$10,000 Miami Beach JCC Charity Event No-Limit Hold’em (Freeze-Out)
Level 15: 4,000/8,000/500 Ante
The charity event attracted 18 entries, creating a total prizepool of $115,200. There are four players remaining, and the final three will finish in the money.
Seat 1. Jonah Miller – 75,000 (9 bb)
Seat 2. Alan Richardson – 100,000 (13 bb)
Seat 3. Shmuel Zalmanov – 59,000 (7 bb)
Seat 4. Andy Andrejevic – 125,000 (16 bb)
1st: $57,600
2nd: $34,560
3rd: $23,040
$10,000 Miami Beach JCC Charity Event No-Limit Hold’em (Freeze-Out)
Level 3: 150/300/25 Ante
The charity event for this series is underway in the smaller ballroom across the hall from the main tournament room, and there were 17 players who ponied up the $10,000 buy-in.
This event is hosted by the Galbut Family Miami Beach JCC (MBJCC) on the Simkins Family Campus, and a portion of the prizepool will be donated to charity.
Michael Mizrachi is the most notable player in the field, and after a couple of early eliminations, here is the lineup for the remaining 15 players:
TABLE 1
Seat 1. Joshua Wander
Seat 2. Marc Lehmann
Seat 3. Michael Simkins
Seat 4. Shmuel Zalmanov
Seat 5. Paul Domb
Seat 6. Jonah Miller
Seat 7. Sean Posner
Seat 8. Andrew Liporace
TABLE 2
Seat 1. Benjamin Garrett
Seat 2. Mark Fisher
Seat 3. Andrew Mirmelli
Seat 4. Neal Berman
Seat 5. Jarret Posner
Seat 6. Alan Richardson
Seat 7.
Seat 8. Michael Mizrachi
2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$350 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$30,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
August 9, 2015
Total Entries: 276
Total Prize Pool: $55,200
Recap:
Without a doubt there was a collision coming at some point between the two overwhelming chip leaders this evening but no one could have expected it to go down quite like it did. That battle resulted in Robert Melo cruising to the Event 11 title.
With two tables to go, Jorge Gomez was the clear chip leader sending player after player to the payout window. But with Gomez seemingly on cruise control, Robert Melo had also managed to put together the second largest stack in the room. And when Melo was moved off his table and to the right of Gomez, it formed a wall that destroyed most of the competition at their table and it looked like the two of them were headed for an epic showdown for the tournament championship.
Gomez continued his torrid pace of eliminations taking out Antonio Velazquez in 10th place and was appearing to be nearly unstoppable. But then came the hand of the night between him and Melo. Melo bet out 35,000 followed by a raise from Gomez to 100,000. Melo then fired back raising to 350,000 and Gomez went all-in. Melo quickly called and turned over 
and Gomez showed 
. With over 2,600,000 chips and the tournament essentially on the line with everyone else so far behind, Melo’s kings held up and left Gomez as the short stack in the tournament.
Gomez managed to triple up back to 101,000 but Frank DeGeorge took almost of them leaving him with only 5,000 chips. DeGeorge then finished him off with a set of aces and Gomez was out in 9th place. Mark Gaudino then took John Utley then out in 8th place but even with the eliminations by Gaudino and DeGeorge no was within shouting distance of Melo’s enormous chip stack.
Realizing the situation with Melo holding 2,800,000 of the 4,100,000 in play, the remaining players decided a chop was in everyone’s best interest and the tournament ended with Robert Melo winning the title and the other six players splitting the remaining prize money.
Melo talked about the situation that was brewing with Gomez. “Before I was moved I thought I was the chip leader and when I sat down and saw he had me covered I said what does the one guy with chips than me have to be to my left? So I knew I had to just tighten up and not get out of line. When we got moved to one table he still had position on me but it was a little better.”
He then talked about the hand that put the tournament into his control. “I was shocked that he shoved. He doesn’t have to do that and he gave up so much equity. When he shoved I wasn’t going to fold kings. I don’t want to go out on a limb and say I was going to win after that but I was a heavy favorite by a lot of horse lengths.”
Melo had a humble reaction to winning the title. “I’m not too full of myself. This is just a warm-up for next week. If I could do that next week, that’s life-changing money. It’s encouraging, it’s nice and it’s great for my confidence but it’s all about next week.”
