2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 10
$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  151
Prize Pool:  $50,585
March 29, 2022

On Tuesday night, Nohad “Nu” Teliani won her second career trophy here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood by winning Event #10 ($400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em) in a four-way deal, earning $9,986.

“I got stacked on my first hand on my first bullet,” said Teliani. “I had a set of fives against a set of queens.” Coincidentally, the player who knocked her out on that first bullet was Aaron Thivyanathan, who made it all the way to the end to be a part of that four-way deal, finishing third.

But Teliani re-entered, and made the most of that second bullet, surviving the Money Bubble (the final 19 got paid) and making it to the final table with an above-average chip stack.

“It was a good final table, with good energy,” said Teliani. “Matt [Waxman] was really good. Good to watch and tough to play against. He was challenging.”

The key hand came with five players remaining, when Waxman — a WPT Champion and a WSOP Bracelet winner — four-bet shoved into Teliani’s . The pocket nines held up for Teliani, and Waxman was eliminated in fifth place.

“That was really unlucky,” said Teliani. “His ace-king suited against my pocket nines. That was really the turning point.”

Shortly after Waxman’s elimination, the final four players agreed to an ICM chop to end the tournament. As chipleader, Teliani was declared the winner, earning the title, the trophy, and the largest cut of the prizepool.

Teliani loves the six-max format, calling it her second favorite after PLO.

“You can play a little more aggressive,” said Teliani. “You can call a little bit lighter and play your position. You get to play more hands.”

Final Results:

* Indicates the results of a four-way chop.

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 151

As Level 21 was coming to an end and Level 22 beginning, the final four players agree to an ICM chop to end the tournament. These were the final chip counts, followed by the payouts they agreed to:

1.  Nohad Teliani  –  995,000  (50 bb)
2.  Kevin Johnson  –  730,000  (37 bb)
3.  Aaron Thivyanathan  –  290,000  (15 bb)
4.  Nicholas Carballo  –  255,000  (13 bb)

1st:  Nohad Teliani  –  $9,986 + Showdown trophy
2nd:  Kevin Johnson  –  $8,939
3rd:  Aaron Thivyanathan  –  $6,125
4th:  Nicholas Carballo  –  $5,800

As chipleader, Nohad “Nu” Teliani receives the title and the trophy.

Stay tuned for a recap from this event, which will be posted later tonight.

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 151

Kevin Johnson raised under the gun to 40,000, and Nohad Teliani called from the big blind.

Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Teliani checked, Johnson bet 55,000, and Teliani called.

The river card was the , Teliani bet 75,000, and Johnson raised to 215,000. Teliani tanked for a while before she folded.

As he took the pot, Johnson showed for a rivered full house, fours full of queens.

Kevin Johnson  –  775,000  (52 bb)
Nohad Teliani  –  975,000  (65 bb)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 565,000 (38 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $3,165 each.

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 151

Matthew Waxman raised under the gun to 30,000, Nohad Teliani reraised from the button to 80,000, and Waxman thought for a while before he moved all in for about 480,000.

Teliani called rather quickly with , and Waxman turned over . Waxman needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket nines held up for Teliani to win the pot and eliminate Waxman in fifth place.

Nohad Teliani  –  1,125,000  (75 bb)
Matthew Waxman  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($2,455)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 565,000 (38 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $3,165 each.

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 151

Matthew Waxman min-raised from the button to 30,000, and Nohad Teliani called from the big blind.

The flop came , Teliani bet 40,000, and Waxman called.

The turn card was the , and Teliani moved all in for 205,000. Waxman tanked for a long time before he called with for a pair of jacks.

But Teliani turned over for a pair of queens, and she needed her hand to hold to stay alive.

The river card was the , and Teliani won the pot with her pair of queens to double up in chips.

Nohad Teliani  –  570,000  (38 bb)
Matthew Waxman  –  390,000  (26 bb)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 455,000 (30 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,455 each.

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 151

Michael Jagroo got it all in from the small blind for about 205,000 with , but he was dominated and facing elimination against the of Kevin Johnson in the big blind.

