2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 11
$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Entries: 65
Prize Pool: $19,500
April 9, 2019

Event 11 of the 2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown was a $360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry). A field of 65 entries generated a prize pool of $19,500.

It took until his third final table of the series, but Gabriel Ramos captured his fourth SHRP trophy after a heads-up deal was reached.

“I sort of squandered the other two final tables, so I wanted to stay ultra-disciplined in this one,” Ramos said afterward. “I had a really tough beat five-handed where I had Buddy (Frezza) in pretty bad shape with a set of aces against his set of fives and he spiked a five and I didn’t even flinch. I think that I was just really disciplined and really focused today.”

Ramos survived the one outer, but was still the short stack with three players remaining when talks of a deal surfaced.

“They wanted to do a deal three-handed and I declined. I felt like I could come back and win and then I did, so I’m really happy about it.”

For Ramos, this fourth trophy comes in a fourth variation of Omaha.

“It feels good. Mixed games are my specialty. I literally travel the country just playing mixed events, and this one is special because PLO8 is one of the toughest tournaments to win.”

Results:
*1st: Gabriel Ramos – $6,400+ Showdown trophy
*2nd: Walter Buss – $4,324
3rd: Buddy Frezza – $2,389
4th: Phil Hui – $1,706
5th: Ron Halperin – $1,316
6th: John Holley – $1,024
7th: Donald Maloney – $878
8th: Breen Bentley – $780
9th: Erik Nomberg – $683

*denotes heads-up deal

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 15,000/30,000
Players Remaining: 2 of 65

Before heads-up play began, Gabriel Ramos and Walter Buss agreed to a deal.

Here were their chip counts at the time:

Gabriel Ramos – 654,000
Walter Buss – 126,000

Here were their subsequent payouts:

Gabriel Ramos – $6,400
Walter Buss – $4,324

As the chip leader, Ramos officially gets the victory and the trophy.

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 15,000/30,000
Players Remaining: 2 of 65

Buddy Frezza raised the pot to 105,000, Gabriel Ramos reraised from the small blind and Frezza called all in for another 10,000.

Frezza:
Ramos:

The board came down , giving Ramos nines and sixes to beat Frezza’s nines and threes.

Gabriel Ramos – 654,000
Walter Buss – 126,000
Buddy Frezza – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($2,389)

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22: 10,000/20,000
Players Remaining: 3 of 65

Gabriel Ramos raised to 45,000 from the button and Buddy Frezza called from the big blind.

The flop was and Frezza check-called 20,000 from Ramos.

The turn was the , Frezza bet the pot of 140,000 and Ramos called all in for 87,000.

Frezza:
Ramos:

Ramos had a wheel against Frezza’s set.

The river was the , safe for Ramos to double up.

Gabriel Ramos – 314,000
Buddy Frezza – 272,000
Walter Buss – 194,000

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 8,000/16,000
Players Remaining: 4 of 65

Ron Halperin limped from the small blind and Buddy Frezza checked his option.

The flop was , Halperin bet the pot of 32,000 and Frezza called.

The turn was the , Halperin bet his remaining 20,000 and Frezza called.

Halperin:
Frezza:

Halperin held top two pair, while Frezza a flush draw and a wrap.

The river was the , giving Frezza a king-high straight to eliminate Halperin in fifth place.

Buddy Frezza – 285,000
Ron Halperin – Eliminated in 5th Place ($1,316)

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 5,000/10,000
Players Remaining: 5 of 65

Buddy Frezza limped from the small blind, Gabriel Ramos raised the pot to 30,000 from the big blind and Frezza called.

The flop was , Frezza checked, Ramos bet the pot and Frezza called all in for 53,000.

Frezza:
Ramos: 

Ramos held top set of aces and had Frezza drawing to just one out with his set of fives.

The turn changed nothing, but the river was the to give Frezza quad fives for the one-out river to double up.

Buddy Frezza – 166,000
Gabriel Ramos – 218,000

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 5,000/10,000
Players Remaining: 5 of 65

John Holley raised all in for 33,000 from the button and Walter Buss called from the big blind.

Holley:
Buss:

The board came down , giving Buss aces and kings to eliminate Holley in the sixth place.

Walter Buss – 110,000
John Holley – Eliminated in 6th Place ($1,024)

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 16: 2,500/5,000
Players Remaining: 6 of 65

Following a flop of , Donald Maloney bet the pot of 35,500 from the big blind. Buddy Frezza raised all in from the next seat, John Holley folded from the hijack and Maloney called all in for about 61,000.

Maloney:
Frezza:

Maloney had the nut flush draw with a pair of kings, while, Frezza had an inferior flush draw, a pair of queens and a straight draw.

The turn was the , giving Frezza a straight to take the lead.

The river was no help to Maloney, ending his run in seventh place.

Buddy Frezza – 165,000
Donald Maloney – Eliminated in 7th Place ($878)

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 16: 2,500/5,000
Players Remaining: 7 of 65

Following a flop of , Breen Brantley wound up all in for about 43,000 from the small blind against Buddy Frezza in the hijack.

Brantley:
Frezza:

Frezza led with a set of nines against Brantley’s two pair.

The turn gave Brantley a flush draw (and a third pair), but the river was a non-helpful to end his tournament.

Buddy Frezza – 130,000
Breen Brantley – Eliminated in 8th Place ($780)

$360 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 15: 2,000/4,000
Players Remaining: 8 of 65

Following a flop of , Erik Nomberg got his stack of 26,000 into the middle from the small blind against John Holley in middle position.

Nomberg:
Holley:

The turn and river completed the board, giving Holley an ace-high flush along with an 8-7-4-2-A low. Nomberg wasn’t able to beat either, ending his tournament in ninth place.

John Holley – 143,000
Erik Nomberg – Eliminated in 9th Place ($683)