2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino 
Hollywood, FL
Event #8
$50,000 Super High Roller
Entries: 19
Prize Pool: $1,000,000
August 8-9, 2017

The $50,000 Super High Roller event was the biggest buy-in tournament on the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open schedule and the $1,000,000 prize pool attracted some of the top players in the game.

After two long days at the table, World Series of Poker bracelet winner and WPT Champions Club member Nick Schulman defeated Jake Schindler to earn the Super High Roller trophy along with the $440,000 first place prize.

The tournament included former SHRPO Champion Dan Colman, defending SHRPO Champion Jason Koon, WSOP bracelet winners Josh Arieh, David Peters, Ivan Luca, and Sam Soverel along with WSOP Circuit ring winner Schindler, plus high roller stars Bryn Kenney and Isaac Haxton. One of the last to enter was Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member Chance Kornuth and one of the first was CEO-turned-high roller Kathy Lehne.

There were 16 players still around when dinner break was complete and it hit the final table only two hours later. Schulman and Kornuth held the two biggest stacks at the final table but each went in a different direction.

Kenney doubled through Kornuth who was eliminated in seventh place. Peters was knocked out in sixth place and the five remaining players bagged up their chips for a Day 2 return with only four of them set to earn a piece of the prize pool.

Schulman began Day 2 with a big lead while Rainer Kempe was the short stack. But it was not Kempe hitting the rail on the money bubble. Kenney lost a huge pot to Schindler with his rivered two-pair versus a straight to send him out short of the money.

Luca followed soon after when his queens could not hold against Schulman’s big slick and Kempe went out in third after his flopped straight flush draw could not hit.

This was the second consecutive deep SHRP Super High Roller finish for Kempe. He finished in third place during the WPT Seminole Hard Poker Showdown Super High Roller in March for $220,000 and he followed that up with a seventh place cash in the $111,111 WSOP High Roller for One Drop.

Schulman began heads up play still holding his big lead but Schindler fought a tough battle. He found himself with a short stack several times but managed to pull three double ups and was all in again with a chance to take the lead. He couldn’t hit what he needed and had to settle for the $260,000 runner-up prize while Schulman took top honors.

Schulman is a man of many talents. At the age of 21, he was the youngest player to win a World Poker Tour title at the time. Schulman followed that up with his first WSOP bracelet in 2009 and his second in 2012, both in No Limit 2-7 Lowball. He almost picked up a third in that game this summer but fell out in third place.

The more recent generation might recognize him from his work on the mic or in front of a camera. Schulman was a commentator for the Super High Roller Bowl at Aria and was part of the ESPN/PokerGo broadcast team during the WSOP Main Event.

Now Schulman can add SHRPO Super High Roller champ to his list of accomplishments. The $440,000 he earned for the victory is only the sixth biggest of his career, a good barometer of Schulman’s skill.

Congratulations to Nick Schulman and good luck in The Big 4.

Super High Roller results:

1st: Nick Schulman – $440,000
2nd: Jake Schindler – $260,000
3rd: Rainer Kempe – $180,000
4th: Ivan Luca – $120,000

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 20: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante

On the last hand before the levels increased, Nick Schulman was short again and was all in for 382,000 with a race.

Schulman:
Schindler:

Schulman was ahead for the knockout but Schindler caught the flop. The turn and river changed nothing and Schindler found another double.

Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 764,000 (25 bb)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 1,611,000 (54 bb)

Two hands later, Schindler tried again. Schulman limped his button, Schindler raised to 120,000 and Schulman put him all in. Schindler called with a chance to take the lead.

Schulman:
Schindler:

Schindler had two live, suited cards but missed it all as the dealer ran out the board. Schulman earned the pot, the trophy, and the $440,000 first place prize for the Super High Roller title.

1st: Nick Schulman – $440,000
2nd: Jake Schindler – $260,000

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 19

The levels jumped up again as Nick Schulman began to pull further ahead again. The biggest pot of the level after Schindler’s double saw Schindler open to 55,000 and Schulman called to the flop.

Both checked, the turn came and Schulman checked again. Schindler bet 75,000 and Schulman popped it to 210,000.

Schindler cut out most of his stack, looked like he might push it, then released the pot to Schulman.

Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 645,000 (27 bb)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 1,730,000 (72 bb)

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 18: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 19

Jake Schindler saw his chip stack dwindle even after his run and double up. He was down to 381,000 and instantly called when Schulman three-bet him all in.

Schindler:
Schulman:

Another good spot for Schindler and he smashed the flop to leave Schulman drawing mostly dead. The turn meant no miracle running aces and Schlinder moved himself back up.

Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 768,000 (38 bb)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 1,607,000 (80 bb)

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 18: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 19

After 30 minutes of post-break action, Jake Schindler pulled closer after a brief drop.

Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 620,000 (31 bb)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 1,755,000 (88 bb)

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 17: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 19

Jake Schindler dropped even lower and made a move all in for his final 246,000. Nick Schulman called with a chance to end the tournament.

Schindler:
Schulman:

Schindler needed to dodge an ace or some magic cards and found his double as the board ran to get him back in the game.

Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 498,000 (31 bb)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 1,877,000 (117 bb)

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 17: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 19

Nick Schulman limped his button, Jake Schindler checked his option, and they saw the flop. Schindler checked, Schulman bet 16,000 and Schindler called.

Another check after the turn, Shulman bet 22,000 and Schindler check-raised to 90,000. Schulman didn’t think too long before he pushed it up to 175,000. Schindler considered taking it further but released his hand.

Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 430,000 (27 bb)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 1,950,000 (122 bb)

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Returning to Level 17: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 19

Jake Schindler and Nick Schulman are taking a 15-minute break away from the table after two hours of action. Schulman extended his lead in the short time of heads up play and they will now move to 30-minute levels for the duration.

Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 594,000 (37 bb)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 1,781,000 (111 bb)

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 16: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 19

With the board reading , Jake Schindler bet 75,000 and Nick Schulman called. The turn came and Schindler checked this time. Schulman bet 164,000 and Schindler called after a short think.

Schindler checked again after the river and Schulman asked to see Schindler’s stack. It was ~700,000 and Schulman put together four stacks of chips totaling 800,000. He moved them forward and Schindler took his time to think it through.

He slowly slid his cards to the dealer and Schulman moved further ahead.

Nick Schulman – 1,700,000 (142 bb)
Jake Schindler – 690,000 (58 bb)

$50,000 Super High Roller
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 16: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 19

It took two hands to get Rainer Kempe out of the Super High Roller, both against Jake Schindler.

In the first, the two were heads up to the flop and Kempe bet 15,000. Schindler called, the turn came and Kempe bet 72,000.

Schindler called again before the river and Kempe checked. Schindler tossed out 125,000 and Kempe took his time to think it through. He had ~155,000 behind and called after a few minutes. Schindler tabled , Kempe mucked, and was not left with much.

Kempe folded his button the first hand after then called all in on the next after a Schindler open.

Kempe:
Schindler:

Kempe needed help then flopped a ton of outs on the board. The turn did not help him and the sent him out in third place for $180,000.

This is the second consecutive deep run in a SHRP Super High Roller for Kempe after he finished third in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown version.

Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 740,000 (62 bb)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 1,635,000 (136 bb)
Rainer Kempe – Eliminated in 3rd place ($180,000)