Event 11: Alex Haber Plants a Jamaican Flag in Hollywood

2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood
Event #11
$360 No-Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Total Entries: 305
Total Prizepool: $61,000

Alex Haber
Alex Haber

Alex Haber is the champion of Event 11 at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Haber bested a field of 305 entries in the $360 Black Chip Bounty, winning the trophy and the top prize of $10,936 in a three-way deal.

The champ is a 49-year-old part-time player from Kingston, Jamaica.  By day, he sells car parts and kitchen fittings. By night, he’s a poker player, and he’s amassed a few significant results in his short tournament career. Haber cashed in the WSOP Main Event this past summer, and he came close to winning an LAPT Main Event title two years ago. His total career tournament earnings are nearing $200,000 after this result.

This one-day event began Sunday at noon, and it looked for a while that it might not play out. By the time the clock struck 5:00 a.m., there were still three players battling furiously for the trophy. The idea of making a deal had come up a handful of times over the course of the final table, but the players had been unable to come to terms to that point.

Eventually, though, the fatigue began to set in, and the final three players were content to chop up the prize money and call it a night around 5:30. Haber had the chip lead, so each of his two opponents added $250 from their own shares of the otherwise-even chop.

“I got lucky,” Haber said in the moments after his win. Luck may have played a role, but Haber certainly showed his chops. This result was his fourth five-figure cash in the last three years.

Results
1st: Alex Haber – $10,936 + trophy
2nd: Faisal Siddiqui – $10,187
3rd: Gary Bolden – $10,187
4th: Brian Sodre – $4,575
5th: Jarrett Vaughn – $3,599
6th: Efrain Lopez – $2,959
7th: Domenico Albano – $2,379
8th: Vincent Fiorenza – $1,800
9th: Ari Dinov – $1,220
10th: Zoltan Czinkota – $793
11th: Chia-Hui Huang – $793
12th: Luis Dos Santos Gomez – $793
13th: Jamie Avila – $656
14th: Mansoor Kader – $656
15th: Robert Williams – $656
16th: Nancy Burgess – $522
17th: Schneur Borentsein – $522
18th: Brent Wajcman – $522
19th: Jackie Lee – $427
20th: Gary Khutorsky – $427
21st: Rodger Smith – $427
22nd: Michael Merister – $427
23rd: Robert Engle – $427
24th: Arthur Rodriguez – $427
25th: Joseph Villatico – $427
26th: Ethiel Garcia – $427
27th: Richard Whitebrook – $427
28th: Hyndi Khomutetsky – $378
29th: Kyle Harry – $378
30th: David Brown – $378
31st: Vincent Spadavecchia – $378
32nd: Philip Rigby – $378
33rd: Raymond Keigley – $378
34th: James Sutherland – $378
35th: Eric White – $378
36th: Joseph Allison – $378

Event 11: Alexander Haber Wins in Three-Way Deal ($10,936)

$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Level 30: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 305

Alex Haber
Alex Haber

The final three players were unable to settle the score, and they eventually decided to chop up the remaining prize money and call it a night. Alexander Haber had the chip lead, so the other two players each added $250 to his share, bringing his top prize to $10,936 and the trophy.

1st: Alexander Haber – $10,936
2nd: Faisal Siddiqui – $10,187
3rd: Gary Bolden – $10,187

A recap of Haber’s victory will be published later today. In the meantime, please kick the link below for a look at the final tournament results.

Download Final Results (PDF)

Event 11: Brian Sodre Eliminated in 4th Place ($5,575)

$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Level 29: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 305

Brian Sodre (Miami, FL)
Brian Sodre (Miami, FL)

In a battle of the blinds, Brian Sodre got his short stack all in against Alexander Haber with a dominating hand.

Sodre: QhTc
Haber: Qd9h

The board ran out KdJs5d6sTs, and Haber rivered a king-high straight to win the pot. Sodre was eliminated in fourth place.

