2016 Showdown Live Updates

High Roller: Joseph Cheong Eliminated by John Racener

$25,000 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 10: 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante
Total Entries: 85

Joseph Cheong moved all in for 28,000 in middle position, and John Racener called in the big blind, putting him at risk.

Cheong: Jd9s
Racener: QhJh

The board ran out KcQc2d4h6d, and Racener won the pot with a pair of queens. Cheong was eliminated.

John Racener – 130,000 (26 bb)
Joseph Cheong – Eliminated

High Roller: Noah Schwartz Eliminated

$25,000 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 10: 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante
Total Entries: 85

Noah Schwartz looked down at an ace on the button and moved all in for 33,000. Steffen Sontheimer called in the small blind, showing Ac8h. Schwartz and the rest of the table got to see his full hand at the same time, and he let out a sigh as he tabled a dominated Ad2h.

The board ran out Qh8s7c9h8d, and Sontheimer won the pot with trip eights. Schwartz was eliminated, though he still has about two hours to re-enter if he chooses to do so.

Steffen Sontheimer – 330,000 (66 bb)
Noah Schwartz – Eliminated

High Roller: Dinner Time Counts

$25,000 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 1,200/2,400 with a 400 ante
Total Entries: 82

There are about 10 minutes left on the dinner break and then cards will get back in the air at the start of level 10. Here are a look at the top counts on the break:

  • Fedor Holz – 415,000 (172 bb)
  • Joe Hachem – 340,000 (141 bb)
  • Joe McKeehen – 340,000 (141 bb)
  • Steffen Sontheimer – 323,500 (134 bb)
  • Thomas Marchese – 247,000 (102 bb)
  • Darren Elias – 232,000 (96 bb)
  • Jason Wheeler – 222,000 (92 bb)
  • Mukul Pahuja – 218,000 (90 bb)
  • Lazaro Hernandez – 208,000 (86 bb)

High Roller: Jason Mercier Rejoins the Field

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 1,200/2,400 with a 400 ante
Total Entries: 79

Jason Mercier
Jason Mercier

The field has grown to 79 entries as Level 9 begins.

Entry #79 was Jason Mercier, and it’s not the first time he’s been seated with a starting stack of 100,000 this evening. As he arrived to his new table, Bryn Kenney inquired about that very thing.

“How many entries is this for you?” he asked.

Mercier held up five fingers in reply. “I hope this is the last one,” he said. “Or else I’m going to be the one begging for money.”

It’s likely Mercier is embellishing a bit, but this entry is at least his second into this High Roller. He’s the defending champion of this event, and he starts 42 big blinds as he takes a seat once again.

High Roller: Back From Break

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 7: 800/1,600 with a 200 ante
Total Entries: 74

2015 WSOP Main Event winner Joe McKeehen leads early in the $25K High Roller
2015 WSOP Main Event winner Joe McKeehen leads early in the $25K High Roller

The field has just returned from their second break of the day, and Level 7 is now ticking off the clock. Here’s the top of the leaderboard midway through the registration period.

Joe McKeehen – 311,100 (194 bb)
Nick Petrangelo – 277,500 (173 bb)
Brian Benderoff – 256,200 (160 bb)
Lazaro Hernandez – 240,000 (150 bb)
Ian O’Hara – 239,900 (150 bb)
Joe Hachem – 227,900 (142 bb)
Joseph Cheong – 225,000 (141 bb)
Tony Gregg – 195,400 (122 bb)
Mohsin Charania – 182,000 (114 bb)
Darren Elias – 164,400 (103 bb)

High Roller: Elite Field Still Growing

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 5: 500/1,000 with a 100 ante
Total Entries: 70

Level 5 is about halfway complete, and the field is still growing steadily. A ninth table was just added to play, and the board shows 70 entries so far.

Mukul Pahuja
Mukul Pahuja

SHRP Team member and WPT Season 12 Player of the Year Mukul Pahuja is the newest addition to the field, joined at his new table by two-time WPT Champion Marvin Rettenmaier. Pahuja is one of seven players who won seats for this event in last night’s satellite. Faraz Jaka (Season 8) is the only other WPT Player of the Year who’s entered the field so far.

Joe Hachem
Joe Hachem

There are also a few familiar WSOP faces in the crowd, with Main Event Champions Joe Hachem (2005) and Joe McKeehen (2015) both sitting comfortably above their starting stack. Hachem is one of five players who’ve won both the WSOP Main Event and a WPT title.

The 2012 WSOP November Nine is particularly well represented, too. Champion Jonathan Duhamel is not here, but John Racener (2nd place), Joseph Cheong (3rd place), and John Dolan (6th place) are all in attendance this evening.

Registration remains open for the first 12 levels, so there’s still plenty of time and space for the field to grow further.

High Roller: One Million Plus

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 3: 300/600 with a 75 ante
Total Entries: 54

The High Roller event had a $1 million guaranteed prize pool but that is in the rearview mirror. Much like the other tournaments this series, they had enough players in the game early to blast past the guarantee.

With 54 players so far, the prize pool has reached $1,350,000 with registration open until 9:45pm.

2016 Showdown Ari Engel-2
Ari Engel goes from the $10K WPT Finale to the $25K High Roller
2016 Showdown Chance Kornuth
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Team Member Chance Kornuth
2016 Showdown Sheddy Siddiqui
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Team Member Sheddy Siddiqui
2016 Showdown Tony Gregg
Tony Gregg, WSOP One Drop High Roller Champion
Two-time WPT Champion Darren Elias
Two-time WPT Champion Darren Elias

High Roller: Time for the $25K

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 1: 200/500 with a 50 ante
Total Entries: 24

High Roller Day-1

The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown High Roller is just moments away from kicking off. One of the series highlights, the $25,500 buy-in tournament boasts a $1,000,000 guarantee and is expected to draw some of the game’s top brass.

Players begin with 100,000 chips and are set to log 40-, 60- and 90-minute levels as the tournament progresses. Late registration and re-entry are available until the start of Level 13 with Day 1 expected to wrap at the eight-handed final table.

Event details:

2PM: Event 27 Day 1- $25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

  • $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
  • Players begin with 100,000 in chips
  • Levels 1-12 will last 40 minutes; Level 13+ will last 60 minutes
  • Final table levels will last 90 minutes
  • Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 13
  • Day 1 will end when 8 players remain or Tournament Director discretion
  • Event 27 Structure Sheet

Updates throughout the day will be available right here SHRPO.com.