2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 14
$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Entries:  94
Prize Pool:  $94,000
August 6, 2019

In a 94-player turbo no-limit hold’em event that lasted a few minutes longer than six hours, Sam Panzica won in a heads-up ICM chop with Mohammed Tarkmani to add his first Seminole Hard Rock trophy to his already impressive resume.

While this is first SHRPO title, Panzica has more than $4.35 million in career live tournament earnings, including two WPT titles.

Panzica was at the top of the leaderboard for most of the final table, but the key moment came when there were four players left, and Jake Schwartz shoved the small blind with , only to run into Panzica’s in the big blind. The best hand held up for Panzica to double up into a huge chip lead, and Schwartz was knocked down to just six big blinds. Schwartz would be eliminated a short while later in fourth place.

Carlos Guerrero was eliminated in third place a short while later by Mohammed Tarkmani, and that still left Panzica with a nearly 2-to-1 chip lead. Tarkmani and Panzica quickly agreed to chop the remaining prizepool according to ICM, and as chipleader, Panzica was declared the champion.

Panzica was in a great mood for the entire final table, and was clearly enjoying the turbo format with 15-minute levels. Panzica said, “You can’t beat it, you know?”

Final Results:

1st:  Sam Panzica  –  $23,962
2nd:  Mohammed Tarkmani  –  $21,038
3rd:  Carlos Guerrero  –  $12,200
4th:  Jake Schwartz  –  $8,580
5th:  Xavier Sitruk  –  $6,270
6th:  Donaldson Brown  –  $4,765
7th:  Stoyan Obreshkov  –  $3,775
8th:  Raj Vohra  –  $3,120
9th:  Chris Hunichen  –  $2,700
10th:  Tomas Geleziunas  –  $2,700
11th:  James Rann  –  $2,445
12th:  Manny Tarich  –  $2,445

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 94

After the elimination of Carlos Guerrero in third place, the final two players agree to an ICM chop based on their official chip counts:

Sam Panzica  –  1,245,000  (83 bb)
Mohammed Tarkmani  –  635,000  (42 bb)

As chipleader, Panzica is declared the winner and will receive the SHRPO trophy, along with a custom-framed winner’s photo courtesy of IMPDI.

Here are the official payouts:

1st:  Sam Panzica  –  $23,962
2nd:  Mohammed Tarkmani  –  $21,038
3rd:  Carlos Guerrero  –  $12,200
4th:  Jake Schwartz  –  $8,580
5th:  Xavier Sitruk  –  $6,270
6th:  Donaldson Brown  –  $4,765
7th:  Stoyan Obreshkov  –  $3,775
8th:  Raj Vohra  –  $3,120
9th:  Chris Hunichen  –  $2,700
10th:  Tomas Geleziunas  –  $2,700
11th:  James Rann  –  $2,445
12th:  Manny Tarich  –  $2,445

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 94

Level 20 comes to an end, and the players take a 10-minute break. Here are the official chip counts:

Seat 1.  Mohammed Tarkmani  –  350,000  (18 bb)
Seat 2.  Sam Panzica  –  1,245,000  (62 bb)
Seat 3.  Carlos Guerrero  –  285,000  (14 bb)

When action resumed, Carlos Guerrero got it all in from the small blind for 295,000 with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Mohammed Tarkmani (with 320,000) in the big blind.

The board came , and Tarkmani won the pot with his king to eliminate Guerrero in third place.

Carlos Guerrero  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($12,200)

The official chip counts for the start of heads-up play:

Sam Panzica  –  1,245,000  (62 bb)
Mohammed Tarkmani  –  635,000  (32 bb)

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 94

Jake Schwartz moved all in from the small blind for 490,000, and Sam Panzica called all in from the big blind for 407,000 with . Schwartz turned over , and Panzica needed his pocket jacks to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket jacks held up for Panzica to win the pot and double up in chips, knocking Schwartz down to about six big blinds.

Sam Panzica  –  829,000  (55 bb)
Jake Schwartz  –  83,000  (6 bb)

The next hand, Schwartz moved all in from the button for 83,000, and Carlos Guerrero called from the big blind with . Schwartz turned over , and needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Schwartz won the pot with his ace to double up in chips.

Jake Schwartz  –  186,000  (12 bb)
Carlos Guerrero  –  425,000  (28 bb)

A little while later, Schwartz moved all in from the small blind for 256,000, and Sam Panzica asked for an exact count and thought for a while before he called from the big blind with . Schwartz turned over , and needed his deuces to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Panzica paired his ace on the flop to win the pot and eliminate Schwartz in fourth place.