Alexander Haber – 2,000,000 (33 bb)
Brian Sodre – Eliminated

Event 11: Jarrett Vaughn Eliminated in 5th Place ($3,599)

$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Level 28: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 305

Jarrett Vaughn (Miami, FL)
Jarrett Vaughn (Miami, FL)

Alexander Haber opened the button to 100,000, and Jarrett Vaughn three-bet shoved for 315,000 in the big blind. Haber called to put Vaughn at risk, flipping for the knockout.

Haber: QdJh
Vaughn: TdTh

The board ran out 9h8h7s3cQh, and Haber rivered a pair of queens to win the pot. Vaughn was eliminated in fifth place.

Alexander Haber – 1,450,000 (29 bb)
Jarrett Vaughn – Eliminated

Event 11: Efrain Lopez Eliminated in 6th Place ($2,959)

$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Level 28: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 305

Efrain Lopez (Miami, FL)
Efrain Lopez (Miami, FL)

Efrain Lopez moved all in for 325,000 under the gun, and Brian Sodre three-bet shoved from the button. The blinds folded, and Lopez was at risk as the cards were turned up.

Lopez: AcQd
Sodre: KcKd

The board ran out 8h7h2s8s4h, and Sodre won the pot with kings up. Lopez was eliminated in sixth place.

Brian Sodre – 1,300,000 (26 bb)
Efrain Lopez – Eliminated

Event 11: Gary Bolden Doubles Through Faisal Siddiqui

$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 305

Gary Bolden opened the button to 105,000, and Faisal Siddiqui defended his big blind.

The flop was 6h4s2h. Siddiqui led out for 80,000, Bolden moved all in for 400,000 total, and Siddiqui called to put his opponent at risk.

Bolden: 9s9d (pair of nines)
Siddiqui: Ac6c (pair of sixes)

The 8s turn and 8c river completed the board, and Bolden doubled up with nines up.

Gary Bolden – 1,055,000 (35 bb)
Faisal Siddiqui – 310,000 (10 bb)

Event 11: Domenico Albano Eliminated in 7th Place ($2,379)

$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Level 25: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 305

Domenico Albano (Miami, FL)
Domenico Albano (Miami, FL)

On a Qh7d6d flop, Domenico Albano (early position) moved all in for just less than 200,000, and Alexander Haber called from the big blind to put him at risk.

Albano: AsAh
Haber: 4d5s

Haber was on the draw, and he promptly filled it as the turn brought the 8c. Albano was drawing dead to the Kh river, and he was eliminated in seventh place.

Alexander Haber – 950,000 (32 bb)
Domenico Albano – Eliminated

Event 11: Vincent Fiorenza Eliminated in 8th Place ($1,800)

$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Level 24: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 305

Vincent Fiorenza (Oviedo, FL)
Vincent Fiorenza (Oviedo, FL)

Gary Bolden opened with an early-position raise, and Vincent Fiorenza three-bet to 136,000 in position. Bolden four-bet shoved for 360,000 total, and Fiorenza called to put him at risk.

Bolden: AcAd
Fiorenza: QcQh

The board ran out 7d6h5dAs8d, and Bolden doubled up with a set of aces. After paying off the debt, Fiorenza was left with barely 30,000 chips, and he was eliminated one hand later.

Gary Bolden – 774,000 (39 bb)
Vincent Fiorenza – Eliminated

Event 11: Zoltan Czinkota Eliminated in 10th Place ($793)

$360 No Limit Hold’em Black Chip Bounty
Level 24: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 305

Zoltan Czinkota
Zoltan Czinkota (Davie, FL)

Zoltan Czinkota and Efrain Lopez got it all in preflop for just less than 300,000 apiece, with Lopez having the slightly larger stack.

Czinkota: AxQx
Lopez: AdKd

The board ran out AcKc4c7s7c, and Lopez won the pot with aces up. Czinkota was eliminated in tenth place.

Efrain Lopez – 550,000
Zoltan Czinkota – Eliminated