2024 Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 26
$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  4,489
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280
April 10 – 15, 2024

Cuba Levenberry took home his first tournament win tonight in Event 26, which was the second big multi-day tournament of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown series. It almost doubled his career tournament earnings to $623,065. His best previous finish here at Seminole Hard Rock was a runner-up score in a PLO event at Lucky Hearts back in January. We caught up with him after the win as he was surrounded by his friends that were on the rail.

“I’m still processing all of this, you know what I mean. I’ve taken second in a tournament before here. So to win this outright after coming into Day 2 with 18 bigs under the gun and about to get hit with the big blind when I was real short and to win it, I haven’t even been able to process it yet,” said Levenberry shortly after the  victory.

The heads-up final was a battle between Levenberry and Ya Yun Liu, but he took the lead shortly after the start of the match and built his advantage from there. Here is what Levenbbery had to say about the final: “He actually didn’t want to make a deal when he had all the chips and I asked him if he wanted too. And then my buddy told me, ‘you know what, that’s fine because I had the edge.’ I’ve been fasting for 78 hours so my focus was crystal clear. He’s a great player, I respect him a lot, but he seemed a little off his game, and I was on my A+ game.” He continued, “I’m not a heads-up specialist by any means, I just kind of made some adjustments.

Levenberyy had more friends on the rail than the rest of the final table combined that were rooting him on through the endgame of the tournament, so we switched topics to see what that meant to him. “I love these guys, they’re not just my buddies, they’ve been playing poker longer than me so I see each of them as my mentor throughout my lifetime. It’s almost like they’re winning too because I’m a product of what they’ve been teaching me. They’re more than friends if you know what I mean. They’ve taught me so much in life,” responded Levenberry.

And as far as the celebration plans for the night: “My friend wants a steak, so we’re going to La Granja across the street. But I’m going to keep fasting,” said Levenberry as his friends excitedly exclaimed, “Let’s do it!” in the background.

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 4,489

The final hand of the tournament saw Ya Yun Liu get all in for less than 20 big blinds on the button, and Cuba Levenberry quickly called to cover him. The two players then revealed their cards.

Levenberry:
Liu:

Board:

Liu was eliminated in second place for the runner-up prize money worth $200,000, and that crowned Levenberry as the champion of the tournament for $301,920 up top along with the guitar pick trophy. Stay tuned for the winner’s photo and exit interview that will be posted a little later tonight.

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 4,489

Here is a look at the chip counts at the final table. A series of small-ball pots have slowly led to Cuba Levenberry building a big advantage.

Seat 1: Ya Yun Liu – 11,050,000 (18 bb)
Seat 4: Cuba Levenberry – 78,730,000 (131 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $301,920 + Showdown Trophy
2nd: $200,000

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 4,489

Here is a look at the chip counts at the final table.

Seat 1: Ya Yun Liu – 28,480,000 (56 bb)
Seat 4: Cuba Levenberry – 61,300,000 (122 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $301,920 + Showdown Trophy
2nd: $200,000

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 4,489

Here is a look at the chip counts at the final table.

Seat 1: Ya Yun Liu – 31,180,000 (77 bb)
Seat 4: Cuba Levenberry – 58,600,000 (146 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $301,920 + Showdown Trophy
2nd: $200,000

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 4,489

Dale Roesel reraised all in for 8.15 million from the button after Cuba Levenberry had bumped things up to 1.5 million preflop, and Levenberry thought for a few moments before calling. The two players then tabled their cards.

Levenberry:
Roesel:

Board:

It was a rough run of luck for Roesel, who saw his Q-7 topped by a three-outer on the turn after the flop fell K-Q-7 in the previous hand when a nine gave Levenberry the pot thanks to his Q-9 in the hole.

Roesel was out in third place for $149,000, and that gave Levenberry 60.65 million to take into the heads-up final against the 29.13 million of Ya Yun Liu.

Cuba Levenberry – 60,650,000 (151 bb)
Ya Yun Liu – 29,130,000 (72 bb)
Dale Roesel – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($149,000)

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,489

There was 3 million in the pot along with a board reading when Dale Roesel got all in for 15,775,000 with in the hole, and Ya Yun Liu had him covered holding .

Roesel stacked up 34.55 million after the hand, and Liu was at 37.4 million when the dust settled.

Ya Yun Liu – 37,400,000 (93 bb)
Dale Roesel – 34,550,000 (86 bb)

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,489

Here is a look at the chip counts at the final table.

Seat 1: Ya Yun Liu – 53,175,000 (132 bb)
Seat 3: Dale Roesel – 17,575,000 (43 bb)
Seat 4: Cuba Levenberry – 18,950,000 (47 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $301,920 + Showdown Trophy
2nd: $200,000
3rd: $149,000

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,489

Roberto Gonzalez open-shipped for 4,500,000 from the button, Dale Roesel folded his small blind, and Cuba Levenberry called in the big blind.

Gonzalez:
Levenberry:

Gonzalez needed a lot of help to double up but missed the flop. He picked up a heart draw on the turn but blanked the river to go out in fourth place.

Cuba Levenberry – 18,950,000 (63 bb)
Roberto Gonzalez – Eliminated in 4th Place ($111,000)

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $2,334,280 | Structure | Payouts
Level 34:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 4,489

The flop read when Cuba Levenberry got all in for 5,675,000 with in the hole from the big blind, and Dale Roesel had him covered holding on the small blind.

The turn and river were dealt , and Levenberry doubled up to survive with 14.95 million. Roesel was at 16.6 million after the hand.

Cuba Levenberry – 14,950,000 (37 bb)
Dale Roesel – 16,600,000 (41 bb)