2021 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida 
Event 39 
$25,500 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller
$2,000,000 Guaranteed 
Entries: 91 
Prize Pool: $2,247,700
August 9-10, 2021

Joe McKeehen added another title to his already lengthy poker resume on Tuesday evening at the Hollywood Hard Rock after taking down one of the largest buy-ins of the series.

The 2015 World Series of Poker main event champion bested a field of 91 entries in the $25,000 no-limit hold’em high roller event to earn $550,990 in a heads-up chop with four-time World Poker Tour champion Darren Elias.

Over the course of his decade-long career as a poker pro, Tuesday’s victory was his 24th of his career. And in his words, it was a smooth ride to victory.

“I came in with a lot of chips and had a lot of hands early. I made some nice hands, won some pots and kind of just stayed afloat from that point on,” said McKeehen. “I got to three-handed and had some chips. I got a little lucky and that was that.”

McKeehen made his mark on the poker world with his WSOP main event win worth $7.68 million. Unlike several other main event champs, the Pennsylvania native has proven himself to be more than a one-hit wonder.

Since then, McKeehen has cemented himself as one of the best in the game and will play the highest stakes available if he’s at the tournament stop.

The victory is a continuation of his success from the summer. In June, McKeehen won the $10,000 no-limit hold’em at the U.S. Poker Open for $200,200 and then turned around two days later and finished third for $102,000 in another $10,000 U.S. Poker Open event. His latest six-figure score bumped his career live tournament earnings to more than $18 million.

“I love playing the high rollers here,” said McKeehen. “They get good turnouts usually and they’re good fields. They end in two days so the structure is pretty good. There’s a decent amount of play, but I also like the one-day ones as well. I just like to play. I play what’s offered.”

McKeehen came into the final table with 56 big blinds and the chip lead. He extended it as he eliminated Nadya Magnus in eighth, Joseph Cheong in sixth and Thomas Boivin in third.

After Boivin was eliminated in third, McKeehen was left heads-up with Darren Elias. The two were very close in chips, but agreed to a deal that saw McKeehen take home $550,990 and Elias $539,135.

*Reflects Heads-Up Deal

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 91

Darren Elias (4,870,000) and Joe McKeehen (4,230,000) agreed to a deal, giving each $539,135 and leaving $11,855 left to flip for.

On the first hand, Elias had on the button against McKeehen’s in the big blind. The board came , giving McKeehen a jack-high straight to double up and take the lead.

On the second hand, McKeehen held on the button against Elias’ in the big blind. The board ran out , no help to Elias, locking up the victory for McKeehen and a first-place payday of $550,990.

Elias finished runner-up for $539,135.

A recap of the event will be posted later tonight.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 91

Joe McKeehen raised to 120,000 from the button, Thomas Boivin three-bet all in for 660,000 from the small blind and McKeehen called.

McKeehen:
Boivin:

The board ran out , no help to Boivin, ending his tournament in third place.

Joe McKeehen – 4,230,000 (71 bb)
Thomas Boivin – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($285,460)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 91

Darren Elias opened to 125,000 from the button and Jake Daniels moved all in from the small blind for around 900,000. Joe McKeehen folded his big blind and Elias called.

Elias:
Daniels:

Daniels ran into a monster and the board could not save his High Roller, going out in fourth place for $197,800.

Darren Elias – 4,225,000 (70 bb)
Jake Daniels – Eliminated in 4th Place ($197,800)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 91

The final four players returned from break to begin Level 21, with increased blinds of 30,000-60,000 and a big blind ante of 60,000. Here are the official chip counts, followed by the remaining payouts:

Seat 1.  Darren Elias  –  2,415,000  (40 bb)
Seat 2.  Jake Daniels  –  1,375,000  (23 bb)
Seat 3.  Joe McKeehen  –  2,845,000  (47 bb)
Seat 4.  Thomas Boivin  –  2,465,000  (41 bb)

1st:  $629,345 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $460,780
3rd:  $285,460
4th:  $197,800

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 91

After a flop of , David Peters checked the big blind, Darren Elias bet 80,000, and Peters called.

The turn card was the , Peters checked, Elias bet 225,000, and Peters thought for a while before he called.

The river card was the , Peters checked, Elias moved all in, and Peters called with . But Elias turned over to win the pot with a club flush and eliminate Peters in fifth place.

Darren Elias  –  2,415,000  (48 bb)
David Peters  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($128,120)

The remaining four players are all guaranteed at least $197,800 each.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 91

David Peters raised all in for 520,000 from the button and Darren Elias isolated with a shove from the small blind.

Peters:
Elias:

The board ran out , giving Peters a king-high straight to double through Elias.

David Peters – 1,140,000 (23 bb)
Darren Elias – 715,000 (14 bb)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 91

Joseph Cheong moved all in from the cutoff for 405,000, and Joe McKeehen called from the small blind with .

Cheong turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and McKeehen’s seven kicker played for him to win the pot and eliminate Cheong in sixth place.

Joe McKeehen  –  3,250,000  (65 bb)
Joseph Cheong  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($96,650)

The remaining five players are all guaranteed at least $128,120 each.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 91

Joe McKeehen raised UTG+1 to 100,000, Dylan Smith moved all in from the small blind for 230,000, and Joseph Cheong reraised from the big blind to 350,000. McKeehen quickly folded.

Smith turned over , and he needed to improve to stay alive against Cheong’s .

The board came — Smith paired his three on the flop, but improved no further. Cheong won the pot with his pocket kings to eliminate Smith in seventh place.

Joseph Cheong  –  1,585,000  (32 bb)
Dylan Smith  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($78,670)

The remaining six players are all guaranteed at least $96,650 each.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 91

Nadya Magnus moved all in from the hijack for 60,000, Jake Daniels called from the small blind, and Joe McKeehen reraised from the big blind to about 250,000. Daniels quickly folded.

Magnus turned over , and she needed her hand to hold to stay alive against McKeehen’s .

The board came , and the two pair on the board counterfeited Magnus’s pair of threes, and McKeehen won the pot with his ace to eliminate Magnus in eighth place.

Joe McKeehen  –  2,625,000  (66 bb)
Nadya Magnus  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($67,430)

The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $78,670 each.