2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event #13
$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Entries: 97
Prize Pool: $97,000
August 7, 2018

The Eight-Handed Turbo event was a classic freezeout, and with 97 entries and 15-minute levels, it played quickly. The tournament began at 5:00 pm, and registration closed after the first break at 7:30 pm. The field began playing hand-for-hand on the Money Bubble around 9:00 pm, and they were down to the nine-handed final table shortly after 10:00 pm. By 11:30 pm, it was all over — and there was no chop.

James Romero began the final table with a solid chip lead (he had 48 big blinds, and the second-closest stack had only 30), and he held the lead for the entire final table, eventually defeating Raman Afanasenka in a short heads-up battle for the title.

When asked about his general strategy for this turbo, Romero said, “I thought people might be playing a little bit too loose, so I just tightened up a bit.”

The biggest threat to Romero’s run came early (before the final table), and even then, he wasn’t the at-risk player. “I won a big all in when queen-six jammed on me, small blind vs. big blind for about 10 bigs, and I had ace-three and held. That would have left me crippled if I lost.”

This was a quick and fun one-day event, and the players at the final table were quite chatty and having a good time. Marcus Stein even had his dog Wilson with him, though Wilson obediently stayed curled up at Stein’s feet the entire time, and passersby never even knew he was there.

One of the interesting stories from this event was the comeback of Jacob Bazeley. When the field was playing hand-for-hand on the Money Bubble, Bazeley was down to less than two big blinds, but he woke up under the gun with pocket aces and was able to triple up, and then he doubled up a few hands after that when his made a flush against his opponent’s . Bazeley not only survived into the money, but carried that momentum to the final table and all the way to third place.

But back to Romero, a WPT champion who now adds a SHRPO trophy to his poker resume. Romero made the trip to South Florida from Las Vegas, and he enjoys it here at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino even when he’s not winning trophies.

Romero said, “I really like the setup here at the Seminole Hard Rock — beautiful arena, good dealers, and everything is clean.”

Final Table Results:

1st:  James Romero  –  $26,373 + Trophy
2nd:  Raman Afanasenka  –  $15,520
3rd:  Jacob Bazeley  –  $11,543
4th:  Brandon Eisen  –  $8,148
5th:  Brett Apter  –  $6,160
6th:  Manny Tarich  –  $4,705
7th:  Marcus Stein  –  $3,783
8th:  Dustin Lee  –  $3,056
9th:  Rajesh Vohra  –  $2,425

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 22: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 97

James Romero raised from the button to 70,000, Raman Afanasenka moved all in for about 600,000, and Romero called with .

Afanasenka turned over , and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Romero paired his king on the flop to win the pot — and the trophy — with a full house, sevens full of kings. Romero earns $26,373, along with a SHRPO trophy.

Raman Afanasenka finishes as the runner-up, earning $15,520.

Stay tuned for a recap of this event, along with the official results.

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 22: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 97

One hand after getting knocked down to less than two big blinds, Jake Bazeley found himself in the big blind, where he was forced to pay the 30K big-blind ante before putting out his final 15,000 for half of the big blind. (Though the amount for other players to call was still the full 30K.)

Raman Afanasenka limped from the button, and James Romero completed the small blind. There was now 75K in the main pot, and 30K in the side pot.

Romero and Afanasenka checked all the way down on a board of , and everyone turned over their cards:

James Romero:    (ace high)
Raman Afanasenka:    (pair of nines)
Jake Bazeley:    (pair of eights)

Afanasenka scooped the entire pot with his pair of nines to eliminate Bazeley in third place.

Raman Afanasenka  –  615,000  (21 bb)
James Romero  –  1,300,000  (43 bb)
Jake Bazeley  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($11,543)

If you scroll back in the coverage of this event (or click here to go directly to the post), you’ll see that Bazeley was down to less than two big blinds on the Money Bubble. And when you’re that short, the big-blind ante affects strategy quite a bit, making it more advantageous to shove before your big blind. And Bazeley was fortunate enough to wake up under the gun with pocket aces to triple up.

Bazeley carried that momentum all the way to third place. Not bad!

First place is worth $26,373 and a trophy, while the runner-up will receive $15,520.

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 22: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 97

Jake Bazeley moved all in from the button for 285,000, and Raman Afanasenka tanked for a while in the small blind before he called all in for 240,000 with . Bazeley turned over , and Afanasenka needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came — Bazeley flopped a gutshot straight draw, but Afanasenka paired his five on the river to win the pot and double up in chips.

Raman Afanasenka  –  540,000  (18 bb)
Jake Bazeley  –  45,000  (1.5 bb)

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 22: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 97

With the board showing on the turn and a big pot already built up in the middle, James Romero bet 150,000, and Brandon Eisen moved all in.

Romero quickly called with for an ace-high straight, and Eisen turned over for two pair. Eisen would need an ace or a ten on the river to stay alive.

The river card was the , and Romero won the biggest pot of the tournament with his straight to eliminate Eisen in fourth place and take a big chip lead.

James Romero  –  1,400,000  (47 bb)
Brandon Eisen  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($8,148)

The remaining three players are guaranteed at least $11,543 each.

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 22: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 97

Brett Apter was all in from the small blind with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of James Romero in the big blind.

The board came , and Romero won the pot with two pair, nines and fives, to eliminate Apter in fifth place.

James Romero  –  625,000  (21 bb)
Brett Apter  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($6,160)

The remaining four players are guaranteed at least $8,148 each.

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 22: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 97

The final five players return from break to increased blinds of 15,000/30,000 and a big-blind ante of 30,000. Here are their official chip counts, followed by the remaining prizepool:

Seat 1.  Jake Bazeley  –  285,000  (10 bb)
Seat 5.  Brandon Eisen  –  470,000  (16 bb)
Seat 6.  Raman Afanasenka  –  240,000  (8 bb)
Seat 7.  Brett Apter  –  380,000  (13 bb)
Seat 9.  James Romero  –  565,000  (19 bb)

1st:  $26,373
2nd:  $15,520
3rd:  $11,543
4th:  $8,148
5th:  $6,160

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 21: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 97

Manny Tarich was all in from the button with , but he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Brandon Eisen in the small blind.

The board came — Eisen flopped a set of aces to Tarich’s gutshot straight draw, but Tarich never got there. Eisen won the pot to eliminate Tarich in sixth place.

Brandon Eisen  –  470,000  (24 bb)
Manny Tarich  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($4,705)

The remaining five players are all guaranteed at least $6,160 each.

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 21: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 97

Raman Afanasenka moved all in from the hijack, and Brett Apter calls all in from the cutoff for 142,000 with . Afanasenka turned over , and Apter needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Apter paired his king on the river to win the pot and double up in chips.

Brett Apter  –  334,000  (17 bb)
Raman Afanasenka  –  187,000  (9 bb)

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Prizepool
Level 20: 8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 97

Marcus Stein moved all in under the gun for 118,000, and Jake Bazeley moved all in over the top from the small blind with . Stein turned over , and he’d need to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Bazeley won the pot with ace high to eliminate Stein in seventh place.

Jake Bazeley  –  327,000  (20 bb)
Marcus Stein  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($3,783)

The remaining six players are guaranteed at least $4,705 each.