2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Hollywood, FL
$25,500 High Roller
$2 Million Guaranteed
Entries: 117
Prizepool: $2,925,000
August 14-15, 2017

Late Monday evening, John Andress was on the direct money bubble in the $25,500 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open High Roller, with 17 players remaining and not even half a big blind in his stack.

Less than 24 hours later, he was sitting alone at the final table, posing for winner’s photos with the trophy.

Andress won the whole thing, claiming the $801,450 top prize along with the property’s token guitar pick award. The turnout was the largest in the four-year history of SHRPO High Roller events.

The champ is a 29-year-old professional poker player who makes his home in Berkley, California. He’s been playing poker for about 10 years, and although he primarily plays cash games, he claimed nearly $1 million in live tournament earnings entering this event.

He has more than that now. This result this evening is by far the largest of Andress career on the felt, and it brings him closer to two million than one.

Regarding his short-stacked situation on the bubble, Andress remarkably folded pocket jacks in the big blind after Matt Glantz had shoved from the small. Anthony Spinella was also short-stacked at the other table, and he had received a penalty which would have blinded him entirely out.

Andress chose to save his scant few chips in the big blind, and it turned out to be a prudent decision; Glantz showed him two queens.

The antes in the ensuing orbit chipped Andress down to just 11,000 chips as the bubble burst, and things turned around in a hurry.

“Two orbits later, I had 800,000,” he beamed. “I was just happy to be at the final table. Things went pretty well,” he said, understated.

When the final table began on Tuesday, Andress was in the middle of the pack. Everyone was chasing Mike Leah and Brandon Adams, who were well out in front of the other six. Adams dropped out in third place, though, leaving Leah heads-up against Andress with a huge chip lead.

The match was mostly one-sided in Andress’ favor, though. On the last hand, Leah limp-shoved with ace-jack, and Andress put him at risk with pocket eights. Five cards later, the two were shaking hands, with Leah headed for the cashier to collect his runner-up consolation prize.

While Andress was preparing for his postgame interview with a celebratory beer in his hand, Leah strolled by on his way out the door. “You just had it [every] time, huh?” he smiled.

“Most of the time,” Andress smiled back. “Not heads-up… but yeah. I did.”

During the subsequent interview, Andress was complimentary of his last two opponents. “Mike is real tough, and Brandon was playing a lot of hands,” Andress said. “I had some good spots, and things went well when it mattered.”

With four final tables running concurrently in the arena, Andress won the biggest prize of the day at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. “It’s great here,” he said. “The tournaments are good. It’s nice that everything is bang-bang-bang. You’re not stuck here for two weeks. You can come in, get some good action, and get out.”

Andress went on to talk about his heads-up experience, and how his time grinding six-max and heads-up matches prepared him well for this battle. There was certainly some run-good involved, though.

“I’m not taking anything away from Mike. He played great. But I definitely made some big hands, and all the spots went my way.”

Final results:

1st: John Andress − $801,450
2nd: Michael Leah − $561,600
3rd: Brandon Adams − $351,000
4th: Chris Hunichen − $242,775
5th: Tom Marchese − $155,025
6th: Omar Zazay − $114,075
7th: Chance Kornuth − $93,600
8th: Sam Panzica − $78,975
9th: Matt Glantz − $76,050
10th: Joseph Cheong − $73,125
11th: Alex Papazian − $70,200
12th: Jeff Gross − $67,275
13th: Rainer Kempe − $64,350
14th: Marvin Rettenmaier − $61,425
15th: Zachary Smiley − $58,500
16th: Anthony Spinella − $55,575

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 24: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 117

In one of the first hands in the new level, John Andress opened the button with a raise to 300,000, and Mike Leah three-bet to 1,000,000 in the big blind. Andress four-bet shoved, and Leah’s surrender left him with less than 20 big blinds.

On what would be the final hand of the match, Leah limped the button, and Andress set him all in for what looked like 2,775,000 effective. Leah called, putting himself at risk on a coin flip.

Leah:
Andress:

The board ran out blanks, coming to give the pot and the victory to Andress.