Sam Panzica  –  1,200,000  (80 bb)
Jake Schwartz  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($8,580)

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 94

Mohammed Tarkmani got it all in from the button for 127,000 with , and he needed it to hold against the of Sam Panzica in the big blind.

The board came , and the pocket aces held up for Tarkmani to win the pot and double up in chips.

Mohammed Tarkmani  –  266,000  (33 bb)
Sam Panzica  –  416,000  (52 bb)

After the blinds increased to 5,000-10,000, Xavier Sitruk raised under the gun to 23,000, Mohammed Tarkmani moved all in from the cutoff for 246,000, and Sitruk called with . Tarkmani turned over , and needed his pocket kings to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket kings held up for Tarkmani to win the pot and double up in chips, knocking Sitruk down to about three big blinds.

Mohammed Tarkmani  –  517,000  (52 bb)
Xavier Sitruk  –  33,000  (3 bb)

Sitruk was able to double up thru Jake Schwartz twice over the next three hands before getting it all in on the river against Schwartz, and Schwartz won that pot to eliminate Sitruk in fifth place.

Jake Schwartz  –  520,000  (35 bb)
Xavier Sitruk  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($6,270)

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 94

Stoyan Obreshkov moved all in under the gun for 39,000, Carlos Guerrero called from the hijack, and Donaldson Brown called from the button. Any further betting would create a side pot between Guerrero and Brown.

The flop came , Guerrero checked, Brown moved all in for about 160,000, and Guerrero quickly called. All three players revealed their cards:

Carlos Guerrero:    (pair of aces)
Donaldson Brown:    (pair of queens)
Stoyan Obreshkov:    (pair of jacks)

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and the pocket aces held up for Guerrero to win the pot and eliminate both players. Since Brown started the hand with a larger chip stack, he received the higher finish.

Carlos Guerrero  –  508,000  (64 bb)
Donaldson Brown  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($4,765)
Stoyan Obreshkov  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($3,775)

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 94

Raj Vohra was all in from the hijack for nearly 50,000 with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Mohammed Tarkmani in the big blind.

The board came , and Tarkmani won the pot with his jack kicker to eliminate Vohra in eighth place.

Mohammed Tarkmani  –  135,000  (17 bb)
Raj Vohra  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($3,120)

The final seven players are guaranteed at least $3,775 each.

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 94

Chris Hunichen moved all in from middle position for 145,000, and Sam Panzica called from the small blind with . Hunichen turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Panzica flopped a full house, queens full of fours, to win the pot and eliminate Hunichen in ninth place.

Sam Panzica  –  530,000  (66 bb)
Chris Hunichen  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($2,700)

The final eight players are guaranteed at least $3,120 each.

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 94

The final nine players redraw for random seats at the final table, and here are their updated chip counts:

Seat 1.  Xavier Sitruk  –  290,000  (48 bb)
Seat 2.  Chris Hunichen  –  145,000  (24 bb)
Seat 3.  Donaldson Brown  –  168,000  (28 bb)
Seat 4.  Mohammed Tarkmani  –  118,000  (20 bb)
Seat 5.  Jake Schwartz  –  398,000  (66 bb)
Seat 6.  Stoyan Obreshkov  –  55,000  (9 bb)
Seat 7.  Sam Panzica  –  394,000  (66 bb)
Seat 8.  Raj Vohra  –  65,000  (11 bb)
Seat 9.  Carlos Guerrero  –  270,000  (45 bb)

Jake Schwartz and Sam Panzica are nearly tied for the lead, separated by less than a small blind. Here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $27,005
2nd:  $17,995
3rd:  $12,200
4th:  $8,580
5th:  $6,270
6th:  $4,765
7th:  $3,775
8th:  $3,120
9th:  $2,700

$1,100 Eight-Handed Turbo NLH (Freeze-Out)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining:  12 of 94

In the second hand of hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble, Xavier Sitruk was all in from the small blind for 94,000 with , and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive against the of the player in the cutoff.

The board came , and the pocket aces held up for Sitruk to win the pot and double up in chips.

Xavier Sitruk – 200,000  (33 bb)

In the third hand of hand-for-hand play, the player who lost the previous hand moved all in from the hijack for 33,000, and Donaldson Brown moved all in over the top for about 120,000 from the cutoff with . The short stack turned over , and he needed his pocket sevens to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Brown paired his king on the river to win the pot and knock out his opponent in 13th place on the Money Bubble.

Donaldson Brown  –  165,000  (28 bb)

The remaining 12 players are in the money, guaranteed at least $2,445 each, and they will redraw for the final table when there are nine players left.