2023 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 40
$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  345
Prize Pool:  $334,650
April 26-27, 2023

There were 345 entries in the $1,100 Deep Stack, and after two days of play, it was Carlos Chadha Villamarin who defeated Michael Graffeo heads-up, winning the title, the trophy, and $71,150.

“It feels awesome,” said Villamarin. “It’s my first trophy I’ve ever won live. I mostly play online. I’ve won a plaque, and a picture, and I’ve won some trophies online. But I’ve never won a trophy. So this is my first.”

Villamarin finished Day 1 as the final table chipleader, and he was at or near the chip lead the rest of the way.

“It was kind of smooth sailing,” said Villamarin, “because I was just playing small pots the whole time, and just playing really passive.”

When heads-up play began, Villamarin had more than a 5-to-1 chip lead, but Graffeo doubled up twice to nearly even things up before the final hand, when Graffeo’s pocket jacks failed to hold up against Villamarin’s — an ace on the river won the trophy for Villamarin.

“It was friendly, and everyone was super nice,” said Villamarin about the final table. “It was great playing with a nice, diverse mix of people, and I’m glad that poker brings out all these people. ”

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 345

Carlos Chadha Villamarin raised from the small blind to 250,000, Michael Graffeo reraised from the big blind to 800,000, and Villamarin thought for a while before he moved all in.

Graffeo quickly called all in for 2,630,000 with , and needed it to hold to stay alive against Villamarin’s .

The board came — Graffeo flopped an open-ended straight draw, but Villamarin spiked an ace on the river to win the pot — and the title, the trophy, and $71,150.

Graffeo finished as the runner-up, earning $48,600.

Stay tuned for a recap, which will be posted later this afternoon.

1st:  Carlos Chadha Villamarin  –  $71,150 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  Michael Graffeo  –  $48,600
3rd:  Luke Brereton  –  $31,400
4th:  Fred Goldberg  –  $20,700
5th:  Mitchell Halverson  –  $16,000
6th:  Perla Ojeda  –  $13,200
7th:  Michael Cox  –  $11,100
8th:  Tyler Bentz  –  $9,090
9th:  Valerie Novak  –  $7,110

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 345

Michael Graffeo moved all in from the small blind for 1,615,000, and Carlos Chadha Villamarin tanked for a fairly long time before he called with .

Graffeo turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

Villamarin laughed and said, “I almost folded it.”

The board came , and the pocket threes hold up for Graffeo to win the pot and double up in chips.

Michael Graffeo  –  3,330,000  (33 bb)
Carlos Chadha Villamarin  –  3,570,000  (36 bb)

1st:  $71,150 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $48,600

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  40,000/80,000 with 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 345

Michael Graffeo got it all in from the button/small blind for 680,000 with , and needed his hand to hold to stay alive against the of Carlos Chadha Villamarin.

The board came , and Graffeo paired his ace on the turn and his nine on the river to win the pot with two pair and double up in chips.

Michael Graffeo  –  1,440,000  (18 bb)
Carlos Chadha Villamarin  –  5,460,000  (68 bb)

1st:  $71,150 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $48,600

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  40,000/80,000 with 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 345

Michael Graffeo raised from the button to 160,000, and Luke Brereton moved all in from the small blind for about 805,000. Carlos Chadha Villamarin called from the big blind, and Graffeo folded.

Brereton turned over , but he was dominated by Villamarin’s , needing to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Villamarin’s nine kicker played to win the pot and eliminate Brereton in third place.

Luke Brereton  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($31,400)

Here are the updated chip counts for the start of heads-up play:

Carlos Chadha Villamarin  –  5,775,000  (72 bb)
Michael Graffeo  –  1,125,000  (14 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $71,150 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $48,600

3rd:  Luke Brereton  –  $31,400
4th:  Fred Goldberg  –  $20,700
5th:  Mitchell Halverson  –  $16,000
6th:  Perla Ojeda  –  $13,200
7th:  Michael Cox  –  $11,100
8th:  Tyler Bentz  –  $9,090
9th:  Valerie Novak  –  $7,110

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  30,000/60,000 with 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 345

With the board showing on the turn, Luke Brereton checked the big blind, Carlos Chadha Villamarin bet 185,000 from the button, and Brereton check-raised to 475,000. Villamarin thought for a while before he called.

The river card was the , and Brereton thought for a fairly long time before he checked and turned over , expecting a showdown to see Villamarin’s cards. (Brereton had a gutshot straight-flush draw, but missed all of his outs and finished with seven high.)

There was a bit of confusion, but eventually Villamarin used his action to move all in, forcing Brereton to fold and allowing Villamarin to take the pot without showing his cards.

Carlos Chadha Villamarin  –  4,750,000  (79 bb)
Luke Brereton  –  965,000  (16 bb)

With three players remaining from a field of 345, the average chip stack is around 2,300,000 (38 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $31,400 each.

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  30,000/60,000 with 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 345

Carlos Chadha Villamarin moved all in from the small blind, and Michael Graffeo tanked for a while before he called all in from the big blind for 835,000 with .

Villamarin turned over , and Graffeo needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Graffeo won the pot with a flopped pair of kings, fading multiple draws from Villamarin to win the pot and double up in chips.

Michael Graffeo  –  1,730,000  (29 bb)
Carlos Chadha Villamarin  –  3,560,000  (59 bb)

With three players remaining from a field of 345, the average chip stack is around 2,300,000 (38 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $31,400 each.

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  30,000/60,000 with 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 345

Fred Goldberg moved all in from the button for 630,000, and Luke Brereton called from the big blind with .

Goldberg turned over , and he needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Goldberg flopped a spade flush draw, but improved no further. Brereton won the pot with his pocket eights to eliminate Goldberg in fourth place.

Luke Brereton  –  1,850,000  (31 bb)
Fred Goldberg  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($20,700)

With three players remaining from a field of 345, the average chip stack is around 2,300,000 (38 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $31,400 each.

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  30,000/60,000 with 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 345

Luke Brereton moved all in from UTG/cutoff for 505,000, and Fred Goldberg moved all in over the top from the small blind for 1,135,000 with .

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

The board came , and Brereton caught a runner-runner ten-high straight to win the pot and double up in chips.

Luke Brereton  –  1,130,000  (19 bb)
Fred Goldberg  –  630,000  (11 bb)

With four players remaining from a field of 345, the average chip stack is around 1,725,000 (29 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $20,700 each.

$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  25,000/50,000 with 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 345

With the board showing on the turn and a little more than 400K already in the pot, Fred Goldberg checked from the big blind, Luke Brereton bet 175,000 from the button, and Goldberg check-raised to 700,000, leaving himself about 150,000 behind.

Brereton went into the tank for a very long time before he folded, and Goldberg took the pot.

Brereton really wanted to see the river card, and Goldberg smiled and told him he could have seen it for free if he hadn’t bet the turn.

Fred Goldberg  –  1,435,000  (29 bb)
Luke Brereton  –  855,000  (17 bb)

With four players remaining from a field of 345, the average chip stack is around 1,725,000 (35 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $20,700 each.