Event 13: Vimy Ha Wins Bounty Title in Heads-Up Chop

2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood
Event #13
$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Total Entries: 240
Prizepool: $72,000 + $48,000 in Bounties

Vimy Ha Wins $570 No Limit Hold'em Double Black Chip Bounty
Vimy Ha Wins $570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty

Vimy Ha earned his first tournament win in a few years in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Ha took the win in a heads-up chop with Pasquale Caiazza in the $570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty event.

Ha and Pasquale each took home $16,020, but Ha takes credit for the win since he had more chips at the time of the chop.

“It feels good,” said Ha after his win. “I’ve been needing one. I haven’t had a first place win since 2013. I had a couple final tables this year, but haven’t been able to seal the deal until this one.”

Ha lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two kids. He works as a retail software consultant and his busy personal life keeps him from playing poker full time.

“I am in between work right now,” said Ha. “So I can play a little bit more and I came down to Florida to play. It’s my first time at the Hard Rock and I love it.”

This is Ha’s second cash of the series, both of which came in bounty formats. He earned a 17th place finish on Monday in the $1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty.

“I love the bounty format,” he said. “I actually seem to run well in them for some reason. It’s a great dynamic. I wish all tournaments had bounties.”

Ha came into the final table as the chip leader and had already amassed a sizable amount of bounties. He didn’t keep a running tally throughout the event, but it was “between six and 10.”

When the final table began, the table agreed to take back their bounties and keep the $200 for themselves. That agreement allowed Ha to just focus on the task at hand, winning the tournament.

“It kind of really takes back the dynamic,” said the native Texan. “I was the big stack at that point and I didn’t necessarily know if it was to the short stack’s only advantage because it got me to kind of just focus on the tournament and not the bounties anymore, so that was good.”

Ha started with the chip lead and really took the reigns of the final table when he busted defending champion Ido Ashkenazi in fifth place.

They were the two biggest stacks at the table and they both flopped two pair. Ha’s two pair was bigger when all the money went in on the flop to send Ashkenazi home. Ha had almost two-thirds of the chips in play and never looked back.

When Cornel Cimpan was eliminated in third place, Caiazza and Ha, took a few minutes to agree upon a chop and Ha earned his first title in a few years.

Here is a look at the final table results:

1st: Vimy Ha – $16,020
2nd: Pasquale Caiazza – $16,020
3rd: Cornel Cimpan – $6,840
4th: Johanssy Joseph – $5,544
5th: Ido Ashkenazi – $4,320
6th: Jon Brody – $3,600
7th: Dalton Mills – $2,650
8th: Stephen Esposito – $2,150
9th: Jim Rothlein – $1,440

Event 13 Final Results

Event 13: Vimy Ha Wins in Heads-Up Chop ($16,020), Pasquale Caiazza Finishes 2nd ($16,020)

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 240

Vimy Ha
Vimy Ha

After the elimination of Cornel Cimpan in third place, Vimy Ha and Pasquale Caiazza took a few minutes before agreeing upon a chop. They split the remaining prize money down the middle for $16,020 each and since Ha held a slight chip lead, takes credit for the win and takes home the trophy.

Pasquale Caiazza
Pasquale Caiazza

A complete recap will be published later.

Event 13: Cornel Cimpan – 3rd Place ($6,840)

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 240
Average Stack: 1,440,000

Cornel Cimpan
Cornel Cimpan

Cornel Cimpan moved all in on the button for just shy of 300,000 and Vimy Ha called out of the small blind. Cimpan showed As2s and was in trouble against Ha’s Ah8h.

The board ran out JcTd6hKs3c and Ha eliminates the two-time WPT Champion in third place. Cimpan took home $6,840 for his finish and Ha is left heads-up with Pasquale Caiazza.

Vimy Ha – 1,650,000
Cornel Cimpan – Eliminated

Event 13: Vimy Ha Picks Off Cornel Cimpan

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 25: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 240
Average Stack: 960,000

On a flop of Kh8d4h, Cornel Cimpan checked from the small blind and Vimy Ha bet 100,000 from the big blind. Cimpan called and the turn was the 2d.

Both players checked and the river was the 9c. Cimpan bet 225,000 and Ha thought for a moment before calling.

“Good call,” said Cimpan.

