Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Championship: $5,300 Championship NLH
August 28 – September 3, 2014

Total Entries: 1,499
Total Prize Pool: $10,000,000

RECAP
The showcase event of the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open kicked off on August 28th and it took nearly a week to crown a champion. At the end, Dan Colman was the last player standing and he picked up $1,446,710 for winning the SHRPO Championship title.

The event feature three starting days and 1,499 entrants put up the $5,300 buy-in for a chance at the $10 million guaranteed prize pool. The tournament drew past WSOP bracelet winners, WPT Champions, high-stakes grinders, and many local players.

Seven WSOP Main Event winners took their shot at the title with Huck Seed, Carlos Mortensen, Scotty Nguyen, Jamie Gold, Joe Cada, Greg Merson, and reigning champ Ryan Riess all joining the field. 2013 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Champion Blair Hinkle made a great run at defending his title, he cashed in the Championship but was unable to finish on top.

The tournament paid out the top 300 players and they were all in the money early on Day 2 when Bao Nguyen knocked out Joe Weissman in 301st spot. The tournament picked up the pace at that point and only 62 players returned for Day 4.

Three more WSOP champions dropped out as they played down to the last two tables. Doug Polk, Jared Jaffee, and James Collopy each had a chance to add another title to their credit but each went out short of making the penultimate day.

Day 4 saw the last 18 players return to play down to the PokerStars.tv live-streamed final table in the Paradise Live Theater. It was a short day and it came to an end when Joe Kuether knocked out Blake Bohn in 7th place.

Dan Colman was the most accomplished player on the last day but he had to deal with poker pros Mike Leah and Joe Kuether, WPT Jacksonville champion Shawn Cunix, Martin Hanowski, and 2010 November Niner John Dolan.

Colman took the lead early in the day and only briefly gave it back to Leah when the tournament was three-handed. Dolan went out in surprising fashion when he called off all his chips with second pair against Colman’s rivered straight.

The heads up stacks were relatively equal between Colman and Leah when the match began but Colman quickly gained the advantage in a huge pot with a rivered full house. They were coming up on a short dinner break when Colman finally ended it when his outlasted Leah’s .

Leah picked up $1,047,638 for the runner-up finish while Colman continued his incredible year. The $1,446,710 first place prize he earned for the SHRPO Championship adds another big score to a year which already included four cashes over $1,000,000. But this was his seven-digit win in a tournament which was not a small field, high-roller event.

It was another great event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and it drew a talented field worthy of one of the biggest guaranteed poker tournaments created.

FINAL RESULTS
1. DANIEL COLMAN (HOLDEN, MA): $1,446,710
2. MICHAEL LEAH (LAS VEGAS, NV): $1,047,638
3. SHAWN CUNIX (DELAWARE, OH): $748,313
4. JOHN DOLAN (BONITA SPRINGS, FL): $548,763
5. JOSEPH KUETHER (LAS VEGAS, WI): $424,044
6. MARTIN HANOWSKI (FRANKFORT): $324,269
7. BLAKE BOHN (SAVAGE, MN): $249,438
8. BRIAN HAWKINS (FORT MYERS, FL): $199,550
9. ROMAN VALERSTEIN (NEWTOWN, PA): $149,663
10. LENNY DUVDIVANI (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $99,775
11. CURT KOHLBERG (WESTON, MA): $99,775
12. NATASHA BARBOUR (MONTREAL, QC): $99,775
13. RUSSELL THOMAS (WALLINGFORD, PA): $77,326
14. URI KADOSH (DAVIE, FL): $77,326
15. MATTHEW SEDGEMAN (HANSON, MA): $77,326
16. JACOB NAQUIN (DESTIN, FL): $59,865
17. FARHAN MADHANI (MIRAMAR, FL): $59,865
18. RONALD OSTROW (COCONUT CREEK, FL): $59,865
19. MICHAEL STEMBERA (LAS VEGAS, NV): $49,888
20. ROBERT PARK (LILBURN, GA): $49,888
21. JORDAN KAPLAN (STATEN ISLAND, NY): $49,888
22. TONY SINISHTAJ (BRONX, NY): $49,888
23. AMIR LEHAVOT (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $49,888
24. JARED JAFFEE (BROOKLYN, NY): $49,888
25. TYLER REIMAN (MORTON, IL): $49,888
26. EUGENE CURZIO (CLIFTON, VA): $49,888
27. SERGEY RYBACHENKO: $49,888
Continue reading SHRPO Championship Results →

Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Event 24: $200 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em
September 3, 2014

Entries: 344
Prizepool: $58,480

RECAP
The final trophy event of the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open carried a $50,000 guarantee on the prize pool.  They cleared that with ease as 344 players entered on the last day.

Some players were chasing points for the series leaderboard or the Player of the Year leaderboard.  Some were just chasing trophies.  That was Enos Smith’s reason for coming down from Palatka, FL.  This is his first win, but he finished 2nd in an HPT event at Daytona a couple of years ago.

After playing for about 12 hours, they reached the final table and all ten players agreed on a chop, with Smith getting the lion’s share as the chip leader.  Smith will take home the trophy and custom framed photo provided by IMPDI.

Placement based on chip counts:

1st Enos Smith
2nd Henri Azoulay
3rd Steve Marcozzi
4th Evgeniy Catane
5th Herbert Woodbery
6th Lance Foster
7th Scott Cowan
8th Rick Perez
9th Robert Tanner
10th Andrea Orphanos

There were 344 entrants in this event for a total prize pool of $58,480.  The final 27 earned a payday.  Among those cashing in this event was Wally Maddah, a tournament grinder chasing points on the leaderboard.  Another point chaser, Moe Maghraoui, was the bubble-boy, busting out in 28th place.

