The Omaha field is growing slowly. They’re up to 22 entries and counting.
Robert Campbell
Among the players opting for Omaha over No Limit Hold’em today is Robert Campbell. Robert won the Pot Limit Omaha H/L event here during the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open back in August, taking the top prize in a five-way chop.
Robert also won the PLO H/L event at Coconut Creek in September and here in March during the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. He also has a Limit Omaha H/L title from the Orleans in May. It appears that Robert fares better in the High/Low versions of Omaha, so we’ll see how he handles today’s High-only game.
The second trophy event of this series is underway in the back of the Seminole Hard Rock Ballroom. For those who like to play with four cards instead of two, this game is for you!
Pot Limit Omaha players began with 15,000 chips and all levels are 30 minutes long.
Late registration and re-entry are available until the start of level 9 (about 4:30pm).
This is a one-day event, so they’ll play until a winner is determined. The eventual winner will receive a Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ’N’ Roll” Poker Open trophy and a custom framed professional photograph provided by IMPDI.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Event 2: $250 Omaha 8B August 14-15, 2014
Entries: 76 Prize Pool: $15,960
1st Place
RECAP The first Main Event to crown a champion at the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open is the $250 Omaha 8OB tournament that concluded on Friday, August 15. Fast play at the final table ensured that a winner was crowned in the afternoon. It was Wayne Brown (pictured above) who topped the final table of nine players to win $3,512, a beautiful Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open trophy and a custom framed photograph provided by IMPDI with event information plaque and commemorative pin. Brown worked in retail for 23 years before retiring to run his own business managing vending machines for the past 11 years. Brown plays poker on the side, but that could change if he racks up a few more tournament wins.
Brown also topped a total field of 76 players that entered the tournament, but his toughest test came at the end, where pros like “Miami” John Cernuto were among his final opponents. Brown came into the final table as the second shortest stack left in play and he was the shortest of the four players remaining when he got dangerously low in chips.
Brown took a shot when action folded to him in the small blind. He raised and it was met by a third bet from Avi Levy. Brown capped it pre-flop with just one big bet behind. Brown was all-in after the flop and tabled , but he was in trouble against Levi’s . The turn was no help but they both hit a low on the . Brown survived but only picked up a quarter of the pot. Surviving this pot started Brown’s comeback and by the time the final table was down to three players he held the chip lead.
That was when his final opponents, Cernuto and John Binns were ready to make a chop. They chopped the prize money three ways but Brown took home the win, the trophy, and the Player of the Year points. He also enjoyed the wild ride from beginning to end. “I wanted to make sure that even if I went out in ninth place I was having the best time. I had a blast doing that (playing against the pros). I even told the massage therapist when she started off massaging me for ten minutes and I started on the win streak there, that she could do ten more minutes so she could watch me make these pros, ‘Squirm like a worm [Laughs].”
Brown had fun with the comeback and he was careful to switch up his playing style and take a different approach than he had at previous final tables. “My past history in tournaments is that when I was low stacked I would play scared. But this time I was more relaxed, more aggressive. I had nothing to lose and that was pretty much my mentality all day,” said Brown.
Now that he has some POY points to his name, the 50-year-old Brown plans on playing some more events here at SHRPO. “I’m playing Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday this weekend, and then the same thing next weekend. And then I will see where I’m at for the third weekend with the main event,” said Brown about his SHRPO plans.
Brown is from Babson Park, which is nearby in Central Florida, so he can make the three-hour drive easily. Brown said he usually plays at the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa Bay, but he may have found another tournament home here in South Florida.
FINAL RESULTS 1. DAVID BROWN (BABSON PARK, FL): $3,512 2. JOHN BINNS (CAPE CORAL, FL): $3,511 3. JOHN CERNUTO (LAS VEGAS, NV): $3,511 4. ABRAHAM LEVY (CORAL SPRINGS, FL): $1,436 5. BRENT KEENE (BONITA SPRINGS, FL): $1,117 6. GEORGES BOYADJIAN (TAMARAC, FL): $958 7. ARNOLD COHEN (WEST PALM BCH, FL): $798 8. MICHAEL WANG (LIVINGSTON, NJ): $638 9. GENE HOCHMAN (COCONUT CREEK, FL): $479
We have a winner in Event 2 at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open and it is Wayne Brown (pictured above). Brown agreed to a three-way chop with John Binns (Second place – $3,511) and “Miami” John Cernuto (Third place – $3,511) to bring the $250 Omaha 8OB event to a close.
Brown wins the tournament and for his outstanding performance will receive $3,512, a beautiful Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open trophy and a custom framed photograph provided by IMPDI with event information plaque and commemorative pin.
Stay tuned for a recap of the tournament, winner photos, and a quick interview with the first Main Event champion at SHRPO 2014, Wayne Brown.
The flop read when Avi Levy (pictured above) bet 16,0000 and Wayne Brown raised to 32,000. Levy called and the turn fell . Brown bet 32,000 and Levy called all in. The two players then tabled their hands.
Brown: Levy:
River:
Levy was eliminated in fourth place and he took home $1,436 in prize money. Brown continued his solid comeback by winning the pot and he now holds the chip lead at the start of the three-handed play.
Wayne Brown was the shortest of the four remaining and took a shot when it folded to him in the small blind. His raise was met by a third bet from Avi Levy and Brown capped it pre-flop with just one big bet behind.
Brown was all-in after the flop and tabled but was in trouble against Levi’s . The turn was no help and they both hit a low on the . Brown survived but only picked up a quarter of the pot.
Brent Keane (pictured above) raised all in preflop on the big blind and both Avi Levy (button) and John Binns (small blind) called. The cards were dealt as the two live players checked down the board.
Levy then flipped over and Keane showed . Binns folded so Levy won the entire pot. Keane was eliminated in fifth place and he will take home $1,117 in prize money.
George Boyadjian (pictured above) was all in preflop on the hijack and Wayne Brown (small blind) and Avi Levy (big blind) called. The board was dealt as Brown and Levy checked it down.
Brown then flipped over and he won the pot when both Levy and Boyadjian folded. Boyadjian was eliminated in sixth place and he took home $958 in prize money.
George Boyadjian was all in preflop and four players called. The flop fell and action checked around to John Binns, who bet 20,000. Wayne Brown and Brent Keane folded, but Avi Levy called. The two live players then checked the on the turn and the on the river. All three players then flipped over their cards.
Levy: Binns: Boyadjian:
Levy took the hi pot, while Binns and Boyadjian split the low pot. Although he was quartered in the hand, Boyadjian is still alive at the final table.
flop and tabled 
, but he was in trouble against Levi’s 
. The 
turn was no help but they both hit a low on the 
. Brown survived but only picked up a quarter of the pot. Surviving this pot started Brown’s comeback and by the time the final table was down to three players he held the chip lead.
as the two live players checked down the board.
as Brown and Levy checked it down.
and he won the pot when both Levy and Boyadjian folded. Boyadjian was eliminated in sixth place and he took home $958 in prize money.
on the turn and the 
