2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, FL 
Event 4
$360 Pot-Limit Omaha
Entries: 97 
Prize Pool: $29,100
April 7, 2018

There were two different times throughout the $360 Pot-Limit Omaha final table that chop negotiations took place. Seth Weinberg was the dissenting voice both times and ended up making the right decision to axe the deal negotiations.

By the end of the night, Weinberg accumulated every chip on the table and won his third Seminole Hard Rock title. He defeated 97 entries to earn $8,875 while overcoming a massive chip deficit both at the start of the final table and at the start of heads-up play.

“It feels really great,” said Weinberg. “Especially because I got to the final table 10-handed and I had less than three percent of the chips in play, like 2.8 percent. So, I honestly wasn’t expecting to get better than 10th place.”

Weinberg is no stranger to PLO. This is his third Seminole Hard Rock title, all of which came in the same poker variant. He won a $350 Pot-Limit Omaha six-max in 2012 and a $240 Pot-Limit Omaha in 2013.

Since then, he started working more and is running a bar program at the Fontainebleu Hotel in Miami. He came in on his day off and wasn’t interested in a chop.

“I like playing PLO a lot and I don’t get to play these tournaments too often,” said Weinberg. “So, instead of making deals, I just kind of went for it.”

With the lack of recent volume, the Missouri native may not be as sharp as he used to be, but he thought he had an edge in other aspects of the game outside of basic strategy theory.

“I think I have an edge with experience and just keeping a level head,” said Weinberg. “We saw a guy with a dominant chip lead just, you know, get really aggressive. He was playing his game and I was playing a different game. I think it worked out for me in the end.”

Weinberg battled Mehmet Akbas heads-up, who had been steamrolling the final table and had better than a 3-to-1 chip advantage when heads-up play started.

Akbas offered up a heads-up deal, Weinberg declined and about 10 minutes later, Weinberg was taking home the title.

“It’s always great to come up here on your day off and win a poker tournament,” said Weinberg.

The top 13 players finished in the money and here are a look at the results:

1st: Seth Weinberg – $8,875
2nd: Mehmet Akbas – $5,456
3rd: Gary Kosakowski – $3,347
4th: David Prociak – $2,183
5th: Phillip Wasserman – $1,702
6th: Richard Blanchar – $1,360
7th: Kyle Fleischmann – $1,157
8th: Gabriel Ramos – $1,004
9th: Michael Rosenberg – $888
10th: Brandon Duvdivani – $800
11th: Farid Dhanani – $800
12th: Carlos Guerrero – $800
13th: James Woodburn – $728

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20: 5,000/10,000
Players Remaining: 2 of 97

Mehmet Akbas started heads-up play with better than a 3-to-1 chip lead, but quickly found himself behind in chips very quickly.

All the money got in on the flop with Akbas’ straight draw up against Seth Weinberg’s two pair. Weinberg filled up on the turn and made quads on the river for his first double up.

He doubled up again when he got all in on a flop with and was in the lead against Akbas’ . The turn was the and the river was the .

That gave Weinberg the lead and just a short while later, Akbas moved all in for 102,000 on a flop of . Weinberg thought for a few minutes before calling.

Akbas admitted he did it blind and turned over . Weinberg showed and had the best hand with tens and sevens.

The turn was the , which gave Akbas some equity with a straight draw, but the river was the and Akbas was eliminated in second just a couple minutes after having a massive chip lead.

Weinberg won the pot and the third trophy of the series. He took $8,875 for the win and Akbas left with $5,456 for his runner up finish.

Seth Weinberg – $360 PLO Champion
Mehmet Akbas – Eliminated 

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20: 5,000/10,000
Players Remaining: 2 of 97

Gary Kosakowski raised on the button and Seth Weinberg called out of the big blind.

The flop was and Weinberg checked. Kosakowski moved all in for 47,000 and Weinberg quickly called.

Kosakowski showed , giving him two pair and a flush draw, but was dead to just a five against Weinberg’s .

Weinberg flopped a wheel with a straight flush draw and middle set to go with it.