It was a remarkable effort and an incredible comeback from less than half a big blind on the money bubble. Andress earned $801,450 and an oversized guitar pick trophy for his mantel.

Leah was forced to settle for a runner-up finish worth $561,600.

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 23: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 117

John Andress opened the button to 250,000, and Mike Leah defended his big blind.

The flop was . Leah checked, Andress bet 200,000, and Leah called. The turn was the , and Leah check-called another bet of 700,000. The river was the . Leah checked for a third time, and Andress emptied the clip with one last bet of 1,200,000.

Leah deliberated for a long while before folding, and Andress stacked the pot to open up a little gap on his opponent.

John Andress – 7,450,000 (62 bb)
Mike Leah – 4,250,000 (35 bb)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 23: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 117

The stacks have thinned out a bit at this level, and every pot that involves more than preflop action contains enough chips to make it significant for both players.

John Andress is winning the tug of war at the moment, and he’s inched into the lead over the course of the last few orbits.

In a recent pot, Andress opened the button to 250,000. Leah defended his big blind, then check-called a bet of 300,000 on the flop. Andress bet another 550,000 after the turn, and Leah waved the white flag.

John Andress – 6,300,000 (53 bb)
Mike Leah – 5,400,000 (45 bb)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 23: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 117

The two players have become noticeably more aggressive preflop since returning from break.

In the first in a series of recent hands, Mike Leah opened the button to 300,000, and John Andress three-bet to 1,000,000 in the big blind. Leah folded.

Andress opened the next hand to 250,000, and Leah three-bet to 800,000. Andress folded.

Then, Leah opened to 300,000 again, and Andress three-bet to 1,000,000, too. Leah folded.

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 23: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 117

On the turn of a board, John Andress checked to Mike Leah, who bet 325,000. Andress called, and the completed the board on the river. Andress checked again, Leah bet 825,000, and Andress tanked and called.

Leah showed for a straight, and Andress spun his cards into the muck with some frustration.

Mike Leah – 8,615,000 (72 bb)
John Andress – 3,085,000 (26 bb)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 23: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 117

The players have just returned from a short break, and Level 23 begins with these stacks:

Mike Leah – 7,140,000 (60 bb)
John Andress – 4,565,000 (38 bb)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 22: 50,000/100,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 117

John Andress is playing a cagey heads-up match, and he’s eaten into Mike Leah’s chip lead significantly.

The last pot was the largest of the duel, and the action came alive after a flop. Leah checked from the small blind, and Andress bet 175,000. Leah called.

The turn was the , and Leah check-called another 500,000.

The river was the , and Leah checked for a third time. Andress bet 925,000, and Leah folded after a couple minutes’ thought.

John Andress – 6,800,000 (68 bb)
Mike Leah – 4,900,000 (49 bb)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 22: 50,000/100,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 117

Mike Leah raised to 350,000 in the small blind, and Brandon Adams defended his big.

The flop was . Leah continued for 250,000, and Adams called.

The turn was the , and Adams called another bet of 500,000.

The river was the , and Leah moved all in for around 2,000,000 effective, maybe slightly more. He had his opponent covered, and Adams eventually called all in to put himself at risk.

Leah showed for a flush, and it was good. Adams flashed on the way into the muck, and he departed in third place.

Leah is now heads-up for the High Roller title with a huge chip lead against John Andress.

Mike Leah – 8,980,000 (90 bb)
John Andress – 2,725,000 (28 bb)

$25,500 Big 4 High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 22: 50,000/100,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 117

Mike Leah has upped the aggression since returning from the break, and his stack has benefitted as a result.

In the first of a three-hand series, Brandon Adams opened the button to 250,000, and Leah defended his big blind. Leah check-called a bet of 350,000 on the flop, and both men checked through the turn. The river paired the board with the , and Leah led out for 425,000. Adams folded.

Leah raised the next pot to 350,000 from the small blind, and Adams surrendered his big.

Leah opened the button to 250,000 one hand later, and John Andress defended his big blind. The flop was , and Andress check-folded to a bet of 325,000 from Leah, the new chip leader.

Mike Leah – 5,350,000 (54 bb)