$1,650 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em Level 1: 50/100 Total Players: 64
Players checking out the bracket before getting underway
The $1,650 SHRPO Heads-Up event is underway in the back of the ballroom. The first round has 32 matches with the winner moving on to Round 2. Players begin with 12,000 starting stacks and must win two out of three matches to advance.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member has an interesting draw. He starts his day off against a tough opponent in Willie Wiggins then gets the winner of the Jake Schwartz/Nick Yunis match next. Fellow SHRP team member Michael Laake also has a tough early match against Jonathan Little.
The $1,650 SHRPO Heads-Up tournament filled up with 64 players registered and the seat draw has been released. Each match will be best 2-out-3 games with the winner advancing to the next round.
Day 1 will end after all Round 3 matches are complete and the final eight players will return tomorrow to play it out.
Left side of the bracket
Paul Balzano versus Joseph Couden – Table 45 Aaron Mermelstein versus Bret Beebe – Table 45
Daniel Wirgau versus Pavel Dyanchenko – Table 46 Staffan Lind versus Chino Rheem – Table 46
George Lusby versus Pratyush Buddiga – Table 47 Alberto Rodriguez versus Jack Duong – Table 47
Nick Yunis versus Jake Schwartz – Table 48 Sheddy Siddiqui versus Will Givens – Table 48
Mark Dube versus Joseph Marzilli – Table 53 Alex Foxen versus Chad J. Brown – Table 53
Kane Kalas versus Jordan Robinson – Table 54 Scott Heiligman versus Jon Brody – Table 54
Darren Rabinowitz versus Michael Aron – Table 55 Corey Dodd versus Ronald Sullivan – Table 55
Alexander Gambino versus Sean Munjai – Table 56 Justin Fawcett versus Gary Bolden – Table 56
Right side of the bracket
Michael Abitbol versus Timothy Tenpas – Table 61 Ankush Mandavia versus Keith Block – Table 61
Ian O’Hara versus Nick Palma – Table 62 Sam Panzica versus Tom Middleton – Table 62
Jonathan Kamhazi Aghai versus Brian Hastings – Table 63 Shannon Shorr versus Michael McNeil – Table 63
Hugo Zanotti versus Lyle Vincent – Table 64 Michael Laake versus Jonathan Little – Table 64
David Somers versus Alejandro Duque – Table 69 Timothy Fisher versus Jerry Wong – Table 69
Samuel Phillips versus Amir Babakhani – Table 70 Ari Engel versus Raul Doutreleau – Table 70
Joe McKeehen versus Paul Dlugozima – Table 71 Jordan Redavid versus Marcus Stein – Table 71
Brian Reinert versus John Dollinger – Table 72 Adam Geyer versus Pavel Veksler – Table 72
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood Event #19 $250 No Limit Hold’em Total Entries: 249 Prizepool: $52,290
Nalton Williams Wins $250 No Limit Hold’em
Nalton Williams earned his second career tournament win in the early hours of Sunday morning. The West Palm Beach native got the best end of a three-handed chop in the $250 No Limit Hold’em to net $11,446 and take home the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown trophy.
Williams bested a field of of 249 players to take home his second career win and his second biggest score. After Jason Falquecee hit the rail in fourth place, Williams, Maury Barrett and James Giglia began talks of a deal.
After running the numbers and agreeing on an ICM chop, the tournament ended and Williams was declared the winner.
“It feels great,” said Williams. “It felt it coming all day and it happened. I made some stupid plays that worked at the right time and I made some good plays that worked at other times. It feels great, believe me.”
Williams is an appliance technician who plays a lot of poker when he isn’t working. Most of his play comes in local small buy-in tournaments and his experience in tournaments gave him a sense of what players are capable of.
That experience helped him figure out which players he was capable of picking on at this final table.
“The guy to my right [Maury][Barrett], we had been playing all day and I knew he solid,” said Williams. I didn’t try to take any unnecessary risks with him. I pick who I play against. I really pick my spots and I play hard.”
He came into the final table in the top third of the chip counts and was able to consistently find good spots to put his chips in. He busted Jessica Hoy in seventh place and then took a big pot off of then chip leader Falquecee to take the chip lead.
He never relinquished that lead and rode it all the way to a win.
Here is a look at the results:
1st: Nalton Williams – $11,446 2nd: Maury Barrett – $10,084 3rd: James Giglia – $6,702 4th: Jason Falquecee – $4,026 5th: Josh Rivera – $3,137 6th: Jason Young – $2,615 7th: Jessica Hoy – $2,092 8th: Richard Arno – $1,569 9th: Sheraz Nasir – $1,046 10th: Jeremy Blevins – $680 11th: Richard Kaplan – $680 12th: Fernando Robles – $680 13th: Stephen Esposito – $575 14th: Philip Consolo – $575 15th: Joey Prosper – $575 16th: William Stanton – $523 17th: Tri Tran – $523 18th: David Moreno – $523 19th: Anthony Vidmer – $471 20th: William Smith – $471 21st: Frank Flowers – $471 22nd: Ignacio Hidalgo – $471 23rd: Oscar Lindo – $471 24th: Eric Reese – $471 25th: Steve Trizis – $471 26th: Eric Piderit – $471 27th: Eric Riley – $471
$250 No Limit Hold’em Level 23: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante Players Remaining: 3
After Jason Falquecee was eliminated in fourth place, talks of a deal broke out. After running the numbers, the final three players agreed on a chop based on the ICM numbers.
Nalton Williams earned the win, having the most chips at the time of the deal. Maury Barrett finishes second and James Giglia took home third.
A complete recap will be posted later tonight.
Nalton Williams – 1st PlaceMaury Barrett – 2nd PlaceJames Giglia – 3rd Place
$250 No Limit Hold’em Level 23: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 249
Jeremy Falquecee
Nalton Williams raised to 40,000 under-the-gun and Jason Falquecee moved all in on the button for about 170,000. Maury Barrett called out of the big blind and Williams quickly folded.
Falquecee showed and was in trouble against Barrett’s . The board ran out and Barrett dragged the pot to eliminate Falquecee in fourth.
Maury Barrett – 880,000 Jason Falquecee – Eliminated
$250 No Limit Hold’em Level 22: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante Players Remaining: 5 of 249
James Giglia limped in under-the-gun and Maury Barrett moved all in on the button for 230,000. Jason Falquecee called from the big blind and Giglia folded.
Barrett showed and was in the lead against Falquecee’s . The board ran out and Barrett doubled up.
and was in trouble against Barrett’s 
. The board ran out 
and Barrett dragged the pot to eliminate Falquecee in fourth.
and was dominated by Barrett’s 
. The board ran out 
and Barrett’s big slick held up to take the pot.
and Barrett doubled up.
. He needed to improve against Barrett’s 
and Barrett faded Falqueece’s open-ended straight draw to double up.
and was behind Falquecee’s 
.
and Young was eliminated in sixth place. He took home $2,615 for his finish in South Florida.
and was dominated by Williams’ 
