2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event #17
$2,200 No-Limit Hold’em Eight-Max
$100,000 Guarantee
Entries: 209 
Prize Pool: $418,000 
August 9, 2018 

Despite having almost no sleep over the last 48 hours, Mike Dentale battled through serious fatigue and took down the $2,200 no-limit hold’em eight-max event in the early hours of Friday morning.

On the eve of Day 1A of the $5,250 SHRPO Championship event, Dentale bested arguably the toughest final table of the series, defeating a field of 209 entries and earning $96,235.

The Brooklyn, NY native wasn’t even going to make it down here because of so much on his plate in his personal life, but a little nudge from Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood tournament director Tony Burns got him to make his way down to South Florida.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even coming out here this time because I have so much personal stuff going on in my life,” said the 48-year-old after his win. “I never try to miss the Hard Rock. I love everything about it, but Tony convinced me. He was like ‘Mike, you got to come, you can’t miss it.’ But I swear to God I wasn’t coming. I had too much to do and then last second I thought ‘Alright, let’s do it.'”

Dentale hopped on a flight and got down to Hollywood well before he could even check-in to his room on Thursday morning. He spent a little time taking in the amenities and trying to catch up on some rest before jumping in the event that started at noon.

“I came here right off the plane at five in the morning and went right to the pool,” said Dentale. “I had no sleep in two days. I’ve been moving into a new place and I’ve been packing.”

Dentale ‘took power naps’ in between hands as a way to combat the fatigue. He came into the final table in the middle of the pack, but it wasn’t long before he held a monster chip lead.

He credits his aggressive style with getting that monster stack.

“I came in real aggressive,” said Dentale. “[I] pulled off some really nice bluffs, kind of used my image, you know, having fun, not taking the game seriously, and bluffed a lot of guys. Then when they finally started calling me, I had most of it. [I] built my stack up nice because I got a lot of calls in spots where I think they let it go, but my image got me paid off.”

By the time four-handed play rolled around, Dentale had more than half of the chips in play. He busted Ozgur Arda in sixth, Corey Burbick in fifth, Zachary Donovan in third and bested Michael Tureniec heads-up.

The only players at the final table that didn’t exit at the hands of Dentale were Martin Kozlov in fourth, Wally Maddah in seventh and Darryll Fish in eighth.

“I ran really well at the end,” said Dentale. “I stuck it out.”

Once Dentale took the chip lead, he never relinquished it. His heads-up battle with Tureniec lasted only a couple of hands. He takes the momentum from the win into Day 1A of the Championship event, where he hopes for another deep run.

And maybe a nap.

“Hopefully get a deep run in that and hopefully get a nice little rest,” said Dentale. “I’m exhausted.”

Results:

1st: Mike Dentale – $96,235
2nd: Michael Tureniec – $64,160
3rd: Zachary Donovan – $46,845
4th: Martin Kozlov – $34,690
5th: Corey Burbick – $26,060
6th: Ozgur Arda – $19,865
7th: Wally Maddah – $15,370
8th: Darryll Fish – $12,070
9th: Farid Jattin – $9,625
10th: Lee Markholt – $9,625
11th: Omer Smidt – $7,795
12th: Ken Fishman – $7,795
13th: Jeff Gross – $6,410
14th: Harrison Gimbel – $6,410
15th: Hassan Tahsildar – $5,360
16th: Brandon Eisen – $5,360
17th: Mario Prats Garcia – $4,555
18th: Adam Zeltser – $4,555
19th: Ian O’Hara – $4,555
20th: Aram Zobian – $4,555
21st: Matt Affleck – $3,935
22nd: Steven Wolansky – $3,935
23rd: Michael Rossitto – $3,935
24th: Evan Teitelbaum – $3,935
25th: Tomas Soderstrom – $3,455
26th: Shannon Shorr – $3,455
27th: Ryan Bambrick – $3,455

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 209

Mike Dentale won the first significant showdown of heads-up to extend his lead and leave Tureniec with about 700,000.

Tureniec shoved all in on the button and Dentale called out of the big blind.

Tureniec showed and needed help against Dentale’s . The board ran out and Dentale won the pot with ace-high.

Tureniec was eliminated in second place and took home $64,160 for his runner-up finish. Dentale earned $96,235 and the trophy.

A complete recap will be posted later tonight.

Mike Dentale – $2,200 No-Limit Hold’em Eight-Max Champion
Michael Tureniec – Eliminated 

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 209

Zachary Donovan moved all in on the button for 590,000 and Mike Dentale called out of the small blind.

“I’ll gamble with you,” said Dentale, showing .

Donovan was in the lead with his , but the flop of moved Dentale into first-place.

The turn was the and Donovan was drawing dead to the river. Donovan wished the final two players good luck and headed off to collect his $46,845.

Dentale takes a nearly 3-to-1 chip lead into heads-up play against Michael Tureniec.