Ha tabled KsTd and Cimpan mucked his hand.

Ha – 1,300,000
Cimpan – 294,000

Event 13: Cornel Cimpan Shoves on Pasquale Caiazza

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 25: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 240
Average Stack: 960,000

Cornel Cimpan raised on the button and Pasquale Caiazza defended his big blind.

The flop was Qc6c2h and Caiazza checked. Cimpan bet 85,000 and Caiazza called. The turn was the Ad and Caiazza checked again. Cimpan moved all in and Cimpan quickly folded.

Over the last few hands, Cimpan has shoved a few times without any showdowns and has doubled his stack without getting called.

Cornel Cimpan – 620,000
Pasquale Caiazza – 1,300,000

Event 13: Johanssy Joseph – 4th Place ($5,544)

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 24: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 240
Average Stack: 960,000

Johanssy Joseph
Johanssy Joseph

Pasquale Caiazza raised to 65,000 on the button and Johanssy Joseph moved all in for 250,000 out of the small blind. Caiazza tanked for a minute and got a count from the dealer before calling.

Caiazza tabled Ac8s and was behind Joseph’s QhQd.

The board ran out Jh5c4c3c2s and Caiazza goes runner-runner to make a wheel and eliminate Joseph in fourth.

Pasquale Caiazza – 730,000
Johanssy Joseph – Elimianted

Event 13: Ido Ashkenazi – 5th Place ($4,320)

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 24: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 240
Average Stack: 720,000

Ido Ashkenazi
Ido Ashkenazi

Ido Ashkenazi raised to 44,000 from the cutoff and Vimy Ha three-bet to 125,000 out of the big blind. Ashkenazi called and they saw a flop of Ad9s6c.

Ha bet 125,000 and Ashkenazi moved all in for about 685,000. Ha quickly called and the cards were tabled. It was the biggest pot of the tournament thus far with Ha showing Ah9h against Ashkenazi’s 9d6d.

Ha had the bigger two pair and needed to dodge a six to eliminate Ashkenazi.

The turn was the Qh and the river was the 5s to send Ashkenazi home in fifth place and give Ha almost two-thirds of the chips in play with four players remaining.

Vimy Ha – 1,700,000
Ido Ashkenazi – Eliminated

Event 13: Vimy Ha Takes a Chunk out of Ido Ashkenazi

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 23: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 240
Average Stack: 576,000

There was about 260,000 in the middle on the river with the board reading Kc4s2h7c6d. Vimy Ha bet 110,000 out of the big blind and Ido Ashkenazi went into the tank from the cutoff.

“I guess you got lucky somehow on the river,” said Ashkenazi.

After a couple minutes in the tank, Ashkenazi called and Ha tabled 6c4c, good for two pair.

“I knew it,” said Ashkenazi. “Nice hand.”

Vimy Ha – 930,000
Ido Ashkenazi – 790,000

Event 13: Jon Brody – 6th Place ($3,600)

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 23: 8,000/16,00 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 240
Average Stack: 576,000

Jon Brody
Jon Brody

On the turn with the board reading 6s5d3s3c, Jon Brody moved all in out of the small blind for about 130,000 and Ido Ashkenazi called from the cutoff.

Brody tabled 4d2c, giving him a six-high straight, but Ashkenazi tabled 7s4s, good for a seven-high straight and a flush draw.

Brody is drawing dead to a chop and the Jd came on the river to officially give the pot to Ashkenazi. Brody takes home $3,600 for his sixth place finish and Ashkenazi moved over the million chip mark.

Ido Ashkenazi – 1,050,000
Jon Brody – Eliminated

Event 13: Catching Up With Eliminations

$570 No Limit Hold’em Double Black Chip Bounty
Level 23: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 240
Average Stack: 480,000

Stephen Esposito Eliminated in 8th Place
Stephen Esposito Eliminated in 8th Place

The final table lost two more players while Josh Beckley and Andre Crooks were battling heads-up in the $1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty.

Stephen Esposito finished in eighth place for $2,160 and Dalton Mills hit the rail in seventh place for $2,650. There are now six players remaining and they are all guaranteed at least a cash of $3,600.

Dalton Mills Eliminated in 7th Place
Dalton Mills Eliminated in 7th Place