This was the final event of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open and the final series of the Player of the Year contest, so after the numbers are crunched, we will know if Angel Vu is the Seminole Hard Rock Player of the Year.

Until next time, may the cards fall your way.  Farewell from the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood!

FINAL RESULTS
1. JAMES SMITH III (EDGEWATER, FL): $5,860
2. HENRI AZOULAY (MIAMI BEACH, FL): $4,700
3. STEVEN MARCOZZI (NAPLES, FL): $4,700
4. EVGENIY CATANE (SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL): $4,700
5. HERBERT WOODBERY (WINTER GARDEN, FL): $4,700
6. LANCE FOSTER (CORYDON, IA): $4,700
7. SCOTT COWAN (DAVIE, FL): $4,700
8. ENRIQUE PEREZ (MIAMI, FL): $4,700
9. ROBERT TANNER (WELLINGTON, FL): $4,700
10. ANDREA ORPHANOS (COCOA BEACH, FL): $4,700
11. JORGE GOMEZ (PLANTATION, FL): $819
12. GUILLERMO MONTERO: $819
13. MATTHEW FRASER (HOPKINTON, MA): $702
14. WALID MADDAH (TAMPA, FL): $702
15. DANIEL GENACHTE (DEERFIELD BEACH, FL): $702
16. DAVID GELLEY (PALM BEACH GDNS, FL): $614
17. JAY JOHNSON (PHILADELPHIA, PA): $614
18. MARK BERNSTEIN (HOLLYWOOD, FL): $614
19. ROBERT WILLIAMS (MIAMI GARDENS, FL): $526
20. STEVEN BENNETT (DEERFIELD BEACH, FL): $526
21. LOUIS BERDELLANS (COOPER CITY, FL): $526
22. JEFFERY SHEPPARD (FT LAUDERDALE, FL): $526
23. MICHAEL CHIAPPETTA (BOCA RATON, FL): $526
24. JANN SABIN (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $526
25. MARK SHULLA (PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL): $526
26. FREDERICK ALLENSPACH (PLANTATION, FL): $526
27. BRIAN PHILLIS (HIGHLAND BEACH, FL): $526

MAIN EVENT SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Event 22: $150 No Limit Hold’em
September 3, 2014

Entries: 560
Prizepool:  $67,200

(Winner declined photo.)

RECAP
This working-man’s tournament features 5pm starts on both Day 1s and Day 2 today, but despite the shortened days, the final eight players decided six and a half hours was enough and chopped up the final eight spots.  David Owen, who declined both a winner’s photo and winner interview, was the chip leader and gets the trophy.

Here’s how the final 8 stacked up at the end:

1st – David Owen
2nd – Jorge Chavez
3rd – Ade Adeyemi
4th – Ory Hen
5th – David Glancy
6th – Bradley Young
7th – Deborah Mitchell
8th – Peter Bejusca

Over two starting days, this event drew 560 players for a total prize pool of $67,200.  David Glancy was the chip leader coming into Day 2 and ended up finishing in 5th place.  Deborah Mitchell, who finished 7th, was the last woman sitting.

Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year points leader Angel Vu cashed in this event, finishing 17th and adding to her point total.

With the end of this event, only one tournament remains in the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (Event 24) and it will be wrapping up shortly.

FINAL RESULTS
1. DAVID OWEN (CHICAGO, IL): $8,000
2. JORGE CHAVEZ (HOLLYWOOD, FL): $7,800
3. ADEWALE ADEYEMI (PEMBROKE PINES, FL): $7,500
4. ORY HEN (COOPER CITY, FL): $5,947
5. DAVID GLANCY (YULEE, FL): $5,747
6. BRADLEY YOUNG (NEW YORK, NY): $5,747
7. DEBORAH MITCHELL (SUMMERFIELD, FL): $5,146
8. PETER BEJUSCA (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $5,147
9. MATTHEW ZARCADOOLAS (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $1,142
10. CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ (BOYNTON BEACH, FL): $874
11. LISA LEVY (DELRAY BEACH, FL): $874
12. BRIAN RAIK (CORAL SPRINGS, FL): $874
13. DANIT DAYAN (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $706
14. DONALD MATHEWS (OXFORD, FL): $706
15. WALID MADDAH (TAMPA, FL): $706
16. PAULETTE PIPITONE (JUPITER, FL): $605
17. NGOC VU (SOUTH DAYTONA, FL): $605
18. HOLLANDER PREAP (JACKSONVILLE, FL): $605
19. PAUL SMERDON (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $504
20. JONATHAN SHAPIRO (BOCA RATON, FL): $504
21. OKTAY ALTINBAS (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $504
22. ARTHUR HOLMES (MIRAMAR, FL): $504
23. JEREMY GOUREAU (BAL HARBOUR, FL): $504
24. ROBERT CASTRO (MIAMI, FL): $504
25. GREGORY MARCUS (MIAMI, FL): $504
26. MARK ROBINSON (MIAMI, FL): $504
27. PAUL GREGORY (COCONUT CREEK, FL): $504
28. MOHAMED MAGHRAOUI (BRANDON, FL): $437
29. BARRY CHAZEN (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $437
30. PAUL PRAGER (DAVIE, FL): $437
31. JASON ABITBOL (BOCA RATON, FL): $437
32. JACK SEARCY (DELRAY BEACH, FL): $437
33. ONEAL DOWARD (MIRAMAR, FL): $437
34. KENNETH BERMAN (HALLANDALE, FL): $437
35. SHEIKH AKHTER (MIAMI, FL): $437
36. CHARLES BENJAMIN (MIAMI GARDENS, FL): $437

MAIN EVENT SCHEDULE AND RESULTS