2021 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 1
$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  3,902
Prize Pool:  $2,048,550
April 15-19, 2021

It’s a great sign for a major tournament series when the first event more than quadruples its guarantee. Event 1 ($600 Deep Stack NLH) had a $500,000 guarantee, but the massive field of 3,902 entries created a total prizepool worth more than $2 million.

The event took five days from start to finish, and at the end of it all, Michael Casson had a huge 4.5-to-1 chip lead over Andrew Heckman when they made a heads-up deal, giving Casson the victory.

“It feels amazing,” said Casson. “I came down here from Massachusetts for only one thing, and that was the trophy. And I got it. It feels great.”

Runner-up Heckman started the final day with a substantial chip lead with 15 players remaining, while Casson didn’t make his surge until late.

When the final table got down to the final six players, the action slowed as they played for two-and-a-half hours before the next elimination. During that time, it was Shai Arbel who had the big chip lead.

But shortly after Aleksandr Denisov was eliminated in sixth place, Casson picked the best time to go on a hot streak.

“I came in, and I dominated all of them,” said Casson.

First Casson doubled thru chipleader Arbel, getting it all in preflop with pocket tens against Arbel’s pocket nines. Casson flopped a set and rivered a full house to double up, creating a three-way tie for the lead between Casson, Heckman, and Arbel.

Arbel’s struggles with the second-best hand continued a little while later, when he got it all in preflop with , only to run into Casson’s . Casson flopped a set of kings to take a massive chip lead and knock Arbel down to less than a single big blind. (Two hands later, Arbel was eliminated in fifth place.)

Shane Raikes was knocked out in fourth shortly after that, and a few minutes later Casson flopped a flush to Evan Sandberg’s top pair. They got it all in at that point, and Casson took out Sandberg in third place.

A couple of players at the final table were resistant to making any deals, but once Casson and Heckman reached heads-up, they quickly agreed to terms. As chipleader, Casson was awarded the title and the trophy, along with $280,000.

Casson was thrilled to earn the victory, which bookended the pandemic for him. One of the last things Casson did before the lockdowns hit was chop a big tournament heads-up in Massachusetts to earn $80,000, which had been the biggest score of his career by far — until this one.

Now that he has won his first trophy here, we can expect to see more of Casson here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

“I love Florida,” said Casson, “and I love this casino.”

Final Table Results:

1st:  Michael Casson  –  $280,000* + Trophy
2nd:  Andrew Heckman  –  $242,085*
3rd:  Evan Sandberg  –  $158,400
4th:  Shane Raikes  –  $122,700
5th:  Shai Arbel  –  $92,250
6th:  Aleksandr Denisov  –  $67,700
7th:  Jose Montes  –  $49,060
8th:  Jake Schwartz  –  $35,350

* Indicates results of a heads-up deal.

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 3,902

After the elimination of Evan Sandberg in third place, Michael Casson and Andrew Heckman quickly agreed to a deal for the remaining prizepool. These were the chip counts:

Michael Casson  –  64,200,000  (107 bb)
Andrew Heckman  –  13,800,000  (23 bb)

As chipleader, Casson was declared the winner, and in addition to his prize money, he would also receive the trophy and the title.

The final table payouts are listed below, and stay tuned for a recap, which will be posted later tonight.

1st:  Michael Casson  –  $280,000 + Trophy
2nd:  Andrew Heckman  –  $242,085
3rd:  Evan Sandberg  –  $158,400
4th:  Shane Raikes  –  $122,700
5th:  Shai Arbel  –  $92,250
6th:  Aleksandr Denisov  –  $67,700
7th:  Jose Montes  –  $49,060
8th:  Jake Schwartz  –  $35,350

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 3,902

With the board showing on the turn, Evan Sandberg checked the small blind, chipleader Michael Casson bet 3,500,000 from the big blind, and Sandberg called.

The river card was the , Sandberg checked, Casson moved all in, and Sandberg went into the tank for a very, very long time.

