2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino 
Hollywood, Fla.
$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Entries: 139
Prizepool: $90,000
March 26-27, 2017

Josias Santos is the newest winner at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, topping a field of 139 entries in the $1,650 Purple Chip Bounty to win the trophy and the top prize of $31,656 in a heads-up deal. Santos also earned a seat into the limited freeroll for the winners of the series’ first 14 events, where he’ll have a chance to snag either a $10,000 or $3,500 seat into one of the WPT events on the upcoming schedule.

Santos is a 53-year-old semi-professional poker player from Brazil, his previous career involving the management of soccer players in his home country. He now makes his home in Tampa, where he runs a transportation company as his new primary source of income. That may soon be changing, though.

Three years ago, Santos found poker for the first time, and it’s been a happy partnership, so far. After two years of studying and practice, Santos felt prepared to take the next steps. “I decided to play more this year,” he said. “And I choose tournaments with structures that fit my play.”

The Purple Chip Bounty met his requirements, and he stormed his way into Day 2 of the event with one of the biggest stacks of the 12 remaining players. By the time the field shrunk to nine, he was third in chips and breathing down the necks of chip leaders Jordan Meltzer and Phong Nguyen.

Those three were eventually the last three players left at the table, and Santos won the largest pot of the day against Nguyen to take a huge lead and leave the former chip leader with just two big blinds. Meltzer eliminated Nguyen one hand later, entering the heads-up duel with a significant chip disadvantage.

“I stared heads-up with two thirds of the chips,” Santos said in his postgame interviews. He actually had closer to three quarters of the chips, but that lead was short-lived. “I lost some hands so I had to slow down a little bit and wait for better spots,” he said of the encounter with Meltzer. “He’s a very tough player. Very good player.”

Meltzer put up a mighty fight, even taking the chip lead at one point in the duel before the stacks returned to even. Locked in a stalemate, the two finalists stepped away from the table to talk numbers, and they quickly agreed to an equal chop, with Santos’ big stack earning him the extra $1, the trophy, and the freeroll seat.

The champ has only been playing poker for three years, but he’s already racked up more than $300,000 in tournament earnings as a part-time player. A big chunk of that has come early in 2017, a year in which he’s decided to dedicate more time to the game.

So far, the decision has been a profitable one. This result is his third big five-figure score over the span of the last two months. Santos outlasted a huge field of 1,883 entries to win a $340 event at Parx, earning nearly $70,000 for that victory alone. A month later, he finished fourth of 482 entries in a $1,500 event here in Florida, and he’s just added more than $30,000 for this win at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

If his heater continues like this, Santos will most certainly be someone worth watching when the big-buy-in events arrive on the calendar later this week.

Final Table Results:

1st: Josias Santos – $31,656*
2nd: Jordan Meltzer – $31,655*
3rd: Phong Nguyen – $14,526
4th: Marc Schiller – $8,757
5th: Hyon Kim – $6,811
6th: Christian Harder – $5,699
7th: TK Miles – $4,935
8th: Jack Duong – $4,385
9th: Victor Merkel – $3,885

*Denotes heads-up deal

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Level 23: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139

After a few minutes of discussion, Josias Santos and Jordan Meltzer have reached a deal for an even chop.

Here were the chip counts at the time of the deal and the ensuing payouts:

Josias Santos – 875,000 – $31,656
Jordan Meltzer – 793,000 – $31,655

As the chip leader, Santos officially gets the victory. A recap of the event will be posted shortly.

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Level 23: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139

Following a flop of , Jordan Meltzer checked from the big blind and Josias Santos bet 25,000 from the button. Meltzer check-raised to 100,000 and Santos called.

The turn was the and Meltzer bet 100,000. Santos called.

The river was the and both players checked.

Meltzer showed , while Santos tabled for a pair of queens to win the pot.

Josias Santos – 988,000 (82 bb)
Jordan Meltzer – 680,000 (56 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Level 23: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139

Jordan Metzler raised to 25,000 from the button and Josias Santos called from the big blind.

They checked to the turn of   board where Santos bet 33,000. Meltzer called.

The river was the and Santos checked to Meltzer who bet 150,000. Santos called.

Meltzer tabled for a king-high straight, Santos mucked, and Meltzer won the pot.

Jordan Meltzer – 990,000 (82 bb)
Josias Santos – 678,000 (56 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Level 23: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139

Josias Santos opened the button to 30,000, and Jordan Meltzer defended his big blind.

The flop was . Meltzer checked, Santos continued for 15,000, and Meltzer called. That action repeated after the turn, with Meltzer check-calling another 30,000. The river was the . Meltzer checked for a third time, then called a final bet of 80,000 from Santos.

Santos showed for two pair, but Meltzer’s was good for trip kings and the pot. With that pot comes the chip lead, as Meltzer has moved in front for the first time in this match.

Jordan Meltzer – 988,000 (82 bb)
Josias Santos – 680,000 (57 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Level 23: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139

Josias Santos opened the button to 30,000, and Jordan Meltzer defended his big blind.

The flop was . Meltzer checked, Santos continued for 35,000, and Meltzer called. The turn was the , and Meltzer check-called another 55,000. Both players checked through the river.

Meltzer showed , winning the pot with a pair of queens.

Jordan Meltzer – 719,000 (60 bb)
Josias Santos – 949,000 (79 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Upcoming Level 23: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139

The players are in the midst of a 10-minute break,

Josias Santos – 1,099,000 (91 bb)
Jordan Meltzer – 569,000 (47 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Level 22: 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139

Josias Santos opened the button to 25,000, and Jordan Meltzer defended his big blind.

The flop was . Meltzer checked, Santos continued for 50,000, and Meltzer called. Both players checked through the turn, and the river was the . Meltzer led out for 114,000, and Santos called.

Meltzer showed , winning the pot with a king-high flush.

Jordan Meltzer – 727,000 (73 bb)
Josias Santos – 941,000 (94 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Level 22: 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 139

Phong Nguyen moved all in for 22,000 in the small blind, and Jordan Meltzer called to put him at risk from the big blind.

Nguyen:
Meltzer:

The board ran out , and Meltzer won the pot and the bounty with a pair of tens. Nguyen was eliminated in third place.

Meltzer and Josias Santos are now heads-up for the trophy in Event 12, and Santos begins the duel with about a 3:1 chip lead.

Josias Santos – 1,253,000 (125 bb)
Jordan Meltzer – 415,000 (42 bb)
Phong Nguyen – Eliminated in 3rd place ($14,526)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Single Re-Entry)
Level 22: 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 139

Jordan Meltzer opened the button with a raise, and both Josias Santos and Phong Nguyen called from the small and big blind, respectively.

The flop was , and it checked to Meltzer, who continued for 11,000. Santos called, but Nguyen check-raised to 57,000. Meltzer folded out of the way, but Santos called.

Heads-up now, the turn was the , and Santos led out for 80,000. Nguyen raised to 201,000, and Santos called the remainder to see the last card. It was the , and Santos promptly moved all in for 332,000.

“Count?” Nguyen asked. Before the dealer could finish the task, though, Nguyen made up his mind. “I can’t fold this,” he said as he called put Santos at risk.

Santos showed for a flush, and it was good. Nguyen flashed his inferior , having flopped a straight, and the dealer reached in to withdraw the vast majority of his stack. “Can’t fold with a blocker,” Nguyen lamented.

Santos doubled up, leaving Nguyen with just a couple big blinds.

Josias Santos – 1,254,000 (125 bb)
Phong Nugyen – 23,000 (2 bb)