2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 18
$150 No-Limit Hold’em 
Entries: 565
Prize Pool: $67,800
April 16-18, 2018

James Scott dreamed about winning the $150 no-limit hold’em event, literally.

Shortly after the clock struck midnight and the calendar switched to Thursday, Scott made a deal with Manuel Jo and took credit for the win in the $150 no-limit hold’em. Scott earned $15,574 and defeated a field of 565 entries for his first live tournament win.

“It was great because I had a dream today,” said Scott. “I took a nap and I had a dream that I was heads-up and playing for the money. So, it’s unbelievable. It was very exciting.”

Scott came into the final table near the bottom of the chip counts. He took his time and waited for his spots to come up while several other players hit the rail.

It all fit into his strategy to fulfill a modest goal.

“My strategy was to come in fourth because I was so short stacked,” said Scott. “Then, I got that double up and then I got that triple up with the three jacks. So, that was fantastic.”

That was the turning point for Scott. He scored a triple up when he shoved the button with ace-jack, got called by Alfredo Fernandez in the small blind and Jo shoved over the top in the big blind. Fernandez folded and Scott was able to suck out with against Jo’s pocket queens.

That moved Scott from the short stack three-handed into the chip lead. He never relinquished his lead after that. After Jo eliminated Fernandez, the two agreed on an almost dead even chop, which left Scott with the trophy as the chip leader.

Scott is a local player from Fort Lauderdale. He lives a busy life as a business owner, a husband, a father and a grandfather.

He owns a jewelry store in North Miami, which was opened by his grandfather in 1949 and has been in business ever since. With so much on his plate, poker isn’t even close to the top of his priorities, but he makes time to play when some of the major series are in town.

“I try to play once a month,” said Scott. “Then, when they have the series, I play for two weeks straight.”

Scott’s win nearly puts a bow on the entire 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, with only the $3,500 WPT main event still running.

The top 36 players earned a payday and here are the results:

1st: James Scott – $14,574*
2nd: Manuel Jo – $14,573*
3rd: Alfredo Fernandez – $7,119
4th: Christopher Zito – $4,916
5th: Claudio Piedrabuena – $3,627
6th: Antonio Colon – $2,882
7th: George Navarro – $2,204
8th: Joaquin Sosa – $1,593
9th: Bob Tanner – $1,153
10th: Angelo Castaldi – $881
11th: Homero Molina – $881
12th: Daniel Saffer – $881
13th: Ariel Rosello Quintana – $712
14th: Jarrett Vaughn – $712
15th: Jay Klitzner – $712
16th: Larry Klur – $610
17th: Mitsuru Sano – $610
18th: Paul Nguyen – $610
19th: Eric Rivkin – $509
20th: Raymond Nalbandian – $509
21st: David Wyatt – $509
22nd: Elnatan Aminov – $509
23rd: David Jacobs – $509
24th: Thomas Kornechuk – $509
25th: Richard Contell – $509
26th: Julien Durity – $509
27th: Trent Smith – $509
28th: Carlos Torres Vazquez – $441
29th: Nashaat Antonius – $441
30th: Alexis Moreda – $441
31st: Justin Molis – $441
32nd: Brett Taylor – $441
33rd: Julio Rodriguez – $441
34th: Iftikhar Memon – $441
35th: Jermain Phang – $441
36th: Darrell Carril – $441

*Indicates adjusted payouts to reflects the deal

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 565

After Alfredo Fernandez was eliminated, James Scott and Manuel Jo agreed to an even chop. Scott held the chip lead and will take credit for the win.

Scott also gets the extra dollar. He will earn $14,574 and Jo took home $14,573. A complete recap will be posted later tonight.

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 565

Alfredo Fernandez moved all in on the button for about 800,000 and Manuel Jo called out of the small blind.

Jo showed and was flipping against Fernandez’s .

The board ran out and Jo won the flip with a pair of tens. Fernandez hit the rail in third place and earned $7,119.

Manuel Jo – 2,500,000
Alfredo Fernandez – Eliminated 

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 565

James Scott moved all in on the button for 980,000 and was called by Alfredo Fernandez in the small blind. Manuel Jo moved all in out of the big blind for about 2,500,000 and Fernandez folded.

Scott showed needed an ace against Jo’s .

The board came . Scott turned trips and rivered a full house to triple up and move into the chip lead.

James Scott – 2,990,000
Manuel Jo – 1,500,000

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 565

Alfredo Fernandez raised on the button and James Scott moved all in out of the big blind for 505,000. Fernandez called.

Fernandez showed and needed help against Scott’s .

The board came , which kept Scott in the lead and he doubled up on one of the last hands before break.

James Scott – 1,070,000
Alfredo Fernandez – 1,550,000

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 565

James Scott moved all in from under the gun for 200,000 and Manuel Jo called out of the small blind. Chris Zito moved all in for 450,000 out of the big blind and Jo folded.

Zito showed and was in the lead against Scott’s .

The board came and Scott doubled up after turning queens and jacks, leaving Zito with just 250,000.

A couple hands later, Zito moved all in on the button for 200,000 and Alfredo Fernandez called out of the big blind.

Fernandez showed and was up against Zito’s . The flop was , giving Zito top pair, but Fernandez was open-ended.

The turn was the , keeping Zito in the lead, but the river was the , giving Fernandez a straight and sending Zito home in fourth place for $4,916.

Alfredo Fernandez – 1,800,000
Chris Zito – Eliminated 

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 565

Action folded to Manuel Jo in the small blind, who raised to 100,000. Claudio Piedrabuena three-bet to about 250,000 and Jo moved all in.

Piedrabuena quickly called and was all in for about 600,000.

Jo was in the lead again and in great shape with his against Piedrabuena’s .

The board came and Piedrabuena couldn’t find another queen to ship yet another big pot to Jo. Piedrabuena hit the rail in fifth place for $2,882 and Jo extended his chip lead.

Manuel Jo – 3,000,000
Claudio Piedrabuena – Eliminated 

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 565

Antonio Colon doubled up again with pocket threes against Chris Zito’s Jx2x. There was a jack on the turn, but a three on the river to bring him back up to over 200,000.

Colon moved all in from under the gun for 230,000 and Manuel Jo called from middle position.

Colon showed and was dominated by Jo’s .

The board ran out and Colon hit the rail in sixth place, sending another pot to Jo and moving him into the chip lead.

Manuel Jo – 2,400,000
Antonio Colon – Eliminated 

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 565

Antonio Colon lost a big pot with against Claudio Piedrabuena’s to leave him as the short stack. He was blinded down to just 30,000 and was all in in the small blind.

Manuel Jo raised from under the gun to 90,000 and George Navarro defended his big blind. The flop was and Navarro moved all in for about 500,000. Jo snap-called.

Colon showed , giving him a gutshot straight draw, Navarro tabled , good for second pair, and Jo had the best hand and the biggest stack with .

The turn was the , giving Colon a straight, and the river was the .

Colon won the main pot, keeping him in the event, but Jo won a massive side pot to eliminate Navarro in seventh place, earning him $2,204.

Manuel Jo – 1,650,000
Antonio Colon – 100,000
George Navarro – Eliminated 

$150 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 565

Alfredo Fernandez raised to 90,000 from the hijack and Joaquin Sosa three-bet all in for 450,000. Fernandez called.

Fernandez was behind with his up against Sosa’s .

That all changed on a flop of , moving Fernandez into the lead. The turn was the and the river was the .

Fernandez won the pot and Sosa was eliminated in eighth place for $1,593.

Alfredo Fernandez – 1,900,000
Joaquin Sosa – Eliminated