It was a big spot, and the other two players let Sandberg take his time, and he eventually called with for a flopped pair of tens.

But Casson excitedly turned over for a flopped jack-high flush to win the pot, eliminating Sandberg in third place.

Evan Sandberg  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($158,400)

These were the chip counts for the final two players after the hand:

Michael Casson  –  64,200,000  (107 bb)
Andrew Heckman  –  13,800,000  (23 bb)

Sandberg had been resistant to any talk of a deal throughout the final table, but once he was eliminated, Casson and Heckman immediately began discussing a deal.

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 3,902

With the board showing on the river and about 3.8 million already in the pot, Andrew Heckman moved all in from the small blind, and Evan Sandberg went into the tank from the big blind.

Eventually, Sandberg called all in for 5,500,000, and Heckman showed a ten-high bluff — . Sandberg turned over to win the pot with two pair and double up in chips.

Evan Sandberg  –  14,800,000  (25 bb)
Andrew Heckman  –  12,200,000  (20 bb)

A few minutes later, Shane Raikes got his short stack all in against Evan Sandberg.

Raikes had against Sandberg’s , and the final board came — Raikes paired his jack on the flop, but Sandberg rivered a club flush. Sandberg won the pot, eliminating Raikes in fourth place.

Evan Sandberg  –  18,500,000  (31 bb)
Shane Raikes  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($122,700)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 26.0 million (43 big blinds), and the remaining players are all guaranteed at least $158,400 each.

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 3,902

There was a massive preflop all-in situation between two of the chipleaders with nearly identical stacks.

Michael Casson was all in under the gun for 22.3 million with , and he was barely covered by Shai Arbel, who was in the small blind with .

The board came , and Casson flopped a set of kings to win the pot and double up into a dominating chip lead, knocking Arbel all the way down to less than a single big blind.

Michael Casson  –  45,800,000  (76 bb)
Shai Arbel  –  400,000  (<1 bb)

Two hands later, Arbel called all in under the gun for 400,000 (less than the 600K big blind), Casson called 600,000 from the button, and Andrew Heckman called 600,000 from the big blind.

Heckman and Casson checked all the way down on a board of , and then all three players showed their cards.

Michael Casson:    (trip jacks)
Andrew Heckman:    (ace high)
Shai Arbel:    (pair of sixes)

Casson won the pot with his trip jacks to eliminate Arbel in fifth place.

Michael Casson  –  47,000,000  (78 bb)
Shai Arbel  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($92,250)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 19.5 million (33 big blinds), and the remaining players are all guaranteed at least $122,700 each.

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 3,902

Chipleader Shai Arbel moved all in from the button, and Michael Casson called all in from the big blind for 10,100,000 with .

Arbel turned over , and Casson needed his pocket tens to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Casson flopped a set of tens and rivered a full house to win the pot and double up in chips — creating a nearly three-way tie for the chip lead.

These were the approximate chip counts after that hand:

Seat 1.  Andrew Heckman  –  21,000,000  (35 bb)
Seat 2.  Shai Arbel  –  21,500,000  (36 bb)
Seat 3.  Evan Sandberg  –  9,300,000  (16 bb)
Seat 4.  Michael Casson  –  21,100,000  (35 bb)
Seat 5.  Shane Raikes  –  6,300,000  (11 bb)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 15.6 million (26 big blinds), and the remaining players are all guaranteed at least $92,250 each.

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 3,902

The final six players returned from break to begin Level 37, with increased blinds of 300,000-600,000 and a 600,000 ante. These were the official chip counts from the break:

Seat 1.  Andrew Heckman  –  7,300,000  (12 bb)
Seat 2.  Aleksandr Denisov  –  7,600,000  (13 bb)
Seat 3.  Shai Arbel  –  32,400,000  (54 bb)
Seat 4.  Evan Sandberg  –  10,700,000  (18 bb)
Seat 5.  Michael Casson  –  11,900,000  (20 bb)
Seat 6.  Shane Raikes  –  8,300,000  (14 bb)

A short while later, Aleksandr Denisov min-raised under the gun to 1,200,000, and Andrew Heckman called from the big blind.

Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Heckman bet 800,000, and Denisov called.

The river card was the , Heckman moved all in, and Denisov tanked for a while before he called all in for about 5.5 million with for two pair, aces and queens.

But Heckman turned over to win the pot with trip queens, eliminating Denisov in sixth place.

Andrew Heckman  –  16,500,000  (28 bb)
Aleksandr Denisov  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($67,700)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 15.6 million (26 big blinds), and the remaining players are all guaranteed at least $92,250 each.

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 3,902

Shane Raikes announced he was all in from the hijack and put out a stack of about 1.5 million while his total stack was worth 4.4 million. The dealer repeated the all in and put out the “All In” button.

Unfortunately, Aleksandr Denisov (on the button) didn’t notice the “All In” button on the other side of the table, and he assumed it was a standard raise, putting out a stack of 1,000,000. The dealer reminded him that it was an all-in bet, and that’s when Denisov discovered his error. A floor was called.

The ruling was that the one million in chips that Denisov was calling with had to stay in the pot, but he still had the option to call the all in or fold, forfeiting the one million he put out there.

Denisov tanked for a while before he called, and then both blinds quickly folded.

Raikes showed , and he needed it to hold to stay alive against Denisov’s .

The board came , and with a paired board and two high cards, it was a chopped pot.

Aleksandr Denisov  –  12,800,000  (26 bb)
Shane Raikes  –  5,025,000  (10 bb)

The next hand, Denisov raised from the hijack to 1,000, Raikes reraised from the big blind to 2,400,000, and Denisov tanked for a while before reraising to about 4.5 million.

Raikes moved all in for 4,525,000, and Denisov quickly called with . Raikes turned over , and he needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket kings held up for Raikes to win the pot and double up in chips.

Shane Raikes  –  9,800,000  (20 bb)
Aleksandr Denisov  –  8,250,000  (17 bb)

About 15 minutes later, Level 36 came to an end, and the players took a 15-minute break. When they return, the blinds will be 300K-600K.

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 13.0 million (22 big blinds), and the remaining players are all guaranteed at least $67,700 each.

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 3,902

With a $24,550 pay jump at stake, the action has slowed quite a bit at this final table. It’s been more than an hour since the last elimination.

Shai Arbel raised under the gun to 850,000, and Andrew Heckman called from the small blind. The flop came , Heckman checked, Arbel bet 1,000,000, and Heckman called.

The turn card was the , and both players checked. The river card was the , Heckman bet 2,100,000, and Arbel called.

Heckman showed for queen high (missed his straight draw), and Arbel turned over to win the pot with a pair of jacks.

Shai Arbel  –  22,000,000  (55 bb)
Andrew Heckman  –  11,800,000  (30 bb)

That hand was a while ago, and Arbel has increased his stack since then to more than 25 million (50+ big blinds).

The blinds have just increased to 250,000-500,000 with a 500,000 ante. With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 13.0 million (26 big blinds), and the remaining players are all guaranteed at least $67,700 each.

$600 Deep Stack NLH (Single Re-Entry Per Flight)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 3,902

Michael Casson moved all in from the hijack for 4,900,000, and Shai Arbel called from the big blind with . Casson turned over , and he needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Casson paired his six on the flop and turned trips to win the pot and double up in chips.

Michael Casson  –  10,400,000  (26 bb)
Shai Arbel  –  18,750,000  (47 bb)

A short while later, Shane Raikes moved all in from the button for 4,850,000, and Aleksandr Denisov asked for an exact count before he called from the big blind with . Raikes turned over , and he needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket jacks held up for Raikes to win the pot and double up in chips.

Shane Raikes  –  10,300,000  (26 bb)
Aleksandr Denisov  –  13,000,000  (33 bb)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 13.0 million (33 big blinds), and the remaining players are all guaranteed at least $67,700 each.