2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Fla.
Event 4
$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries: 188
Prize Pool: $47,940

Mike Preston has just been crowned the champion of the $300 Seniors’ Event here at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. After a long day the remaining six players decided to make a deal with Preston having the most chips, thus receiving the title and the trophy.

Preston, originally hailing from Philadelphia, takes the hour drive from Jupiter, FL a few days a week to play poker. “I love playing here at Seminole Hard Rock, they have great tournaments.”  Preston knows a thing or two about poker as he’s been playing poker for the last forty years. Which is one year longer than he’s been married.

Now that Preston is retired from being a professional golfer,  he plays poker and golf leisurely, and considers poker to be more “fun”. The 62 year old was never really in danger of facing elimination, he just needed his hands to hold. “I went all in a few times, but luckily I was never behind. My cards had to hold up, but I wasn’t in jeopardy”

Preston came into the final table fourth in chips, he then eliminated Harry Silver in 10th place. After that came the turning point for Mike Preston’s tournament when when he won a huge three way all in with pocket aces against Yvonne Mcquillan’s pocket queens, eliminating George Davis in 9th place and leaving Mcquillan decimated. She was eliminated soon after by John Roveto in 8th place.

It was after Izzy Patel was eliminated in 7th place that the idea of a chop was brought up. When the players were discussing making a deal, it was brought up how much of a “crapshoot” tournaments get to be at the end, with 30 minute blinds pacing the action. They decided to take the safe route and split up the remaining prizepool.  Preston says “It was a long day, I left my house at 9 A.M. this morning, I was getting a little tired at the end.”  John Roveto even mentioned that he still had to drive four hours back to Lakewood Ranch, FL.

Preston is looking forward to making more deep runs in this SHRPO series and hopefully more trophies. Good luck Mike!

Final Table Results:

1st: Michael Preston – $7,008
2nd: Steven Sheldon – $5,521*
3rd: Raphael Bloom – $5,144*
4th: John Roveto – $5,030*
5th: Lazaro Rodriguez $5,030*
6th: Robert Mazzie –  $4,827*
7th: Izzy Patel – $1,630
8th: Yvonne Mcquillan – $1,421
9th: George Davis – $1,220
10th: Harry Silver – $1,050

*Denotes six-way deal

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 23: 8,000/16,000/2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 188

Izzy Patel open shoved 130,000 from under the gun and Lazaro Rodriguez called. Patel turned over [10] and needed to catch some luck against Rodriguez’s

The board came and Rodriguez’s pocket jacks held, eliminating Patel in 7th place.

Lazaro Rodriguez  –  425,000
Izzy Patel  –  Eliminated in 7th place  ($1,630)

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 22: 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 188

After being left shortstacked in the previous hand Yvonne Mcquillan  (pictured) moved all in blind with from the button and got called by John Roveto’s from the big blind.

Roveto’s king high held eliminating Mcquillan in 8th place.

John Roveto  –  235,000
Yvonne Mcquillan  –  Eliminated in 8th place ($1,421)

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 22: 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 188

George Davis  moved all in from early position, Mike Preston three-bet all in for 236,000 and Yvonne Mcquillan called.

Mike Preston:  
Yvonne Mcquillan:  
George Davis:

The board came and Preston’s pocket aces hold, eliminating Davis and securing himself a double through Mcquillan, leaving her short.

Mike Preston:  560,000
Yvonne Mcquillan:  27,000
George Davis:  Eliminated in 9th place ($1,220)

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 22: 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 188

Harry Silver moved all in for his last 34,000 from the button and Mike Preston called blind from the big blind. Silver turned over and needed to get lucky against Preston’s .

The board came and Preston’s queen high held up eliminating Silver in 10th place.

Mike Preston – 240,000
Harry Silver  –  Eliminated in 10th Place ($1,050)

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 22: 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 188

Lazaro Rodriguez moved all in from middle position for 110,000 with and got called by Raphael Bloom’s .

The board came giving Rodriguez the winning straight, saving him from elimination.

Lazaro Rodriguez  –  240,000
Raphael Bloom  –  260,000

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 21: 5,000/10,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 188

Seat 1: Izzy Patel – 191,000 (24 bb)
Seat 2: Steve Sheldon – 320,000 (40 bb)
Seat 3: Al Davis – 170,000 (21 bb)
Seat 4: John Roveto – 177,000 (22 bb)
Seat 5: Lazaro Rodriguez – 90,000 (11 bb)
Seat 6: Harry Silver – 74,000 (9 bb)
Seat 7: Rob Mazzie – 211,000 (26 bb)
Seat 8: Mike Preston – 195,000 (24 bb)
Seat 9: Raphael Bloom – 265,000 (33 bb)
Seat 10: Yvonne McQuillan – 192,000 (24 bb)

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 20: 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 11 of 188

With three players all in preflop, Raphael Bloom holding the best hand and the biggest stack, he was in good shape to get the double knockout.

Raphael Bloom:
Gulnara Taul:
Bob Womack:  

The board came and Bloom’s pocket jacks held, eliminating his opponents.

Raphael Bloom:  250,000
Gulnara Taul: Eliminated in 12th Place ($1,050)
Bob Womack: Eliminated in 13th Place ($1,050)

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 20: 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 13 of 188

Here is a list of results from 14th to 18th place:

14th:  Scott Apgar  –  $887
15th:  Vincent Pham  –  $887
16th:  Robert Bloom  –  $736
17th:  Robert Bass  –  $736
18th:  Victor Lutz –  $736

$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 20: 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 14 of 188

Three players went all in preflop with Izzy Patel covering both of his opponents.

Izzy Patel:
Vincent Pham:
Robert Bloom:  

The board came giving Patel the winning flush eliminating Pham and Bloom.

Izzy Patel – 210,000
Vincent Pham – Eliminated in 15th place ($887)
Robert Bloom – Eliminated in 16th place ($736)