2017 Seminole Hard Rock WSOP Circuit
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 1
$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 1,612
Prize Pool: $806,000
September 21-25, 2017

Hollywood, Florida — The first-ever World Series of Poker Circuit at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino kicked off in grand fashion Thursday with a $580 buy-in re-entry opener. The tournament boasted six starting flights over the course of three days with Day 2 kicking off Sunday. Ultimately, it was Miami Lakes resident Niovel Chirino Alvarez who bested the 1,612-entry field taking home $135,022 along with the tour’s token prize, a gold ring.

“This is just my hobby,” Alvarez said afterward. “I’m not a pro at all. I’m shaking because I didn’t even think I could win.”

The event featured two starting flights daily Thursday, Friday and Saturday and permitted unlimited re-entry throughout. The weekday action was modest to start, but Saturday’s play nearly doubled the field settling it in at the 1,612 tally. The $806,000 prize pool handily bested the $500,000 guarantee and paid each of the final 171 players a piece of it.

Five-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Kurt Jewell, former Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year David Prociak and tournament pro Brian Hastings were among the standouts to play the event. There was a huge local turnout, too, as another former POY, Ory Hen, Seminole Hard Rock Poker team members Stewart Newman and Sheddy Siddiqui, Paul Balzano, Nancy Birndbaum and Abbey Daniels were among those jockeying for gold jewelry.

Day 2 began Sunday at 1pm with 218 players remaining and only 171 finishing in the money. The bubble burst shortly thereafter sending the remaining players home with a guaranteed payday. Daren Stabinski (26th), Steven McKoy (29th), Daniels (42nd) and Seminole Hard Rock Tampa ambassador Wally Maddah (57th) were among those who finished in the money.

It was late in the day when then 10-handed final table was reached. Gil Aboodi — the eventual runner-up — lead the action. Day 2 played until just before 3am when only three players remained. Aboodi retained the lead while Alvarez was second and Scott Sanders third. The trio returned for an additional, unscheduled day of play Monday and it moved along at breakneck speed.

Sanders busted third just a couple minutes into the action care of chip leader Aboodi. Aboodi had a two-to-one advantage over Aboodi at that point, but doubled up Alvarez and the tables quickly turned. On the final hand, Aboodi got his stack in holding and was second best to Alvarez’s . He never caught up and Aboodi was eliminated in second place earning $83,751.

The win marked the first major tournament cash for Alvarez, a 41-year-old married father of two. He was born in Cuba and now resides here in Florida where he owns a trucking company.

2017 marks the first time for the Seminole Hard Rock and the WSOP to team up in a co-branded series. In addition to their hefty cash prizes, all players who cash during the series will earn points toward the Casino Championship. Following the final ring event, the top points earner will be awarded with a $10,000 entry in the season-ending Global Casino Championship. Joining them at the one-of-a-kind event will be the Main Event champion who also earns a seat in the event.

“I always come [to][the][Seminole][Hard][Rock],” Alvarez said. “I don’t play anywhere else. I like it here. It’s cool, the people are nice here, I get along with basically everyone.”

Event 1 final table results:

1st: Niovel Chirino Alvarez – $135,022 + Gold Ring
2nd: Gil Aboodi – $83,751
3rd: Scott Sanders – $62,255
4th: Nagui Yassa – $46,974
5th: John Magnetta – $35,843
6th: Jordan Meltzer – $27,565
7th: Ruslan Dykshteyn – $21,585
8th: Vytautas Semaska – $17,031
9th: Matyas Csiszar – $13,589

Continue reading Event 1: Niovel Chirino Alvarez Wins $135K and a Gold Ring in WSOP Circuit Opener →

$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 32: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 1,612

Niovel Chirino Alvarez opened the button to 475,000 and short stack Gil Aboodi shoved. Alvarez called and Aboodi was at risk.

Alvarez:
Aboodi:

Runout:

Alvarez’s ace-jack high was good and he officially won the event. The score earned him $135,022 along with a WSOP Circuit gold ring. For the runner-up finish, Gil Aboodi pocketed $83,751.

A full report on the tournament will be posted shortly. In the meantime, here’s a look at the final table results:

1st: Niovel Chirino Alvarez – $135,022 + Gold Ring
2nd: Gil Aboodi – $83,751
3rd: Scott Sanders – $62,255
4th: Nagui Yassa – $46,974
5th: John Magnetta – $35,843
6th: Jordan Meltzer – $27,565
7th: Ruslan Dykshteyn – $21,585
8th: Vytautas Semaska – $17,031
9th: Matyas Csiszar – $13,589
10th: Rafael Oropesa – $10,962

$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,612

Niovel Chirino Alvarez called from the button and Gil Aboodi raised to 1,220,000. Alvarez shoved for 6,800,000 and Aboodi called.

Aboodi:
Alvarez:

Runout:

Alvarez took the lead on the turn pairing his ace and never looked back. He doubled through Aboodi to take the chip lead.

Niovel Chirino Alvarez – 13,820,000
Gil Aboodi – 5,524,000

$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,612

Gil Aboodi – 12,844,000
Niovel Chirino Alvarez – 6,500,000

1st – $135,022 + Gold Ring
2nd – $83,751

$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,612

Action started with Niovel Chirino Alvarez folding the button. Gil Aboodi was in the small blind and raised to 460,000. Next up was Scott Sanders in the big blind. He promptly shoved for what he estimated to be about 2,700,000. Aboodi called and Sanders was at risk.

Aboodi:
Sanders:

Runout:

Sanders stood when the flop fell two spades giving Aboodi outs to the nut flush, too. The turn and river were not game changers and Sanders was second best. He busted in third place earning $62,255.

Scott Sanders – Eliminated

$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,612

The third and final day of play in the $580 re-entry World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring event is off and running. Just three players remain with Gil Aboodi leading the way.

Here’s where the tournament stands:

Gil Aboodi – 9,420,000 (79 bb)
Niovel Chirino Alvarez – 5,860,000 (49 bb)
Scott Sanders – 4,060,000 (34 bb)

1st – $135,022 + Gold Ring
2nd – $83,751
3rd – $62,255

We will be providing updates from now until a champion is decided.

$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Returning to Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,612

Six starting flights and a Day 2 weren’t enough. Event 1 of the World Series of Poker Circuit at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino returns today at 2pm for a third and decisive day of play. The 1,612-entry field in the $580 re-entry tournament is down to the final three. Here’s how it stands:

Gil Aboodi – 9,420,000 (79 bb)
Niovel Chirino Alvarez – 5,860,000 (49 bb)
Scott Sanders – 4,060,000 (34 bb)

1st – $135,022 + Gold Ring
2nd – $83,751
3rd – $62,255

We’ll pick up the action again when cards go in the air at 2pm local time. In the meantime, tournament results up to this point are spread out in the posts below.

Primary Event Schedule

11AM: Event 3 Day 1 – $365 Monster Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Levels 1-18 last 30 minutes; Level 19+ last 45 minutes
• Late registration/single re-entry available until start of Level 9
• Day 1 will end after Level 21 or Tournament Director discretion
• Event 3 Structure Sheet

2PM: Event 1 Day 3 – $580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

• Event 1 Day 3 Chip Counts and Seats
• Event 1 Payouts

5PM: Event 4 Day 1 – $580 Six-Max NLH (Single Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 12,000 in chips
• Levels 1-18 last 30 minutes; Level 19+ last 45 minutes
• Late registration/single re-entry available until start of Level 9
• Day 1 will end after Level 15 or Tournament Director discretion
• Event 4 Structure Sheet

Secondary and Satellite Schedule

9AM: Event 24 – $90 Turbo Satellite to Event 3 (1-in-5)

• 2 seats guaranteed into Event 3
• Players begin with 6,000 in chips and 15-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9
• Satellite will be held in the Poker Room
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Event 24 Structure Sheet

7PM: Event 25 – $130 Nightly No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 8,000 in chips and 20-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 8
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Event 25 Structure Sheet

$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Returning to Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,612

Six starting flights and a long Day 2 were not enough to determine a champion for the opening tournament on the Seminole Hard Rock WSOP Circuit series schedule.

Day 2 began with 218 players returning and 171 of them made the money early in the afternoon. They quickly worked their way down to 40 players remaining at the dinner break and they wasted no time mixing it up when they returned.

The stacks were deep, the structure was slow, and the big money up top slowed down that pace at the final table. At the end of Level 30, tournament staff paused the clock and the three remaining players bagged up their chips for a bonus Day 3.

Gil Aboodi was the chip leader through much of the late stages of Day 2 and will return with nearly half of the chips in play. Scott Sander and Niovel Chirino Alvarez will try to take them away from him tomorrow afternoon when they play down the WSOP Circuit ring winner.

Seat 1: Gil Aboodi – 9,420,000 (79 bb)
Seat 2: Scott Sanders – 4,060,000 (34 bb)
Seat 3: Niovel Chirino Alvarez – 5,860,000 (49 bb)

Chip counts:
Gil Aboodi – 9,420,000 (79 bb)
Niovel Chirino Alvarez – 5,860,000 (49 bb)
Scott Sanders – 4,060,000 (34 bb)

Remaining payouts:
1st: $135,022
2nd: $83,751
3rd: $62,255

$580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 31: 50,000/100,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,612

Scott Sanders opened to 200,000 from the button and Nagui Yassa moved all in from the big blind for 950,000. Sanders took no time to call and our former chip leader was in bad shape.

Yassa:
Sanders:

Another top hand at the final table and there was never a sweat as the board ran to send Yassa out in fourth place.

Scott Sanders – 3,100,000 (31 bb)
Nagui Yassa – Eliminated in 4th place ($46,974)