Championship: Nathan Bjerno Picks Off a Bluff

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 10: 500/1,000 with a 100 ante
Players Remaining: 504 of 1,207

On a flop of Qs6h4s, Nathan Bjerno bet 3,000 from the small blind and the player in middle position raises to 8,500. Bjerno called and the turn is the Jc.

Bjerno checked and the player in middle position bet 11,000. Bjerno called and the river was the Js.

Bjerno checked for a third time and the middle position player bet 15,000. Bjerno snap-called.

“Ace-high,” said the player in middle position.

Bjerno tabled KhKd and his opponent mucks. Bjerno moved over the 100,000-chip mark just before the end of the day.

Nathan Bjerno – 111,000

Championship: Payouts Released, Over $661,000 to the Winner

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 10: 500/1,000 with a 100 ante
Players Remaining: 594 of 1,207

The cage has calculated the payouts and they have been released to the field. With 1,207 entries in the championship event, there is a prizepool of $3,862,400 and the top 151 finishers will be in the money.

A min-cash is worth $5,002 and the eventual winner will take home $661,283.

2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, FL
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship
Entries: 1,207
Prize Pool: $3,862,400
March 31 – April 5, 2017

Championship: Matt Waxman Rivers a Knockout

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 Ante
Entries: 1,207

Matt Waxman

A player in middle position opened to 2,000, and Matt Waxman defended his big blind.

The flop was 9d7d4c. Waxman checked, the raiser continued for 3,000, and Waxman check-raised to 9,500. His opponent called. The turn was the 9c, and Waxman checked again. The other player took his cue to bet 9,000, but Waxman check-raised all in for right around 50,000 effective with a stack of barely more than that himself. His opponent called all in, putting himself at risk.

Waxman: KdTd (flush draw)
Opponent: KcKh (kings up)

Waxman’s opponent needed to fade only a diamond, but he could not. The river was the 8d, and Waxman won the knockout pot with a flush, essentially doubling up in the process.

Matt Waxman – 145,000

Championship: Sorel Mizzi Picks Off a Bluff

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 ante
Entries: 1,207

There was about 12,000 in the pot on the river with a completed board of AsJs4c6c9c and a player in early position bet 6,000.

“You got a jack,” asked Sorel Mizzi from the cutoff.

“Would I value bet a jack?” responded the player in early position. “If I thought you had tens I would.”

Mizzi thinks for just under a minute and then calls.

“Ace is good,” said Mizzi as he tossed the chips in.

“You got it,” said early position.

Early position showed KsQd and Mizzi dragged the pot with his QsQc.

Sorel Mizzi – 97,000

Championship: Lee Markholt Gets Flushed

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 ante
Entries: 1,207

On the turn with a board of Qd8d6d3s, the player in the small blind leads out for 2,200 and is called by Matt Affleck in the big blind and Lee Markholt on the button.

The river was the 6c and the small blind bet again, this time 4,300. Affleck folds and Markholt called.

The small blind tabled 9d5d and Markholt mucked his hand.

Lee Markholt – 43,000

Championship: Tanya Kirk Runs Ace-King into Ace-King

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 Ante
Entries: 1,207

Tanya Kirk (left) Lucien Cappello (right)

In a button-versus-small-blind confrontation, Tanya Kirk and Lucien Cappello tangled up in a preflop battle that left Cappello all in for 56,300 and barely covered by Kirk.

Kirk: AcKs
Cappello: AhKh

The 5h4h3c was worth a grimace from Kirk, as Cappello flopped a flush draw. Sure enough, the turn was the 7h, giving him an unbeatable flush. The river was the meaningless 9s, and Cappello doubled up to move into six figures, collecting nearly all of Kirk’s remaining chips in the process.

Lucien Cappello – 114,200
Tanya Kirk – 3,100

Championship: Marcus Stein Doubles Through Ari Engel

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship (Re-Entry)
Level 8: 300/600 with a 75 Ante
Entries: 1,180

Just a couple minutes after playing a small pot against each other, Marcus Stein and Ari Engel played a big one. The preflop action resulted in Stein being all in for his last 28,875 and Engel putting him at risk.

Stein: AsAd
Engel: AhKs

The board ran out Qc9d8cJs7h, and Stein’s aces held to earn him a double-up.

Marcus Stein – 59,250
Ari Engel – 12,000

Championship: Ari Engel Takes a Small One Before Break

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship
Level 8: 300/600 with a 75 ante
Entries: 1,168

Marcus Stein raised to 1,400 from middle position and Ari Engel called from the cutoff.

They both checked a flop of AcJh3h and the Qs comes on the turn. Stein bet 2,200 and Engel called.

The river was the Ad and both players checked. Stein showed 4s4h and Engel won the pot with KsJd. Engel dragged the pot and in a couple minutes, the players will take their final break of the night.

Ari Engel – 38,000
Marcus Stein – 33,000

Championship: Bryn Kenney Doubles Up

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship (Re-Entry)
Level 8: 300/600 with a 75 Ante
Entries: 1,168

There’s a bit of urgency for the short stacks in the room at the moment, as time is quickly running out on the opportunity to re-enter this field. The registration period will close following the break at the end of this level.

Bryn Kenney wasn’t exactly short, starting this hand with 25,575 chips, but he welcomed the opportunity to get his stack in preflop, snap-calling a four-bet shove from the player to his direct right to put himself at risk.

Kenney: ThTc
Opponent: AdTs

The board ran out Td4d3h2hKh, and Kenney doubled up with a set of tens.

Bryn Kenney – 52,650