2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event #8
$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guarantee
Entries: 226
Prize Pool: $45,200
August 6, 2018

Christiane Valade of Montreal, Canada was visiting South Florida with her husband and her two daughters, and when she woke up this morning, she had no plans to play this event. She didn’t even know this event was taking place today.

She had never been to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino before, but she visited the website this morning, and saw that there was a $360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty event starting at noon. So she decided to play.

Her husband and daughters went to Orlando to spend the day at Universal Studios, while Valade came to SHRPO. I don’t know how much fun her family at the theme park, but it’ll be tough to top Valade’s day here. (She texted them updates throughout the day,

Valade was second in chips with 45 players remaining, and was seemingly among the chipleaders for the entire rest of the way. She was the first player to a million in chips, and she was still over a million when the 10-handed final table began, giving her nearly twice as many chips as anybody else.

Fast forward to the final few players, and Valade’s key pot came when she and her opponent got it all in after a flop of , but Valade’s (pair of kings) was behind her opponent’s (two pair).

But another fell on the turn to give Valade a higher two pair, and she won the pot to retake the chip lead.

A few hands later, they agreed to a chop with the following approximate chip counts:

Christiane Valade  –  1,600,000
Truyen Nguyen  –  1,200,000
Joe Villacci  –  500,000

As the chipleader, Valade was the winner, earning $8,556 and the SHRPO trophy, more than enough to justify missing a day at a theme park.

Final Table Results:

1st:  Christiane Valade  –  $8,556 + Trophy
2nd:  Truyen Nguyen  –  $8,042
3rd:  Joe Villacci  –  $6,168
4th:  Andre Bryan  –  $2,818
5th:  Carlos Torres Vazquez  –  $2,176
6th:  John Caputo  –  $1,803
7th:  Justin Carey  –  $1,537
8th:  Jose Rivera Vega  –  $1,311
9th:  Richard Davis  –  $1,065

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 20: 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 226

On a flop of with around 100,000 in the pot Truyen Nguyen moved all in, and Joe Villacci called all in for 209,000.

Nguyen tabled and needed to get very lucky against Villacci’s .

The board came running sixes and Villacci wound up with a full house to avoid elimination.

Joe Villacci – 520,000 (52 bb)
Truyen Nguyen – 270,000 (27 bb)

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 226

Richard Davis moved all in for around 100,000  with and Andre Bryan called with .

The board came and Bryan flopped a pair of fours to eliminate Davis and score his bounty.

Andre Bryan – 460,000 (58 bb)
Richard Davis – Eliminated in 9th Place ($1,065)

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 226

Claudio Piedrabuena moved all in for 94,000 from middle position. Andre Bryan reshoved from the small blind and Joe Villacci called all in for 119,000.

Joe Villacci –
Claudio Piedrabuena:
Andre Bryan:

The board came and Villacci flopped a set of tens to eliminate Piedrabuena and double through Bryan.

Joe Villacci –  340,000 (43 bb)
Andre Bryan – 300,000 (38 bb)
Claudio Piedrabuena – Eliminated in 19th place ($930)

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 226

Here’s a look at the results from 11th to 18th place:

11th: Daniel Brown – $930
12th: Bassam Moura – $930
13th: Mark Alcivar – $798
14th: Jeff Manza – $798
15th: Frederic Normand – $798
16th: Richard Whitebrook – $665
17th: David Maslowski – $665
18th: Taylor Brooks – $665

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 226

With the elimination of Daniel Brown the Black Chip Bounty Final Table is set, here’s how they stack up:

Seat 1: Claudio Piedrabuena – 360,000
Seat 2: Carlos Torres – 124,000
Seat 3: John Caputo – 570,000
Seat 4: Truyen Nguyen – 470,000
Seat 5: Justin Carey – 278,000
Seat 6: Richard Davis – 205,000
Seat 7: Andre Bryan – 476,000
Seat 8: Joe Villacci – 127,000
Seat 9: Jose M. Rivera Vega – 128,000
Seat 10: Christiane Valade – 1,026,000

And here’s a look at what’s up for grabs:

1st – $10,653 + Trophy
2nd – $7,480
3rd – $4,633
4th – $2,818
5th – $2,176
6th – $1,803
7th – $1,537
8th – $1,311
9th – $1,065
10th – $930

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 226

Daniel Brown moved all in for around 100,000 with and Truyen Nguyen called with .

The board came and Nguyen wound up with a full house to eliminate Brown and secure the final table.

Truyen Nguyen – 470,000 (59 bb)
Daniel Brown – Eliminated in 11th Place ($930)

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 11 of 226

On a flop of Andre Bryan bet 50,000 into a pot of around 50,000 from early position. Bassam Mourad called from middle position.

The turn brought the , Bryan bet 105,000,  Mourad moved all in and Bryan called having him slightly covered.

Bryan turned over and was in great shape against his opponent’s .

The river was the and Bryan’s set of nines held to score the bounty.

Andre Bryan – 480,000 (60 bb)
Bassam Mourad – Eliminated in 12th Place ($930)

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 18: 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 12 of 226

On a flop of Joe Villacci checks from early position and Chris Valade bets 20,000 into a pot of around 40,000.

Villacci folded his and Valade showed pocket jacks saying “When I play, I have the right cards.”

Valade raked in the pot and extended her chip lead.

Chris Valade – 1,035,000 (173 bb)
Joe Villacci – 210,000 (35 bb)

$360 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
End of Level 17: 2,500/5,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 14 of 226

The final fourteen players are currently on a fifteen minute color-up break. They will return with increased blinds and antes of 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante