2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 26
$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 83
Prize Pool: $394,250
April 16, 2019

Event 26 of the 2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown was a $5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry) with a guaranteed prize pool of $200,000. A field of 83 entries nearly doubled that amount, generating a prize pool of $394,250. Earning the outright victory was Paul Snead, winning the first-place prize of $116,245.

“It feels great,” Snead told us afterward. “It’s been a long time coming. I haven’t won first place since 2007, and that was my only win until now.”

This win was certainly a long time coming for Snead, who after his biggest career score in 2008 took time away from the game.

“I took a long time off after the 2008 World Series Main Event (Snead finished in 21st place for $257,334). It really crushed me, and I stopped playing poker for a while,” reminisced Snead of his tough exit in the Main Event, where he was two-outed on the river.

“My brother and I started a business together after, and I didn’t really play poker for about eight years. We sold the business, and now I’m free to do whatever and play poker again.”

Snead’s win today marks his second largest career score, and he believes it’s a sign of things to come.

“I feel like the universe is lining up, finally. I took a lot of bad beats in the past, and it just feels nice to win a race like that in a big spot. I’m just very grateful. I have a lot of support from my family, and they’re going to be thrilled. It just feels great.”

Results:
1st: Paul Snead – $116,245
2nd: George Wolff – $77,500
3rd: Brian Yoon – $52,545
4th: Brent Roberts – $36,955
5th: Michael Tureniec – $27,000
6th: Kristen Bicknell – $20,520
7th: Brian Altman – $16,255
8th: Barry Hutter – $13,440
9th: Eric Panayiotou – $11,625
10th: Brock Wilson – $11,625
11th: James Romero – $10,540

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 83

George Wolff raised all in for 215,000 from the button and Paul Snead called from the big blind.

Wolff:
Snead:

The board ran out , giving Snead a pair of jacks to eliminate Wolff in second place for $77,500.

Snead wins Event 26 outright for $116,245!

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 83

Paul Snead raised to 40,000 from the small blind, Brian Yoon three-bet to 125,000 from the big blind and Snead called.

The flop was , Snead checked, Yoon bet 100,000, Snead check-raised all in with a covering stack and Yoon called all in for just shy of 500,000.

Yoon:
Snead:

The turn and river completed the board, giving Snead a flush to crack Yoon’s set of aces and eliminate him in third place.

Paul Snead – 1,390,000
George Wolff – 275,000
Brian Yoon – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($52,545)

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20: 5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 83

Brent Roberts raised all in for about 180,000 from the small blind and Paul Snead called from the big blind.

Roberts:
Snead:

The board ran out , giving Snead top two pair to eliminate Roberts in fourth place.

Paul Snead – 925,000
Brent Roberts – Eliminated in 4th Place ($36,955)

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 83

Paul Snead raised all in for effectively 150,000 from the small blind and Brian Yoon called all in from the big blind.

Snead:
Yoon:

The board ran out , safe for Yoon to double up.

Brian Yoon – 310,000
Paul  Snead – 750,000

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 83

Michael Tureniec raised all in from under the gun for 85,000 and Brian Yoon isolated from the small blind.

Tureniec:
Yoon:

The board ran out , no help to Tureniec, safe for Yoon to score the elimination.

Brian Yoon – 200,000
Michael Tureniec – Eliminated in 5th Place ($27,000)

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 83

Paul Snead raised to 25,000 from under the gun and Brent Roberts called from the big blind.

The flop was and Roberts check-called 30,000 from Snead.

The turn was the and both players checked.

The river was the , Roberts bet 80,000 and Snead called.

Roberts showed , but Snead tabled to win the pot.

Paul Snead – 600,000
Brent Roberts – 480,000

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 83

Brent Roberts – 625,000
Paul Snead – 455,000
George Wolff – 340,000
Brian Yoon – 125,000
Michael Tureniec – 120,000

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18: 4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 83

Kristen Bicknell raised all in for 102,000 from the cutoff and George Wolff isolated from the button with a shove of his own.

Bicknell:
Wolff:

The board ran out , no help to Bicknell, ending her tournament in sixth place.

George Wolff – 365,000
Kristen Bicknell – Eliminated in 6th Place $20,520)

$5,000 Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18: 4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 83

Brian Altman raised to 18,000 from under the gun, Paul Snead reraised to effectively 140,000-ish from the small blind, Brian Yoon folded his big blind and Altman called all in.

Altman:
Snead:

The board came down , giving Snead an ace-high flush to eliminate Altman.

Paul Snead – 410,000
Brian Altman – Eliminated in 7th Place ($16,255)