$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1: 25/50

The first flight of the opening event on the 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown schedule set a nice pace for the $1 Million Guarantee tournament and the evening flight will try to build on the success. Flight A drew 395 entries and we expect to see a similar crowd this evening.

Each entrant will start with a 20,000 deep stack and all opening flights will feature 30-minute levels. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 9 at 10:30 pm and they are scheduled to play 14 full levels. Those with chips at that point will bag them and return on Sunday for Day 2.

Cards go in the air at 6 pm and we’ll see how many can make it through.

• $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Day 1 levels last 30 minutes; Day 2 levels last 40 minutes
• Late registration available until start of Level 9
• Day 1 will end after Level 14 or Tournament Director discretion
• Event 1 Structure Sheet

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 12: 800/1,600 with a 200 ante
Flight A Players Remaining: 144 of 395

Players are back in their seats after the final break of the day with 144 still around with a chance to bag up this evening. They will grind through three more levels before Flight A comes to an end.

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 11: 600/1,200 with a 200 ante
Flight A Players Remaining: 153 of 395

The field is thining late in Flight A with a few big stacks moving to the front. Pro Jon Borenstein is among the leaders in the room as he climbed over 100,000 to sit with 115,000 with three levels and change remaining in the day.

Borenstein has some big results, including a WPT500 title last summer in Las Vegas, but he’s still waiting for his first SHRP title. He has a few close calls including a seventh-place finish in the inaugural $2,650 Freeze-Out Big 4 SHRPO event and a third-place finish in Event 1 during last year’s Showdown series but he’s still waiting on that SHRP winner’s photo.

$300 Seniors Event (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 10: 500/1,000 with a 10 ante
Players Remaining: 63 of 177

Registration closed on the Seniors Event after their second break and they returned to play for some nice money. The tournament drew 177 entries, besting the 160 from this tournament last year, and they created a prize pool worth $45,135.

The last 23 players will take home some money with a min-cash banking $428 while the winner will earn $11,693 plus the Showdown trophy and custom-framed winner’s photo courtesy of IMPDI.

2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
$300 Seniors Event (Re-Entry)
Entries: 177
Prize Pool: $45,135
April 5, 2018

1st: $11,693
2nd: $7,842
3rd: $4,626
4th: $2,814
5th: $2,173
6th: $1,801
7th: $1,535
8th: $1,350
9th: $1,169
10th – 12th: $993
13th – 15th: $835
16th – 18th: $700
19th – 21st: $564
22nd – 23rd: $428

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 ante
Flight A Entries: 395

Players returned to their seats after the second break and registration closed on the opening flight of the $1 Million Guarantee Event 1. It drew 395 entries for a big start to the tournament and series and puts it in good shape to hit a seven-digit prize pool.

Matt Stout was one of the later entries today but he wasted no time running up his stack. The poker pro began with a 20,000 starting stack but now sits with 80,000 with six more levels remaining in the day.

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 8: 300/600 with a 75 ante
Flight A Entries: 380

The Event Center is filling up but time is running out to get into the first flight. Players are preparing for their second break of the day and registration will close when they return.

There are 380 entries in so far, well above the pace needed to hit the $1 Million Guarantee, and this will be one of the smaller of the six flights.

A good start to the series.

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 7: 250/500 with a 50 ante
Flight A Entries: 354

Nancy Birnbaum was looking to get her stack back in contention when she three-bet shoved from the cutoff for 8,625. She picked up a call and it was a race.

Birnbaum:
Opponent:

The three-time WSOP Circuit champ was ahead and flopped a set, but her opponent was better on the board. Her set was behind the flopped straight and she couldn’t build a boat on the turn or river. She was left with crumbs and went out on the next hand.

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6: 200/400 with a 50 ante
Flight A Entries: 330

With the board reading , Jason Young and another player were facing a bet of 2,000. Young thought for a moment and called before the other opponent released.

It was checked to Young after the river and he bet 18,300. After a few minutes to think it through, his opponent called and Young turned over for the rivered nut flush.

The hand pushed the WSOP bracelet up to 48,000 for a good start to his day.

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5: 150/300 with a 50 ante
Flight A Entries: 318

The Flight A field continues to grow at a steady pace with more than 300 in the so far and plenty of time to join in the fun. We have a lot of talented players already in the opening event including Sam Panzica making his return.

Panzica has an impressive list of accomplishments along with his nearly $4 million in career earnings. He holds four WSOP Circuit rings and two World Poker Tour titles, the latest coming a year ago in the WPT Bay101 Shooting Stars event. Panzica has seven cashes over $100,000 including $109,000 for his third-place finish in this event during the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown.