2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 10
$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 145
Prize Pool: $145,000
Bounty Prize Pool: $72,500
Total Prize Pool: $217,500
April 11-12, 2018

Florida fisherman Steve Rash is the newest winner at the 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Rash outlasted 144 entries to take home the Event 10 $1,650 Purple Chip Bounty title and the $40,026 first place prize.

Rash, hailing from St. George Island, Florida, held up a picture of Dog the Bounty Hunter in his winners photo to represent the 17 bounties he captured throughout the tournament worth $8,500.

“The opportunities just came up and the cards fell my way. I got three in one hand, midday yesterday around the 7th level I had pocket jacks against three other guys, I got it in and they held up.”

Rash didn’t run so hot at the final table.

“At the final table I had a really bad hand, the guy caught a two-outer and I lost most of my stack, but luckily I hung in there and made it back.”

He was referring to this hand, where he was all in and ahead when they both flopped top pair of queens with Rash’s jack kicker out in front. Wilhelm spiked a deuce on the turn to make two pair and stay alive.

Heads up was a different story, Rash came into it with a 3-1 chip deficit but according to Rash “The cards just dropped in my lap”. The final hand was a coin flip with Rash’s ace nine flipping against Bob Bounahra’s pocket eights. Rash flopped the ace and scored the trophy.

Rash doesn’t play poker too often, he traveled 500 miles to get here and says he likes to visit Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino at least once a year. He’s had a few previous cashes in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdowns, but this was his first victory. This score brought his live earnings over $100,0000. He had his wife and sister in law cheering him on from the rail.

Final Results:

1st: Steve Rash – $40,026
2nd: Bob Bounahra – $25,375
3rd: Straton Wilhelm – $14,935
4th: John Richards – $9,067
5th: Chris Damick – $7,033
6th: Nick Palma – $5,807
7th: Joe Orsino  – $5,075
8th: Dylan Wilkerson– $4,531
9th: Darren Rabinowitz – $4,003
10th: Zach Smiley – $3,480
11th: Will Galloway – $3,480
12th: Josh Beckley – $3,480
13th: Harold Evans – $2,973
14th: Ankush Mandavia – $2,973
15th: Joe Keuther – $2,358
16th: Haim Toorgeman – $2,358
17th: Matt Lambrecht – $2,358
18th: Mark Dube – $2,358
19th: Peter Eichhardt – $2,175

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 145

Bob Bounahra shoved from the button for 750,000 and Steve Rash called.

Bouahra tabled and was off to the races against Rash’s .

The board ran out and Rash flopped an ace to eliminate Bounahra in second place, collecting his 17th bounty, and win the $1,650 Purple Chip Bounty for $40,026.

Steve Rash – Event 10 Champion
Bob Bounahra – Eliminated

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 145

Steve Rash opened to 60,000 from the button and Bob Bounahra shoved. Rash called all in for 675,000 .

Rash turned over and was in good shape against Bounahra’s .

The flop came   Bounahra flopped and ace but Rash flopped a set to take a commanding lead.

The turn was the and Rash filled up to secure his double. A meaningless hit the river. Rash took the chip lead with that hand as well.

Steve Rash – 1,425,000 (95 bb)
Bob Bounahra – 775,000 (52 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 145

Play has reached the final two, here’s how they stack up:

Bob Bounahra – 1,525,000 (102 bb)
Steve Rash – 650,000 (43 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 145

Straton Wilhelm moved all in from the button for 197,000 and Steve Rash called from the small blind.

Wilhelm tabled and needed to get lucky against Rash’s .

The board ran out and Rash wound up with two-pair to eliminate Wilhelm in third place.

Steve Rash  – 650,000 (43 bb)
Straton Wilhelm – Eliminated

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 145

Straton Wilhelm limped the button and Steve Rash moved all in from the small blind for 185,000.

Wilhelm called and Rash turned over and was in good shape against Wilhelm’s .

The flop came and Wilhelm took the lead. The board ran out , and Rash hit broadway on the river to stay alive.

Steve Rash – 370,000 (25 bb)
Straton Wilhelm – 170,000 (11 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20: 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 145

Straton Wilhelm raised to 32,000 from under the gun and everybody called.

The flop came , it checked to John Richards on the button who bet 55,000. Only Bob Bounahra called.

The turn was the , Bounahra checked, and Richards bet 145,000. Bounahra raised to 345,000 and Richards shoved for 244,000 more.

Bounahra went into the tank, stood out of his chair the put in the calling chips with his flopped flush. Richards needed to improve as he tabled .

The river was the , no help to Richards as he was eliminated in fourth place.

Bob Bounahra – 1,350,000
John Richards – Eliminated

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20: 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 145

Steve Rash limped the button and Straton Wilhelm checked his option in the big blind.

The flop came , Wilhelm checked and Rash bet 33,000. Wilhelm shoved for 171,000 and Rash called.

Rash tabled and appeared to be in great shape against Wilhelm’s , until the hit the turn. The river changed nothing and Wilhelm’s two-pair held to save him from elimination.

Straton Wilhelm – 400,000 (33 bb)
Steve Rash – 260,000 (22 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20: 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 145

John Richards opened to 25,000 from the button and Bob Bounahra defended his big blind.

The flop came , Bounahra checked and Richards bet 20,000. Bounahra raised to 55,000 and Richards called.

The turn brought the , Bounahra bet 65,000 and Richards shoved for 327,000 total. Bounahra tanked for a while before eventually deciding to lay it down.

John Richards – 570,000 (48 bb)
Bob Bounahra – 880,000 (73 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20: 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 145

The $1,650 Purple Chip Bounty drew enough players to double up on the $100,000 guaranteed prize pool and there are four players returning for Day 2 trying to take home the biggest piece.

Bob Bounahra returns with a big chip lead, more than twice that of Steve Rash in second, with John Richard in third and Straton Wilhelm riding the shortest stack.

They will get back underway at 1 pm and continue until we have the Purple Chip Bounty champion.

Seat 1: Steve Rash – 492,000 (41 bb)
Seat 2: Bob Bounahra – 1,099,000 (92 bb)
Seat 3: Straton Wilhelm – 180,000 (15 bb)
Seat 4: John Richards – 404,000 (34 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $40,026
2nd: $25,375
3rd: $14,935
4th: $9,067