Michael Newman Ties the Career Record with His Ninth Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Trophy

2023 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 9
$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  468
Prize Pool:  $154,440
April 16-18, 2023

Event 9 Champion Michael Newman
Event 9 Champion Michael Newman

“I’m basically speechless,” said Michael Newman after winning his ninth career trophy here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. “I can’t even believe it.”

From a field of 468 entries, Day 2 of Event #9 ($400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha) began on Tuesday with 60 players remaining, and when they reached the nine-handed final table, Newman was the short stack with just 13 big blinds.

“I’m really not a PLO specialist,” said Newman, who nonetheless was able to bounce back from that short stack to win the title, his ninth trophy, and $25,178.

The only other player to win nine major trophies here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood is Raminder Singh, who accomplished the feat last November during the Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open.

When asked about Singh, Newman said, “It’s great to be tied with someone who’s a really good player.”

Here are the nine trophy events that Newman has won here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, in chronological order:

2016 SHRPO:  $570 No-Limit Hold’em  –  $17,589
2016 RRPO:  $360 Pot-Limit Omaha  –  $7,740
2017 LHPO:  $570 Six-Max Pot-Limit Omaha  –  $7,473
2017 RRPO:  $3,500 RRPO Championship  –  $374,240
2019 LHPO:  $360 Ultimate Re-Entry  –  $183,525
2021 SHRPO:  $400 Turbo No-Limit Hold’em  –  $7,573
2022 RRPO:  $400 Turbo No-Limit Hold’em  –  $7,136
2022 RRPO:  $300 Black Chip Bounty  –  $6,437
2023 Showdown:  $400 Pot-Limit Omaha  –  $25,178

As you can see, that list includes some spectacular victories, including outlasting a field of 4,508 entries to win $183,525 in 2019, and winning the 2017 Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open Championship for $374,240.

“My whole life I’ve just been so competitive at everything I’ve done,” said Newman.

That competitive spirit means Newman is now on the hunt for trophy #10 and sole possession of the career record.


Results:

PlaceFirst NameLast NamePrize Amount
1MichaelNewman$25,178*
2MatthewBretzfield$25,177*
3DonaldMaloney$13,760
4SpencerBroberg$9,500
5EitanElbaz-Dahan$7,265
6ArriStone$6,055
7ChristopherMcNally$5,045
8ChrisCsik$4,050
9TylerBentz$3,055
10SheilaO'Connor$3,055
11AlexanderZiskin$2,525
12AlexanderJagodik$2,525
13IvanSuarez$1,995
14NicholasKost$1,995
15EricKolodny$1,995
16AndreiMitsiuk$1,685
17MichaelGuzzardi$1,685
18ScottHecker$1,685
19JuanMontoya Bernal$1,420
20MarcSacheli$1,420
21DanielPearlman$1,420
22StevenLangert$1,190
23DavidMoreno$1,190
24DzmitryMalets$1,190
25AndrePlaza$1,050
26HyndiKhomutetsky$1,050
27JamesChapman$1,050
28JosephKessman$925
29PaulFisher$925
30MortonDavis II$925
31EricPolirer$925
32MatthewMunsen$925
33JasonFitzpatrick$925
34StephenAllen$925
35JordanMiller$925
36AlekseyFilatov$925
37DarryllFish$800
38JerimiahBooher$800
39AndreaMastrogiovanni$800
40JosephJordan$800
41PerlaOjeda$800
42SamanthaPerryman$800
43DavidReno$800
44AaronPinson$800
45GrantLunkenheimer$800
46LaDarrylAlexis$675
47GregLevine$675
48DmitrySavelyev$675
49RichardDaniels$675
50DavidElkaiam$675
51GabrielPardo$675
52MaksimPisarenko$675
53ShanmukhaMeruga$675
54FrankBrannan$675
55TonyArmand$605
56MichaelFuote$605
57MatthewWolfson$605
58DianeLepera$605
59DmitriyStrunin$605
60BrianTock$605

* The final two players agreed to a heads-up deal.

Event 9: Michael Newman Wins in a Heads-Up Chop ($25,178); Matthew Bretzfield Finishes as Runner-Up ($25,177)

$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 468

Michael Newman
Michael Newman

After some heads-up play and some discussion, Michael Newman and Matthew Bretzfield agreed to end the tournament with a chop to split the remaining prizepool.

Michael Newman  –  5,825,000  (58 bb)
Matthew Bretzfield  –  3,550,000  (36 bb)

As chipleader, Newman was awarded the title and the trophy. Here are the final table payouts:

1st:  Michael Newman  –  $25,178* + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  Matthew Bretzfield  –  $25,177*
3rd:  Donald Maloney  –  $13,760
4th:  Spencer Broberg  –  $9,500
5th:  Eitan Elbaz-Dahan  –  $7,265
6th:  Arri Stone  –  $6,055
7th:  Christopher McNally  –  $5,045
8th:  Chris Csik  –  $4,050
9th:  Tyler Bentz  –  $3,055

* Indicates the results of a heads-up deal.

Matt Bretzfield
Matt Bretzfield

Event 9: Donald Maloney – 3rd Place ($13,760)

$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 468

Donald Maloney
Donald Maloney

Donald Maloney (big blind) got his short stack all in preflop against Matthew Bretzfield (button) and Michael Newman (small blind).

Newman and Bretzfield checked all the way down on a board of Jd4d3cAd6s, and all three players turned over their cards.

Matthew Bretzfield:  QcJsJh6c  (set of jacks)
Michael Newman:  9d7s7c5c  (seven-high straight)
Donald Maloney:  10s9h8h2h  (ten high)

Newman won the pot with his seven-high straight to eliminate Maloney in third place.

