2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood
Event #12
$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Total Entries: 139
Prizepool: $139,000 + $69,500 in Bounties

Andre Crooks feels right at home at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Last year, Crooks made a deep run in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown $3,500 WPT main event, finishing third for $383,000. This year, he bests a field of 139 players to take home the $1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty for $40,308.

He defeated 2015 WSOP Main Event runner-up Josh Beckley in a strenuous heads-up battle to take home the trophy. Their heads-up match lasted several hours with the chip lead changing hands multiple times.

“It was very tough, very tough,” said Crooks of the heads-up match. “I had him down to 20 big [blinds] three or four different times and he came back every time. There was no racing with him. I don’t want to race with him.”

Even though he came out on top in the match, Crooks had nothing but praise for Beckley’s heads-up skills.

“I played a lot of heads-up online,” he said. “And nothing ever like that. As far as heads-up poker goes, he’s definitely the toughest person I’ve ever sat.”

The win puts Crooks’ career tournament earnings over $500,000 with almost all of his cashes coming exclusively in the South Florida area. Even after his breakout performance in last year’s main event, Crooks hasn’t changed his lifestyle much and has stuck to tournaments in the state.

“I’ve actually been working a lot more since that happened,” said Crooks. “I’ve played a little less poker and only play around here. I don’t travel or anything.”

While most of the attention on this event was about the epic heads-up match, the rest of the final table was stacked with results as well. Crooks came out on top of a final table that featured accomplished Florida pros Erik Christensen and Ian O’Hara as well as long-time pro Jean Gaspard, who has over $2 million in tournament earnings.

Here are the final table results:

1st: Andre Crooks – $40,308
2nd: Josh Beckley – $23,630
3rd: Joseph Cappello – $13,900
4th: Erik Christensen – $11,120
5th: Jean Gaspard – $8,340
6th: Mohammad Arani – $6,950
7th: Ian O’Hara – $5,560
8th: James Hughes – $4,170
9th: Gustavo Moscon – $3,128

Event 12 Final Results

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 26: 12,000/24,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (34 big blinds)

Josh Beckley moved all in on the button and Andre Crooks called. Beckley showed and needed help against Crooks’ .

The board ran out and Crooks had Beckley drawing dead to the river and won the pot and the tournament with top two pair.

Crooks takes home $40,308 for his win and Beckley earns $23,630 for his runner-up finish. A complete recap will be published later tonight.

Andre Crooks – Event 12 Champion
Josh Beckley – Eliminated in 2nd Place

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 26: 12,000/24,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (34 big blinds)

Josh Beckley moved all in on the button for 118,000 and Andre Crooks called. Beckley tabled and needed help against Crooks’ .

The board ran out and Beckley doubled up with sixes and fours.

“Alright baby,” said Beckley. “Back to 10 blinds.”

Josh Beckley – 242,000
Andre Crooks – 1,400,000

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 26: 12,000/24,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (34 big blinds)

Andre Crooks moved all in on the button and Josh Beckley called and was all in for his last 174,000.

Crooks showed , but was in trouble against Beckley’s . The window was the , but the rest of the flop was followed by the and the .

Beckley flopped a set and left Crooks drawing to runners. The turn was the and the river was the to give Beckley the double up.

Josh Beckley – 352,000
Andre Crooks – 1,310,000

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 26: 12,000/24,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (34 big blinds)

Josh Beckley limped in on the button and Andre Crooks checked his option from the big blind. They saw a flop of and both players checked to see the fall on the turn.

Crooks checked again and Beckley bet 45,000. Crooks called and the peeled off on the river. Both players check and Crooks showed .

Beckley mucked his hand and is under 10 big blinds now.

Andre Crooks – 1,660,000
Josh Beckley – 200,000

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 26: 12,000/24,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (34 big blinds)

After a flurry of pots that went Andre Crooks’ way, he now has opened up a better than 3-to-1 chip lead over Josh Beckley.

Andre Crooks – 1,240,000
Josh Beckley – 425,000

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 26: 12,000/24,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (34 big blinds)

On the turn with the board reading , Josh Beckley checked and Andre Crooks bet 71,000. Beckley called and the river was the .

Beckley checked again and Crooks bet 154,000. Beckley tanked for some time before calling. Crooks showed and Beckley mucked his hand.

Crooks took the pot and the chips are almost even again.

Andre Crooks – 780,000
Josh Beckley – 880,000

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 26: 12,000/24,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (34 big blinds)

On the turn with the board reading , Josh Beckley checked and Andre Crooks bet 50,000. Beckley called and the river was the .

Beckley checked again and Crooks bet 116,000. Beckley quickly called and Crooks showed , good for jacks and threes. Beckley tabled , good for a straight and he wins the pot.

“Why didn’t you raise?” asked Crooks. “What are you scared of?”

“I play unpredictably,” said Beckley. “I think we both play pretty unpredictably. That’s why you’re a challenge.”

Josh Beckley 1,150,000
Andre Crooks – 510,000

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 25: 10,000/20,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (41 big blinds)

Josh Beckley raised from the button to 45,000 and Andre Crooks three-bet to 105,000 out of the big blind.

Beckley called and the flop was . Crooks checked and Beckley bet 80,000. Crooks check-raised to 185,000 and Beckely tanked for a minute before calling.

The turn was the and both players checked. The river was the and Crooks checked. Beckely went all in for about 350,000 and Crooks quickly folded.

Beckley takes the pot and the stacks are almost even again.

Josh Beckley – 860,000
Andre Crooks – 800,000

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 25: 10,000/20,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (41 big blinds)

Josh Beckley raised on the button and Andre Crooks defended his big blind. The flop was and Crooks checked. Beckley bet 40,000 and Crooks called.

The turn was the and Crooks checked. Beckley bet 80,000 and Crooks went into the tank before check-raising to 172,000.

Beckley quickly folded and Crooks took the pot to further extend his chip lead.

Andre Crooks – 1,250,000
Josh Beckley – 460,000