2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood
Event #23
$2,650 No Limit Hold’em Freeze-Out 
Total Entries: 529
Total Prizepool: $1,282,825
August 14-16, 2016

Most 21-year-old college students spend their summers working minimum wage jobs to save up just enough money to go out and have fun during the school year.

Bradley Snider took a different approach to his summer vacation and will head back to Princeton University in the fall with more than just some spare change. On Tuesday evening, in what was his first-ever recorded tournament cash, Snider bested a field of 529 in a $2,650 freeze-out tournament to earn his first-ever tournament score and $246,400.

Snider grew up playing poker for fun with his family before heading to Princeton and beginning to take the game more seriously. According to Snider, December of his freshman year was when he really started dedicating some time to the game.

“Me and my brother started watching poker on Twitch,” said Snider. “And that’s what really got us into it. I wanted to play more and learn the game and study.”

Snider’s busy schedule as a math major in an Ivy League school doesn’t allow him much spare time to travel and play live poker tournaments. Most of his time with poker has been spent studying and learning the game. But in his limited experience, he hasn’t had the best results before his win at the Seminole Hard Rock.

“I’ve been running pretty bad at them up until now,” said the 21-year-old Fort Lauderdale native. “So it feels good to kind of get rewarded.”

Snider’s hard work and study got him the chip lead heading into Tuesday’s final table. He had a massive chip lead, but was the youngest player at the table and was facing some seasoned competition. All while being under the bright lights of The Big 4 and a televised final table.

None of those thing shook Snider’s mindset. He was able to keep his nerves about him even with all of the other action going on around him.

“I think I sort of just felt like I was freerolling,” said Snider. “It was already such an amazing run to be in this spot and to come in as the chip leader. So I didn’t really feel much pressure.

“There were times when we were three-handed when I was put to some really tough decisions. But other than that, I was able to stay calm and not really let the pressure of playing in The Big 4 get to me.”

Snider’s calm demeanor allowed him to outlast a final table that featured two-time WSOP bracelet winner Dan Heimiller, 2016 November Niner Jerry Wong, Koray Aldemir, and well-known online grinder Nicholas Immekus.

He defeated Irish pro Dermot Blain to take home the title, his first cash, and an extra $246,600 to his name.

“It was a really great experience,” said Snider of The Big 4. “I think it’s a really cool thing about tournament poker. Everything sort of builds up to a final table and here, it builds up to something bigger.”

Most 21-year-olds that earn a score this size begin to look at poker as more of a career path and put their education on the back burner. Snider plans to keep poker as a recreational activity and has no plans on skipping out on his education.

“I think poker will continue to just be a serious hobby for me,” he said. “I really enjoy playing casually and thinking about the game. And this will let me play a lot more poker in the future.”

Here is a look at the final table results:

1st: Bradley Snider – $246,400
2nd: Dermot Blain – $147,800
3rd: Nicholas Immekus – $88,400
4th: Koray Aldemir – $73,900
5th: Jeffrey Chang – $61,600
6th: Alex Wilson – $49,300
7th: Dan Heimiller – $37,000
8th: James Gilbert – $30,800
9th: Jerry Wong – $25,575

Download Final Results (PDF)

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 27: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 105

Dan Colman opened the button to 325,000, and Marvin Rettenmaier defended his big blind.

The flop was . Rettenmaier checked, Colman continued for 325,000, and Rettenmaier called. The turn was the . Rettenmaier checked, Colman bet 850,000, and Rettenmaier folded. Colman won the pot, taking the chip lead in the process.

Dan Colman – 5,425,000 (36 bb)
Marvin Rettenmaier – 5,055,000 (34 bb)

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 27: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 105

Marvin Rettenmaier moved all in from the button, and Dan Colman called all in for 1,775,000, putting himself at risk.

Rettenmaier:
Colman:

The board ran out , and Colman doubled up with a pair of jacks.

Dan Colman – 3,600,000 (24 bb)
Marvin Rettenmaier – 6,880,000 (46 bb)

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 27: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 105

Marvin Rettenmaier opened the button to 325,000, and Dan Colman defended his big blind.