Mike Dentale – 3,000,000
Michael Tureniec – 1,200,000

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 209

Zachary Donovan limped in on the button, Mike Dentale completed the small blind and Michael Tureniec checked his option in the big blind.

The flop was and Dentale checked. Tureniec checked and Donovan bet 60,000. Dentale called and Tureniec check-raised to 210,000.

Dentale called and the came on the turn. Dentale checked and Tureniec moved all in for 770,000, which sent Dentale into the tank for several minutes.

“I wonder what Zach wants to happen here,” joked Dentale.

He stood up from his chair and turned around to look at the clock before beginning to talk again.

“I have no pair. Should I gamble here?” asked Dentale. “I don’t know what to do.”

Eventually, Dentale decides on a fold and later claimed he folded 9d7d. Tureniec mucked his hand and declined to answer any of Dentale’s inquiries about what he had.

Michael Tureniec – 1,350,000
Mike Dentale – 2,080,000

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 209

Martin Kozlov moved all in out of the small blind for 565,000 and Zachary Donovan called out of the big blind.

Donovan showed and was in the lead against Kozlov’s .

The flop was , giving Kozlov bottom pair and Donovan an open-ended straight draw.

The turn was the and the river was the . Donovan missed his straight draw, but the turn and river counterfeited Kozlov’s pair and Donovan won the pot with the two pair on the board and a bigger kicker.

Kozlov earned $34,690 for his finish.

Zachary Donovan – 1,365,000
Martin Kozlov – Eliminated 

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 209

Mike Dentale raised from the cutoff and Corey Burbick defended his big blind, leaving himself with about 70,000 behind.

The flop was and Burbick checked. Dentale bet enough to put Burbick all in and Burbick called.

Burbick showed and was up against Dentale’s .

“Oh, you have a king,” said Burbick softly, now seeing his straight outs were no good for the whole pot.

The turn was the , giving Burbick the nut flush draw, but the came on the river and Burbick was eliminated in fifth-place for $26,060.

Mike Dentale – 2,300,000
Corey Burbick – Eliminated 

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 209

On the river with a completed board of , it was a battle of the blinds with about 300,000 in the pot between Zachary Donovan in the small blind and Mike Dentale in the big blind.

Donovan checked and Dentale bet 250,000. Donovan thought for a couple of minutes before calling. Dentale showed , giving him top and bottom pair.

Donovan mucked his hand and the final five players took an unscheduled five-minute break.

Mike Dentale – 2,100,000
Zachary Donovan – 500,000

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 209

Mike Dentale raised to 40,000 from under the gun and Michael Tureniec called from the cutoff. Martin Kozlov moved all in on the button for 255,000.

Dentale thought for some time and then folded. Tureniec called. Tureniec tabled and was dominated against Kozlov’s .

“I folded two kings,” joked Zachary Donovan.

The flop brought a king and Tureniec was drawing dead on the turn. The river brought another king and Kozlov doubled up with trips.

Martin Kozlov – 600,000
Michael Tureniec – 800,000

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 209

Mike Dentale raised from the cutoff and Ozgur Arda moved all in for 475,000 out of the small blind. Dentale snap-called.

Arda showed and was in trouble against Dentale’s .

“I folded an eight,” said Martin Kozlov before the flop.

The board ran out . Dentale won the pot and eliminated Arda in sixth place for $19,865.

“That’s so dirty,” said Emily Perrinjaquet from the rail to Kozlov.

“Why?” asked Kozlov.

“Don’t tell him one of his outs are gone,” said Perrinjaquet.

“Why? When he hits it, it will just make him that much happier,” said Kozlov with a laugh.

The table laughed at Kozlov’s response before Zachary Donovan chimed in about Dentale’s recent rush of cards.

“You’re killing this final table,” said Donovan to Dentale. “You were asleep at the beginning of it and now you’re killing it.”

With his latest knockout, Dentale extends his chip lead and now has just shy of half the chips in play.

Mike Dentale – 1,700,000
Ozgur Arda – Eliminated 

$2,200 Eight-Handed NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 209

Michael Tureniec raised to 40,000 from early position and action folded around to Wally Maddah in the big blind.

“I’m afraid if I look, I’m going to fold,” said Maddah referencing his short stack and 40,000 committed in the big blind with the ante.

Eventually, Maddah moves all in for about 75,000 and Tureniec quickly calls.

Tureniec showed and Maddah sweated his cards one at a time. First, he turned over the .

“That’s a good one for him, I think,” said Zachary Donovan, inferring that it’s likely Maddah’s second card is lower than a nine.

Maddah turned over the as his second card and was dominated by Tureniec’s bigger king.

The board ran out and Tureniec won the pot with nines and sixes. Maddah hit the rail in seventh-place, earning $15,370.

Michael Tureniec – 1,070,000
Wally Maddah – Eliminated