The turn was the and the river was the . Weinberg improved to a full house and Kosakowski took home $3,347 for his third place finish.

Seth Weinberg – 190,000
Gary Kosakowski – Eliminated 

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 4,000/8,000
Players Remaining: 3 of 97

David Prociak raised from under the gun and Mehmet Akbas called out of the small blind.

The flop is and Akbas led out from the small blind, Prociak committed the rest of his chips and was all in for about 60,000. Akbas called.

Akbas tabled , giving him two pair and a straight draw, and needed to improve against Prociak’s .

Prociak was in the lead with a straight, but the on the turn and the on the river sent him to the rail after Akbas filled up on the river.

Prociak added another $2,183 to his career earnings and Akbas extended his chip lead.

Mehmet Akbas – 630,000
David Prociak – Eliminated 

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 4,000/8,000
Players Remaining: 4 of 97

On a flop of , Phil Wasserman got his last 70,000 into the middle out of the small blind against Mehmet Akbas from under the gun.

Wasserman showed , giving him top pair and a combo draw, but needed to hit either a flush or a straight against Akbas’ .

The turn is the , giving Akbas a full house and leaving Wasserman drawing dead to the river.

Wasserman earned  $1,702 for his fifth place finish and Akbas holds more than half of the chips in play with four players remaining.

Mehmet Akbas – 505,000
Phil Wasserman – Eliminated 

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18: 3,000/6,000
Players Remaining: 5 of 97

On the turn, with the board reading , Seth Weinberg checked from the small blind and David Prociak checked from the big blind.

Richard Blanchar moved all in for 35,500, which sent Weinberg into the tank.

Blanchar stood up and began to shake hands with the other players around him, claiming it was time for him to go and it was fun playing with everybody.

Weinberg eventually folds and Prociak snap-calls. Prociak showed , giving him the nut straight, and was in great shape against Blanchar’s .

The river was the and Blanchar was eliminated in sixth place just before the end of the level. He took home $1,360 and Prociak is inching back towards the top of the chip counts.

David Prociak – 185,000
Richard Blanchar – Eliminated

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18: 3,000/6,000
Players Remaining: 6 of 97

Seth Weinberg raised from under the gun, David Prociak called from middle position and Mehmet Akbas defended his big blind.

They were three-handed to a flop of and action checked to Prociak, who bet 18,000. Akbas called and Weinberg folded.

The turn was the and Akbas checked. Prociak bet 65,000 and Akbas called. The river was the and Akbas moved all in for about 90,000.

Prociak thought for a minute before folding. Akbas mucked his hand and moved into the chip lead.

“Did you have it?” asked Prociak.

Akbas shrugged and didn’t give much of a response.

Mehmet Akbas – 310,000
David Prociak – 110,000

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17: 2,500/5,000
Players Remaining: 6 of 97

Kyle Fleischman got all in for about 25,000 on the button against David Prociak in the small blind.

Fleischmann tabled and was up against Prociak’s .

The board ran out and Prociak turned a full house to win the pot and eliminate Fleischmann. Fleischmann earned $1,157 for his deep run and Prociak chipped up.

David Prociak – 245,000
Kyle Fleischmann – Eliminated 

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 16: 2,000/4,000
Players Remaining: 7 of 97

After unknown action, Gabriel Ramos was eliminated in eighth place for $1,004. This is his second consecutive final table after final tabling yesterday’s $300 Omaha Hi-Lo event. He finished eighth yesterday as well for $821.

Gabriel Ramos – Eliminated

$360 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 16: 2,000/4,000
Players Remaining: 8 of 97

Richard Blanchar limped in from under the gun and Michael Rosenberg raised to 18,000 from the hijack. Action folded back to Blanchar, who called.

The flop was and Blanchar checked. Rosenberg moved all in for his last 4,000 and Blanchar called.

Blanchar tabled and was up against Rosenberg’s .

The turn was the and Blanchar spiked a straight on the turn to leave Rosenberg drawing dead to the the river.

Blanchar won the pot and Rosenberg took home $888 for his ninth place finish.

Richard Blanchar – 135,000
Michael Rosenberg – Eliminated