The board came , and Johnson won the pot with a pair of kings and his queen kicker to eliminate Jagroo in sixth place.

Kevin Johnson  –  475,000  (32 bb)
Michael Jagroo  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($2,025)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 455,000 (30 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,455 each.

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 151

The players returned from break to begin Level 20, with increased blinds of 5,000-15,000 and a 15,000 ante.

Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Seat 1.  Matthew Waxman  –  820,000  (55 bb)
Seat 2.  Nicholas Carballo  –  425,000  (28 bb)
Seat 3.  Nohad Teliani  –  290,000  (19 bb)
Seat 4.  Michael Jagroo  –  170,000  (11 bb)
Seat 5.  Kevin Johnson  –  300,000  (20 bb)
Seat 6.  Aaron Thivyanathan  –  265,000  (18 bb)

And here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $13,725 + Showdown trophy
2nd:  $8,750
3rd:  $5,210
4th:  $3,165
5th:  $2,455
6th:  $2,025

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 380,000 (25 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,025 each.

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 151

Michael Cavanaugh raised from the button to 25,000, Matthew Waxman reraised from the small blind to 80,000, and Cavanaugh tanked for a long time before he four-bet all in for about 150,000.

Waxman called with , and Cavanaugh turned over . Cavanaugh needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came — Cavanaugh flopped an open-ended straight draw, but improved no further. Waxman won the pot with his pocket fours to eliminate Cavanaugh in seventh place.

Matthew Waxman  –  790,000  (79 bb)
Michael Cavanaugh  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($1,670)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 378,000 (38 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,025 each.

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 151

After the elimination of Athanasios Polychronopoulos in eighth place, the final seven players drew for random seats at the final table. Here is the updated lineup, with approximate chip counts:

Seat 1.  Michael Cavanaugh  –  170,000  (21 bb)
Seat 2.  Matthew Waxman  –  615,000  (77 bb)
Seat 3.  Nicholas Carballo  –  440,000  (55 bb)
Seat 4.  Nohad Teliani  –  380,000  (48 bb)
Seat 5.  Michael Jagroo  –  125,000  (16 bb)
Seat 6.  Kevin Johnson  –  150,000  (19 bb)
Seat 7.  Aaron Thivyanathan  –  420,000  (53 bb)

With seven players remaining, the average chip stack is about 324,000 (41 big blinds).

And here are the remaining payouts at stake, followed by the players who have finished in the money so far:

1st:  $13,725 + Showdown trophy
2nd:  $8,750
3rd:  $5,210
4th:  $3,165
5th:  $2,455
6th:  $2,025
7th:  $1,670

8th:  Athanasios Polychronopoulos  –  $1,670
9th:  Brett Streicher  –  $1,400
10th:  Jairo Velasquez  –  $1,400
11th:  Richard Katz  –  $1,215
12th:  Dolphus Powers  –  $1,215
13th:  Tarun Gulati  –  $1,055
14th:  Yisroel Pruss  –  $1,055
15th:  James Salmon  –  $960
16th:  Daphne Diaz  –  $960
17th:  Raminder Singh  –  $885
18th:  Steve Karp  –  $885
19th:  Duff Charette  –  $885

$400 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 151

Nicholas Carballo raised from the cutoff to 20,000, Athanasios Polychronopoulos moved all in from the small blind for 201,000, and Carballo asked for an exact count and carefully counted out the exact amount of a call from his own stack before he called with .

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

There was an eight in the window as the flop came , giving Polychronopoulos a huge lead with a set of eights.

But the turn card was the , giving Carballo additional outs to a club flush draw.

The river card was — the .

Carballo rivered a club flush to win the pot and eliminate Polychronopoulos on the final table bubble in eighth place.

Nicholas Carballo  –  440,000  (55 bb)
Athanasios Polychronopoulos  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($1,670)

With seven players remaining, the average chip stack is about 324,000 (41 big blinds). They have drawn for random seats at the final table, which will be posted soon.