against James Mackey and lost more than 8 million chips drawing dead.  Mackey flopped trip 5s against Pahjua’s AQ and was cut down to 10 million.

“I thought he might have a draw and I just had the best hand,” says Pahuja. “A bluff, weird hand gone wrong.”

This was Pahuja’s third WPT final table of the season and gives him a commanding leading in the tour’s Player of the Year points lead.  He’s a 28-year-old poker pro with a finance degree from Penn State University.

Pahuja now has nearly $3 million in career recorded live tournament earnings and is upbeat despite the disappointing finish.

“I love this casino, I’m always going to be here for whatever’s going on, the big stuff and it’s really awesome to be just twenty minutes away from here.”

$3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Event
Blinds 250k/500k/50k ante

Levels are now 30 minutes in length.

Heads Up Chip Counts

Eric Afriat 38.6 Million (77 bb)
Mukul Pahuja 15.1 Million (30 bb)

Remaining Prize Pool

Place-Amount

1st $1,081,184
2nd $691,965
3rd James Mackey (Kansas City, MO) $441,128
4th Jacob Bazeley (Cincinnati, OH) $371,931
5th Matt Stout (Las Vegas, NV) $308,501
6th Chance Kornuth (Hollywood, FL) $247,954

$200 Buy-in No Limit Hold’em ($50K Guaranteed)
Blind Level 18: 3K/6K/ 1K ante
Total entries: 362
Places Paid: 36
Players left: 30
Average Stack: 121K (20bbs)

Players are currently in the midst of their 15 minute break. They’ll be coming back to 3K/6K blinds with 1K ante

$3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Event
Blinds 200k/400k/50k ante

On the last hand of the level, James Mackey moves all in for 6.8 million and Vinny Pahjua snap calls.

Pahuja:
Mackey:

Flop: (Pahuja still leads)

Turn: (no change)

River:

Mackey misses his three-outs on the river and Pahuja wins the hand with a pair of 9s.

Mackey earns $441,128 for his third place finish.

The pivotal hand for Mackey came earlier in the level when he called Afriat’s 6 million river bet and mucked against the nut flush.

Got third for 440k. Pretty pissed at myself. Made a failed hero call in a big pot. Still a great result. Thanks for the support.

— james mackey (@migcom) April 17, 2014

Heads Up Chip Counts

Eric Afriat 38.6 Million
Mukul Pahuja 15.1 Million

$200 Buy-in No Limit Hold’em ($50K Guaranteed)
Blind Level 17: 2500/5K/ 500 ante
Total entries: 362
Places Paid: 36
Players left: 31
Average Stack: 117K (23bbs)

The blinds have just been increased to 2500/5k with a 500 ante. We’ll be at this level for the next 30 minutes, then the players will take a 10 min break.

$200 Buy-in No Limit Hold’em ($50K Guaranteed)
Blind Level 16: 2K/4K/ 500 ante
Total entries: 362
Places Paid: 36
Players left: 36
Average Stack: 101K (25bbs)

On Table 10 we find Charles Pakowitz (Hollywood, FL) all-in against Jordan Chizick (Fort Lauderdale, FL). The cards are turned face up:

Pakowitz
Chizick

The board is dealt and Chizick catches the pair of sixes on the river to eliminate Pakowitz and burst the money bubble. The remaining 36 players in today’s Event 20 are officially in the money!

$3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Event
Blinds 200k/400k/50k ante

On a board of Eric Afriat bets 6 million, putting James Mackey in the tank before eventually calling.

Afriat explodes from his seat after turning over for the nut flush and gets high fives from his Canadian rail.

The hand cripples Mackey who mucks as Afriat wins the 25+M chip pot for the commanding chip lead.

Three-Handed Chip Count

Eric Afriat 33.7 Million (84 bb)
Mukul Pahuja 15.3 Million (38 bb)
James Mackey 4.5 Million (11 bb)