Donald Maloney  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($13,760)

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

Matthew Bretzfield  –  5,000,000  (67 bb)
Michael Newman  –  4,300,000  (57 bb)

1st:  $30,055 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $20,300

Event 9: Spencer Broberg – 4th Place ($9,500)

$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 468

Spencer Broberg
Spencer Broberg

With a dead button on the hand, Spencer Broberg limped in from the cutoff. Donald Maloney did the same from the small blind, and Matt Bretzfield raised to 300,000 from the big blind. Only Broberg called.

The flop was Ts4s2c, Bretzfield bet effectively 200,000 and Broberg called all in.

Broberg:  8d7s5d3s
Bretzfield:  QcQd9s8s

Bretzfield was ahead and held through the Th turn and 9d river to eliminate Broberg in fourth place.

Matt Bretzfield  –  4,265,000  (57 bb)
Spencer Broberg  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($9,500)

Event 9: Matt Bretzfield Doubles Thru Spencer Broberg

$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 468

Matt Bretzfield
Matt Bretzfield

With a dead small blind on this hand, Matt Bretzfield raised to 225,000 from UTG/hijack. Spencer Broberg called on the button, and Donald Maloney called in the big blind.

The flop was QsQdTc, Maloney checked, Bretzfield bet the pot of 750,000, Broberg raised all in for about 2,000,000, Maloney folded, and Bretzfield called all in for 1,445,000.

Bretzfield:  AhQhJd4d
Broberg:  KsJcTdTh

Bretzfield had flopped trip queens with a Broadway draw, while Broberg had flopped tens full of queens (with a moot open-ender).

The turn was the Qc, giving Bretzfield quad queens to lock up the hand and the double.

Matt Bretzfield  –  3,640,000  (49 bb)
Spencer Broberg  –  550,000  (7 bb)

Event 9: Eitan Elbaz-Dahan – 5th Place ($7,265)

$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 468

Eitan Elbaz-Dahan
Eitan Elbaz-Dahan

Michael Newman raised to 150,000 from the button, Spencer Broberg called in the small blind, and Eitan Elbaz-Dahan three-bet to 600,000 from the big blind. Newman reraised, Broberg folded, and Elbaz-Dahan called all in for another 110,000.

Newman:  AdKd6c4h
Elbaz-Dahan:  AsKcTd7c

The flop came KsJc8c, giving both a pair of kings. Elbaz-Dahan, however, picked up a flush draw and a straight draw with it.

The turn was the 6d, giving Newman kings and sixes to take the lead.

The river was the 4d, keeping Newman’s kings and sixes best to eliminate Elbaz-Dahan in fifth place.

Michael Newman  –  3,400,000  (45 bb)
Eitan Elbaz-Dahan  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($7,265)

Event 9: Arri Stone – 6th Place ($6,055); Michael Newman Triples Up

$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 468

Arri Stone
Arri Stone

Michael Newman raised from the cutoff to 130,000, Eitan Elbaz-Dahan called from the small blind, and Arri Stone called from the big blind.

The flop came Jh6d5h, Elbaz-Dahan bet 450,000, Stone called, and Newman moved all in for 700,000. Elbaz-Dahan and Stone both called, and any further betting would create a side pot.

The turn card was the 10h, Elbaz-Dahan moved all in for a little more than 400,000, and Stone called all in for a little less than 400,000.

All three players turned over their cards, and here they are in descending order of chip counts:

Eitan Elbaz-Dahan:  JdJs10s4c  (set of jacks)
Arri Stone:  10c5d5s3s  (set of fives)
Michael Newman:  AhQhJc9d  (ace-high flush w/ Royal Flush draw)

The river card was the 9c, and Newman won the main pot with his ace-high flush to triple up in chips. Elbaz-Dahan won the side pot to eliminate Stone in sixth place.

Michael Newman  –  2,565,000  (34 bb)
Eitan Elbaz-Dahan  –  800,000  (11 bb)
Arri Stone  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($6,055)

With five players remaining from a field of 468, the average chip stack is around 1,875,000 (25 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $7,265 each.

Michael Newman
Michael Newman

Event 9: Christopher McNally – 7th Place ($5,045)

$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 468

Christopher McNally
Christopher McNally

Christopher McNally raised from the hijack to 210,000, Arri Stone reraised from the cutoff to about 700,000, and McNally called all in for about 360,000.

Arri Stone:  AhKsKc4s
Christopher McNally:  JsJc9d5c

The board came 10d9s7dQh3h, and McNally flopped a gutshot straight draw and turned an open-ender, but improved no further. Stone won the pot with his pocket kings to eliminate McNally in seventh place.

Arri Stone  –  1,200,000  (20 bb)
Christopher McNally  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($5,045)

With six players remaining from a field of 468, the average chip stack is around 1,565,000 (26 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $6,055 each.

Event 9: Chip Counts at Break

$400 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 468

Seat 1.  Eitan Elbaz-Dahan  –  1,470,000  (25 bb)
Seat 2.  Christopher McNally  –  840,000  (14 bb)
Seat 3.  Arri Stone  –  1,265,000  (21 bb)
Seat 4.  Donald Maloney  –  1,335,000  (22 bb)
Seat 5.  Matt Bretzfield  –  1,225,000  (20 bb)
Seat 7.  Michael Newman  –  685,000  (11 bb)
Seat 8.  Spencer Broberg  –  2,545,000  (42 bb)

1st:  $30,055 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $20,300
3rd:  $13,760
4th:  $9,500
5th:  $7,265
6th:  $6,055
7th:  $5,045