$15,000 WPT Tournament of Champions Level 2: 100/200 with a 25 Ante Players: 61
Ema Zajmovic
There were eighteen new players eligible for the WPT Tournament of Champions this year and two of them made a big splash.
Ema Zajmovic became the first female WPT champion (in an open event) when she captured the WPT Playground title in February. That was her second big WPT run after her fifth place final table appearance in December’s WPT Montreal tournament.
That WPT Montreal tournament was won by Poker Hall of Famer, WSOP bracelet winner, and WPT Commentator Mike Sexton. After 15 seasons with the WPT and six seasons where he was eligible to play, Sexton broke through in December for his first WPT title.
Coincidentally, Zajmovic and Sexton are seated next to each other today.
$15,000 WPT Tournament of Champions Level 1: 75/150 with a 25 Ante Players: 56
Farid Yachou
This is only the second running of the WPT Tournament of Champions, which means we have only one WPT Tournament of Champions champion and he’s back with us today.
Farid Yachou made quite the impression last year. The Dutch poker player made his first recorded cash a memorable one when it resulted in a win the WPT Amsterdam event. That feat earned him a seat in last year’s first WPT Tournament of Champions and he outlasted 63 other tough opponents for the win. First two recorded tournament cashes, two big WPT victories.
Also in today’s field, the very last WPT World Champion. Asher Conniff won the 2015 WPT World Championship at the Borgata, the last one run before the WPT switched to a Tournament of Champions format last year.
$15,000 WPT Tournament of Champions Level 1: 75/150 with a 25 Ante Players: 50
Introduced during last year’s inaugural run of the WPT Tournament of Champions, the “Action Clock” is back in play today to help move things along at a nice pace.
Players will have 30 seconds to make a decision or use one of their five 30-second extensions. Once the clock expires, the player will automatically be extended an additional 30 seconds and the dealer will collect the time bank chip(s) at the end of the hand. If the player is out of time bank chips and the time expired, when facing a bet, it is a fold, when facing a check, it will be a check.
An interesting twist in the TOC structure and it was met with approval last year.
Tony Burns (left) and Matt Savage (right) instruct dealers on the “Action Clock”Matt Savage explain the “Action Clock” to the players
$15,000 WPT Tournament of Champions Level 1: 75/150 with a 25 Ante Players: 46
After a round of introductions and announcements by WPT President Adam Pliska, Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton the “shuffle up and deal” command to kick off the WPT Tournament of Champions.
The end 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown schedule is near and all we have yet to determine is the WPT Tournament of Champions winner. We’ve crowned 30 champions so far and this one might be the toughest to conquer.
The $15,000 buy-in tournament is only available to members of the WPT Champions Club; players must have already won a World Poker Tour in their fifteen years of operation. We’ll have an exclusive group of players today in the ballroom.
Last season, Farid Yachou recorded his first career tournament cash with a win the WPT Amsterdam event and he followed that up with his second cash by winning the 2016 WPT Tournament of Champions. He will be back in action trying to notch a third title.
Players will sit down to 50,000 deep stacks and levels will last 60 minutes through the tournament. Late registration is available until the start of Level 3 at 2:15pm but the freeze-out format gives them no re-entries option if they bust their stack.
Today also marks the return of the WPT “Action Clock” giving players 30-seconds to make a decision. They will have four 30-second extensions available each day of the tournament and the extensions do not carry over.
Day 1 will complete after Level 10 with all survivors bagging up their chips for a return on Saturday for Day 2.
Cards will go in the air at the top of the hour and we will bring all the WPT Tournament of Champions action.
Players begin with 50,000 in chips
Levels will last 60 minutes
30-second “Action Clock” will be in use
Each player will receive four 30-second extensions
Late registration available until start of Level 3
Day 1 will end after Level 10 or Tournament Director discretion
A reminder all daily tournaments are now taking place in the poker room
——————-
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.
