2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 15
$2,200 Pot-Limit Omaha
Entries: 80
Prize Pool: $160,000
April 15-16, 2018

(Hollywood, Florida) – Kris Tate is a Pot Limit Omaha champion following a win in Event 15 of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Tate defeated a strong field of 80 entries in the $2,200 buy-in event ultimately scoring an outright win of $54,080 and a token guitar pick trophy.

“I wanted the trophy, so I needed the win,” Tate said.

The trophy came up a few times during heads-up play with 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player David Prociak. The pair wanted to make a deal, but couldn’t come to an agreement that suited them both. After brief, civil deliberation on break, it was a mutual decision to continue playing to a winner.

“My friends all told me not to [chop], so once we came back it was no more chop,” Tate said.

Tate took a knock early in heads-up play, but battled back. Blinds continued to climb and despite being down in the counts, neither player was deep and Tate was drawing live. A series of pots eventually gave him the lead and he claimed victory when his two pair was good over Prociak’s missed-draw.

“It was tough the whole way,” Tate said of the late stages of play. “I was shortstacked coming into the final table — I started with 54,000.”

In addition to Prociak, there was other tough competition in the game including Mike Dentale. Day 1 play concluded with nine left and Dentale held a better than 2-to-1 advantage over the next closes player. It was a quick skid, though, as Dentale met his fate in fifth place.

“Mike just ran into some bad hands early,” Tate said. “I didn’t get much of his chips. They were spread around.”

Despite not getting in on Dentale’s downfall, Tate managed to grind out a win against some decorated competition. The victory marks just his third reported cash, first win and moved him over $175,000 in reported earnings. He is 32 years old and resides in Houston, Texas.

Final results:

1st: Kris Tate – $54,080
2nd: David Prociak – $31,200
3rd: Mike Shin – $19,520
4th: Jordan Dhanani – $13,200
5th: Mike Dentale – $10,000
6th: Jeffrey Higgins – $8,000
7th: Zhen Cai – $7,200
8th: Jeffrey Higgins – $6,400
9th: Rajesh Vohra – $5,600
10th: Eddie Ochana – $4,800

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 20: 15,000/30,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 1 of 80

Kris Tate was on the button and David Prociak was in the big blind. They got 90,000 in the pot preflop before seeing a board. Prociak checked, and Tate bet pot — 180,000. Prociak re-potted all-in and the hands were up.

Tate:
Prociak:

Turn and river:

Prociak never hit a straight and Tate’s two pair were best. Tate defeated the seven-time Seminole champion earning $54,080 in the process. Prociak earned $31,200 for his runner-up finish.

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

1st: Kris Tate – $54,080
2nd: David Prociak – $31,200
3rd: Mike Shin – $19,520
4th: Jordan Dhanani – $13,200
5th: Mike Dentale – $10,000
6th: Jeffrey Higgins – $8,000
7th: Zhen Cai – $7,200
8th: Jeffrey Higgins – $6,400
9th: Rajesh Vohra – $5,600
10th: Eddie Ochana – $4,800

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 10,000/20,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 2 of 80

Mike Shin was down to just a few big blinds and got them in from the button against David Prociak in the small blind.

Prociak:
Shin:

Runout:

Prociak’s pair was best and he eliminated Shin in third place.

Prociak and his heads-up opponent, Kris Tate, quickly counted down the stacks and talked ICM chop. Here’s how the counts broke down:

Prociak – 878,000
Tate – 722,000

The pair would haul about $43,000 and $41,000 respectively, but Tate wanted the win. Play went on.

David Prociak – 878,000
Kris Tate – 722,000
Mike Shin – Eliminated in 3rd place ($19,520)

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 17: 8,000/16,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 3 of 80

The final three briefly debated a chop, but decided play would go on. Here’s how the counts and potential payouts broke down.

Seat 1: Mike Shin – 308,000 ($29,225)
Seat 2: David Prociak – 616,000 ($37,187)
Seat 3: Kris Tate – 676,000 ($38,387 + Trophy)

They quickly agreed none of them loved their ICM numbers and cards went back in the air.

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 16: 6,000/12,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 3 of 80

Down to just a couple big blinds, Jordan Dhanani got all-in from the small blind and Mike Shin called from the big.

Shin:
Dhanani:

Runout:

Shin’s hand held and Dhanani was eliminated in fourth place.

Mike Shin – 195,000
Jordan Dhanani – Eliminated in 4th place ($13,200)

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 5,000/10,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 4 of 80

Start-of-day chip leader Mike Dentale was the most recent casualty of David Prociak’s heater. Dentale started with better than twice Prociak’s stack, but recently hit the rail in fifth place courtesy of the new chip leader.

Prociak scooped another good pot and grew his stack to better than 900,000.

David Prociak – 905,000
Mike Dentale – Eliminated in 5th place ($10,000)

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 5,000/10,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 5 of 80

David Prociak was in the big blind and Darkhan Botabayev was under the gun. The board was dealt through the turn and it laid . Prociak checked and Botabayev bet pot — 135,000. Prociak re-potted putting Botabayev all-in. Botabayev called off and was at risk.

Prociak:
Botabayev:

River:

Prociak’s hand was best and the dealer counted down the stacks. Botabayev had about 260,000 and was covered by Prociak. Botabayev busted in sixth while Prociak grew his big lead.

David Prociak – 910,
000Darkhan Botabayev – Eliminated in 6th place ($8,000)

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 5,000/10,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 6 of 80

In a blind-versus-blind battle, shortstack Zhen Cai was at risk versus David Prociak.

Cai:
Prociak:

Runout:

Prociak improved to two pair busting Cai in seventh place. The pot grew Prociak’s holding to nearly 500,000 giving him a big chip lead.

David Prociak – 482,000
Zhen Cai – Eliminated in 7th place ($7,200)

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 14: 4,000/8,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 7 of 80

Jeffrey Higgins was in late position and opened for a pot raise. The bet was 28,000 leaving Higgins just 4,000 behind. Botab Ayev called from the button and Mike Dentale defended the big blind. They were three-handed.

Flop:

Dentale checked. Higgins got his last 4,000 in and Ayev and Dentale called without much thought.

Turn:

Dentale and Ayev checked.

River:

Dentale checked a third time and Ayev bet. Dentale folded and Ayev had Higgins at risk.

Ayev:
Higgins:

Ayev’s trip aces were best versus Higgins’ aces up. Higgins was eliminated in eighth place earning $6,400.

Botab Ayev – 364,000
Jeffrey Higgins – Eliminated in 8th place ($6,400)

$2,200 Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 14: 4,000/8,000 | Payouts | Structure
Players Remaining: 9 of 80

Raj Vohra was eliminated from the $2,200 Pot Limit Omaha in ninth place. He earned $5,600.

Raj Vohra – Eliminated in 9th place ($5,600)