2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 4
$400 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Entries:  108
Prize Pool:  $36,180
March 26, 2022

Event 4 of the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown was a $400 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry). A field of 108 entries generated a prize pool of $36,180. Outlasting the field was John Binns, earning $10,720 for his first-place showing, as well his third SHRP trophy.

His first came in a $300 Omaha 8 event at the 2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open for $6,605, and his second came in this very event – the $400 PLO8 tournament – at the 2021 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open for $9,000. As for this victory, Binns didn’t take the credit for it.

“God,” said a thankful Binns following the win. “There is no other explanation for the way I ran. He is good to me.”

For Binns, the victory puts him past the $130,000 mark in live career tournament winnings according to the Hendon Mob poker database.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 15:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Flight F Players Remaining:  110 of 748

Adam Darkazalli raised from middle position to 8,000, the next player to act moved all in for 40,000, and Darkazalli called with .

His opponent turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Darkazalli won the pot with his pocket fives to eliminate his opponent from the tournament.

Adam Darkazalli  –  490,000  (123 bb)

With about 110 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 136,000 (34 big blinds). This field is playing down to the final 75 players, and everyone who bags chips will finish in the money and advance to Day 2.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 15:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Flight F Players Remaining:  120 of 748

A scan of the field during the break turned up three players with at least 350K in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Adam Darkazalli  –  441,000  (110 bb)
2.  Amnon Filippi  –  383,000  (96 bb)
3.  Fernando Rodriguez  –  379,000  (95 bb)

With about 120 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 125,000 (31 big blinds). This field is playing down to the final 75 players, and everyone who bags chips will finish in the money and advance to Day 2.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 14:  1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Flight F Players Remaining:  135 of 748

Alex Anton limped from the hijack for 3,000, Toan Pham limped from the button, and the player in the small blind moved all in for about 31,500.

Anton moved all in over the top for 62,000, and Pham tanked for a while before he folded.

The small blind turned over , but he was dominated by Anton’s .

The board came , and Anton won the pot with two pair, kings and fours, with his ace kicker, to eliminate his opponent from the tournament.

Alex Anton  –  102,500  (34 bb)

With about 135 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 111,000 (37 big blinds). This field is playing down to the final 75 players, and everyone who bags chips will finish in the money and advance to Day 2.

$400 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  20,000/40,000
Players Remaining:  1 of 108

David Shmuel limped on the button and John Binns checked his option in the big blind.

The flop was and Binns check-called 75,000 from Shmuel.

The turn was the , Binns checked, Shmuel bet his remaining 150,000-ish and Binns called with for queens and nines, leading Shmuel’s for a pair of queens.

The river was the , safe for Binns to take down Event 4 outright for $10,720.

David Shmuel finished runner-up for $6,695.

A recap of the event will be posted later tonight.

$400 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/30,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 108

Dave Howard raised to 85,000 from the button, John Binns called from the small blind and David Shmuel called from the big blind.

The flop was and action checked to Howard who continued for the pot of 255,000. Binns check-raised the pot, Shmuel folded and Howard called all in for about 300,000 total.

Howard: 
Binns: 

Binns was ahead with a set of jacks and held up through the turn and river to eliminate Howard in third place.

John Binns  –  1,150,000  (38 bb)
David Shmuel  –  145,000  (5 bb)
Dave Howard  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($4,015)

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 12:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Flight F Players Remaining:  180 of 748

A scan of the field during the break turned up four players with at least 200K in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Ira Goldberg  –  229,000  (115 bb)
2.  Nabetse De Armas  –  221,000  (111 bb)
3.  Fernando Rodriguez  –  218,000  (109 bb)
4.  Toan Pham  –  215,500  (108 bb)

With about 180 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 83,000 (42 big blinds). This field is playing down to the final 75 players, and everyone who bags chips will finish in the money and advance to Day 2.

$400 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/30,000
Players Remaining:  3 of 108

Following a flop of , a series of bets and raises led to John Binns all in from the big blind for 340,000 against David Shmuel on the button.

Shmuel: 
Binns: 

Binns had bottom two pair and a rough low draw, while Shmuel had top pair, a straight draw,  and the nut low draw.

“Big cards!” yelled Binns.

The turn and river completed the board, safe for Binns to double up with his bottom two pair.

John Binns  –  845,000  (28 bb)
David Shmuel  –  240,000  (8 bb)

$400 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/25,000
Players Remaining:  3 of 108

Chris Labrie pot-raised from the small blind to 75,000, Dave Howard reraised from the big blind, and Labrie called all in for 120,000.

Dave Howard:  
Chris Labrie:  

The board came , and Howard scooped the pot with two pair for a high (aces and threes) and a 7-4 low. Labrie was eliminated in fourth place.

Dave Howard  –  610,000  (24 bb)
Chris Labrie  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($2,625)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 432,000 (17 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $4,015 each.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10:  600/1,200 with a 1,200 ante
Flight F Players Remaining:  280 of 748

James Calderaro teases some of us in the media (one of us?) for being bad luck, and as soon as we noted that he had a big chip lead at the last break, Calderaro said he was cursed to lose.

We just checked back in on Calderaro, and sure enough, he had lost some of his stack, but he was still in excellent shape. And, defying the media curse, Calderaro chose to enter a pot under the gun with a reporter watching.

Calderaro raised under the gun to 3,000, and the player in the small blind called.

The flop came , the small blind checked, Calderaro bet 5,000, and the small blind quickly called.

The turn card was the , the small blind checked, Calderaro bet 6,000, and the small blind quickly called.

The river card was the , the small blind checked, Calderaro bet 10,000, and the small blind quickly called.

Calderaro showed to win the pot with a seven-high straight, and the small blind mucked.

As he pulled in the pot, Calderaro said, “Hey, I won a pot with you watching!”

James Calderaro  –  195,000  (163 bb)

With about 280 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 53,400 (45 big blinds). This field is playing down to the final 75 players, and everyone who bags chips will finish in the money and advance to Day 2.