$300 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 17: 2,500/5,000 with a 500 ante Players Remaining: 10 of 184
The $300 no limit hold’em is down to its final 10 players and they have redrawn for seats at the unofficial final table. With one more elimination, the final nine players will be credited with making a final table.
Here is a look at the seating arrangement and chip counts for the final 10:
Seat 1: Rich Little – 166,500 Seat 2: Steven Bennett – 250,000 Seat 3: Roberto Bendeck – 199,000 Seat 4: Tobias Peters – 161,000 Seat 5: Marc Duquette – 322,500 Seat 6: Francis Garcia – 42,000 Seat 7: Mike Preston – 59,000 Seat 8: Aaron Scott – 152,500 Seat 9: Ashley Sleeth – 215,500 Seat 10: Michael Luong – 260,500
$300 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 10: 500/1,000 with a 100 Ante Players Remaining: 49 of 184
Registration closed for the one-day Event 20 and the tournament nearly doubled its $25,000 guaranteed prize pool. The tournament drew 184 entries to create a prize pool worth $46,920 with the last 23 players earning a piece.
A min-cash will earn $445 and the next Showdown champ will bank $12,157 plus the trophy and custom-framed winner’s photo courtesy of IMPDI.
2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, FL Event 20 $300 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Entries: 184 Prize Pool: $46,920 April 1, 2017
While most eyes will be focused on Day 2 of the Championship, we have another new trophy event kicking off at noon. Event 20 is a one-day tournament with a $300 buy-in with a $25,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Players start with 10,000 stacks and they will play 30-minute levels from beginning to end. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 9 at 4:30pm and a dinner break is scheduled at 6:30pm. Before the end of the evening, we will crown our next Showdown champion.
Cards are about to fly and we’ll catch up with them after the close of registration.
$25,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
Players begin with 10,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
Late registration available until start of Level 9
This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood Property Update
Preparations are underway for the development of an iconic hotel tower and resort:
Parking – Poker players are encouraged to park in Winner’s Way Garage to access both the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown tournament space and The Poker Room
The Poker Room – Players may access the poker room by entering through the main lobby or via the exterior entrance on the opposite end of Winner’s Way Garage.
Inside hotel – Services and amenities inside the hotel will remain open along with regularly scheduled events and entertainment.
2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood Event #20 $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Total Entries: 147 Total Prizepool: $147,000
Jake Schwartz takes down $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Turbo
Jake Schwartz is a well-known high-stakes professional poker player with over $1.1 million in career tournament earnings, but a live title has eluded him for his entire poker playing career.
That all changed on Friday night.
He bested a field of 147 players to take down the $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Turbo event. He took home his first trophy along with adding $42,628 to his career earnings.
“It’s kind of embarrassing, but this is my first live win.” said Schwartz after the tournament. “So it’s cool and I’ll take it in this high variance turbo .”
The turbo format pushed the action throughout the day and in about five hours the 147 was down to the unofficial final table of 10. It’s a format that favors players who are well-versed in short stack poker.
Schwartz doesn’t generally prefer the turbo formats, but used his poker prowess to outlast the competition.
“It’s actually probably a disadvantage for me,” said the 25-year-old poker professional. “I’m not that familiar with turbos, but I’m a poker player and I know how to play them. I know push/fold better than a lot of people, so I figure that probably propelled me to victory.”
About two hours after the players redrew for seats at the unofficial, 10-handed final table, Schwartz had amassed all the chips in play and earned the title.
It wasn’t an easy road for Schwartz en route to his victory. He bested a final table that featured SHRPO Team member Cate Hall, Darren Rabinowitz, Joe Kuether, and Ben Heath. Schwartz defeated Dermot Blain heads-up to finish off the final table.
The timing was good for Schwartz as well. He had been on a cold stretch of cards in the previous preliminary events and hadn’t picked up a cash in the series before today.
The extra cash in his pocket helps both of his bank account and his future buy-ins, since he is expecting to play the “Big 4 events” which start up on Saturday with the $5 million guaranteed main event.
Schwartz is a New York native, but recently moved down to the South Florida area, and considers the Seminole Hard Rock his new poker home.
“I live like 10 minutes from here now,” said Schwartz. “So technically this is like my home casino. So it’s nice to win one at my home casino.”
After everything was over and the photos were taken, Schwartz just wants the public to know how much he loves his grandmother.
“I want to give a shout-out to my grandman, Gagi,” said Schwartz. “She’s my favorite person.”
Here is a look at the final table results:
1st: Jake Schwartz – $42,628 2nd: Dermot Blain – $24,990 3rd: Alexander Khanas – $14,700 4th: Gregory Marcus – $11,760 5th: Ben Heath – $8,820 6th: Darren Rabinowitz – $7,350 7th: Anthony Lombard – $5,880 8th: Cate Hall – $4,410 9th: Staffan Lind – $3,308 10th: Joe Kuether – $2,940
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Level 29: 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante Players Remaining: 1 of 147
Jake Schwartz
Jake Schwartz moved all in on the button and Dermot Blain quickly called from the big blind. Blain was the player at risk and all in for about 600,000.
Schwartz showed and was in the lead against Blain’s . The board ran out and Schwartz dragged the pot with aces and tens.
Blain is eliminated in second place and took home $24,990, while Schwartz took the title and the $42,628 first place money.
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 147
Alexander Khanas
Alexander Khanas moved all in on the button and Dermot Blain called out of the small blind. Jake Schwartz called out of the big blind and there would be a side pot with any further action.
There was no side pot as Blain and Schwartz checked the hand all the way down as it came .
Blain showed , Schwartz showed , and Khanas showed .
Khanas was eliminated in third place and the other two players chopped up the main pot. Schwartz and Blain will play heads-up for the title and $42,628, while Khanas headed off to collect his $14,700.
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 147
Alexander Khanas completed from the small blind and Dermot Blain checked his option out of the big blind.
Both players checked a flop of and the came on the turn. Khanas bet 30,000 and Blain called.
The river was the and Khanas bet 60,000. Blain moved all in and Khanas took a few moments before folding. Blain mucked his hand and left Khanas with just over 5 big blinds.
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Level 25: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 147
The final three players are on a 15-minute break. Here is a look at the chip counts before they come back to blinds of 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante.
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Level 25: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 147
Gregory Marcus
Gregory Marcus moved all in from the cutoff for 260,000 and Jake Schwartz moved all in for more from the small blind.
Marcus showed and was in bad shape against Schwartz’s .
The board ran out and Marcus couldn’t make running cards for Broadway and Schwartz wins the pot. Marcus was eliminated in fourth place for $11,760 and Schwartz took the chip lead heading into three-handed play.
Jake Schwartz – 875,000 (36 bb) Gregory Marcus – Eliminated
and was in the lead against Blain’s 
. The board ran out 
and Schwartz dragged the pot with aces and tens.
.
, Schwartz showed 
, and Khanas showed 
.
and the 
and Khanas bet 60,000. Blain moved all in and Khanas took a few moments before folding. Blain mucked his hand and left Khanas with just over 5 big blinds.
and was in bad shape against Schwartz’s 
and Marcus couldn’t make running cards for Broadway and Schwartz wins the pot. Marcus was eliminated in fourth place for $11,760 and Schwartz took the chip lead heading into three-handed play.