The flop was . Colman checked, Rettenmaier continued for 250,000, and Colman called. Both players checked through the turn and the river. At showdown, Rettenmaier tabled , winning the pot with two pair.

Marvin Rettenmaier – 8,380,000 (56 bb)
Dan Colman – 2,100,000 (14 bb)

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 27: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 105

Marvin Rettenmaier opened the button to 325,000, and Dan Colman defended his big blind.

Both players checked through the turn of the board. On the river, Rettenmaier bet 225,000, and Colman called.

Rettenmaier showed , winning the pot with two pair.

Marvin Rettenmaier – 8,130,000 (54 bb)
Dan Colman – 2,350,000 (16 bb)

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 27: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 105

Marvin Rettenmaier – 6,680,000 (45 bb)
Dan Colman – 3,800,000 (25 bb)

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 32: 200,000/400,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 847

Hand #154  –  Jason Koon raised to 900,000, Seth Davies moved all in, and Koon called with . Davies turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Koon paired his ace on the flop and his eight on the river to win the pot — and the SHRPO title — with two pair, aces and eights.

Seth Davies finished as the runner-up, earning $575,00.

Jason Koon wins the SHRPO $5 Million Guaranteed Championship, earning $1,000,000, and a SHRPO trophy. Congratulations to Jason Koon!

1st:  Jason Koon  –  $1,000,000
2nd:  Seth Davies  –  $575,000
3rd:  Tim Burt  –  $310,000
4th:  Roman Valerstein  –  $220,000
5th:  Tom Midena  –  $180,000
6th:  Joe Serock  –  $150,000
7th:  Paul Balzano  –  $125,000
8th:  Ryan Fair  –  $100,000
9th:  Zo Karim  –  $75,000

$25,500 High Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 26: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 105

Dan Colman open/shoved his button for 1,170,000 and Marvin Rettemaier called.

Colman:
Rettenmaier:

Colman was ahead for the double and stayed that was as the dealer spread .

Marvin Rettenmaier – 8,120,000 (68 bb)
Dan Colman – 2,380,000 (20 bb)

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 32: 200,000/400,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 847

Hand #151  –  Seth Davies folded, giving Jason Koon a walk.

Hand #152  –  Jason Koon folded, giving Seth Davies a walk.

Hand #153  –  Seth Davies limped for 400,000, and Jason Koon checked his option. The flop came , Koon checked, Davies bet 900,000, and Koon check-raised all in.

Davies called all in for 3,300,000 with for a pair of sixes. Koon turned over for a pair of sixes with an open-ended streaight draw. Davies needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Davies won the pot with his pair of sixes and ten kicker.

Seat 1.  Seth Davies  –  7,500,000
Seat 5.  Jason Koon  –  17,900,000

SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship
Level 32: 200,000/400,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 847

Hand #144  –  Jason Koon limped for 400,000, Seth Davies raised to 1,400,000, and Koon folded. Davies took the pot.

Hand #145  –  Seth Davies limped for 400,000, and Jason Koon checked his option. Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Koon checked, Davies bet 400,000, and Koon folded. Davies took the pot.

Hand #146  –  Jason Koon raised to 900,000, and Seth Davies called. Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Davies checked, Koon bet 1,500,000, and Davies folded. Koon took the pot.

Hand #147  –  Seth Davies raised to 1,000,000, and Jason Koon called. The flop came , Koon checked, Davies bet 400,000, and Koon called. The turn card was the , and both players checked.

The river card was the , and they check again. Koon showed to win the pot.

Hand #148  –  Jason Koon limped for 400,000, Seth Davies raised to 1,400,000, and Koon folded. Davies took the pot.

Hand #149  –  Seth Davies folded, giving Jason Koon a walk.

Hand #150  –  Jason Koon raised to 900,000, and Seth Davies called. The flop came , Davies checked, Koon bet 700,000, and Davies called. The turn card was the , Davies checked, Koon bet 1,400,000, and Davies folded. Koon took the pot.

Seat 1.  Seth Davies  –  3,750,000
Seat 5.  Jason Koon  –  21,650,000