He also had some great things to say about Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the team here. “Excellent, wonderful. Obviously the Hard Rock has taken control of tournament poker in Florida. No one puts on better tournaments or Opens so it’s exciting.”
Congratulations to our Event 11 Champion – Robert Melo!
Results:
1st: Robert Melo (Howard Beach, NY) – $15,000
2nd: Frank DeGeorge (Las Vegas, NV) – $4,556
3rd: Nahra Habib (Awkar, Lebanon) – $4,556
4th: Mark Gaudino (Plantation, FL) – $4,556
5th: Yousri Ali (Chicago, IL) – $4,556
6th: Wally Maddah (Palm Harbor, FL) – $4,556
7th: Sanjid Acharya (Tampa, FL) – $4,556
8th: John Utley (Morganfield, KY) – $1,656
9th: Jorge Gomez (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)- $1,104
10th: Antonio Velazquez (Toa Baja, PR) – $718
$350 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 24: 10,000/20,000/3,000 Ante
It was just a matter of time.
Looking at the chip stacks you would have thought Robert Melo had taken the table and just tilted it his way given his overwhelming chip lead. And after some discussion following the elimination of John Utley, the players agreed to a deal to end Event 11 and leaving Melo the winner.
Melo wins $15,000 while the remaining players six players split the rest of the remaining prize money. Frank DeGeorge, Nahra Habib, Mark Gaudino, Yousri Ali, Wally Maddah and Sanjid Acharya all take home $4,556 for their efforts in Event 11.
Congratulations to our Event 11 Champion – Robert Melo!
$350 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 24: 10,000/20,000/3,000 Ante
While the table was still adjusting to what had taken place, John Utley finally decided to take a stand with his last 80,000. Mark Gaudino decided to make the call.
Utley turned over 
and Gaudino showed 
. The board ran out 
to end Utley’s run this evening.
John Utley finishes in 8th place for $1,656.
$350 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 23: 8,000/16,000/2,000 Ante
After the game-changing hand that turned this Event 11 on its ear, Jorge Gomez went out with a whimper.
After losing most of the rest of his chips to Frank DeGeorge, Gomez was in for his last 5,000 with three callers. Frank DeGeorge ended up betting the rest of his competitors out of the hand on a 
board. DeGeorge turned over 
and Gomez showed 
. DeGeorge hit the on the river for a set and in a matter of minutes Gomez went from chip leader to headed to the payout window.
Jorge Gomez finishes in 9th place for $1,104.
$350 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 23: 8,000/16,000/2,000 Ante
Robert Melo was the only player that could any major damage to Jorge Gomez and Gomez decided to pick the fight that turned this final table upside-down.
Pre-flop, Melo bet out 35,000 and Gomez raised to 100,000. Melo then three-bet 350,000. Gomez decided to go all-in and Melo quickly called.
Melo showed and Gomez turned over . With Melo ahead, the flop came 
. Gomez hit the 
on the turn but a harmless came on the river giving Robert Melo total command of the tournament and leaving Gomez as the short stack on the table.
$350 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 22: 6,000/12,000/2,000 Ante
Antonio Velazquez earlier called Jorge Gomez “The Terminator” and now he just got terminated.
Velazquez was all-in with 
against Gomez with . Gomez immediately hit the 
flop and got the on the turn to boot. The 
hit on the river and Velazquez was the first one to fall on this final table.
Antonio Velazquez finishes in 10th place for $718.
$350 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 21: 5,000/10,000/1,000 Ante
We’ve reached our final table in Event 11. After a re-draw, here are the seat for the remaining ten players:
Seat 1: Nahra Habib
Seat 2: Sanjid Acharya
Seat 3: John Utley
Seat 4: Frank DeGeorge
Seat 5: Wally Maddah
Seat 6: Mark Gaudino
Seat 7: Robert Melo
Seat 8: Yousri “Chicago” Ali
Seat 9: Antonio Velazquez
Seat 10: Jorge Gomez
$350 Big Stack Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 22: 6,000/12,000/2,000 Ante
His opponents are now calling him “The Terminator”.
Taking advantage of his huge chips stack and a few short stacks on the table, Gomez has knocked out Antonio Pena in 13th place, Sergio Gomez in 12th and Robert Hickson in 11th putting us on our final table.
Gomez now stands around 1,600,000 and is out in front of Robert Melo with 935,000.
We’ll have the final table draw posted shortly as the players are moving to the other side of the ballroom.