2026 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 40
$1,100 10-Game Mix
Entries:  62
Prize Pool:  $60,140
April 20-21, 2026

There were 62 entries in Event #40, $1,100 10-Game Mix, and after two days of play, Ryan Hoenig defeated A.J. Kelsall heads-up to win the title, the trophy, and $21,575.

This is the third trophy of the series for Hoenig, who previously won three trophies in this same series back in 2024. Only six players have ever won three trophies in a Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood series, and Hoenig is the only player to ever do it twice.

This is the 10th Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood trophy for Hoenig (in just over two years!), moving him into seventh place on the all-time trophy list.

All-Time Trophy List
T-1st:  Yuval Bronshtein  –  16
T-1st:  Raminder Singh  –  16
3rd:  David Shmuel  –  13
T-4th:  Phil Hui  –  12
T-4th:  Michael Newman  –  12
6th:  Matt Bretzfield  –  11
7th  Ryan Hoenig  –  10

Players Who Won Three Trophies in a Series
Julio Fernandez  –  2012 Showdown
Atanael Thomas  –  2012 RRPO
Matt Bretzfield  –  2023 RRPO
Frederic Moss  –  2024 LHPO
Ryan Hoenig  –  2024 Showdown & 2026 Showdown
Yuval Bronshtein  –  2025 Showdown

Nobody has ever won four trophies in a single series here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, but it seems that achievement is on Hoenig’s radar, and he still has a week to do it. Stay tuned.

Results:

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  1 of 62

During Stud-8, Ryan Hoenig raised to 40,000, A.J. Kelsall reraised to 80,000, and Hoenig called.

Ryan Hoenig:  ()  
A.J. Kelsall:  ()  

4th Street:  Hoenig checked, Kelsall bet 40,000, and Hoenig called.

5th Street:  Hoenig bet 80,000 with his pair of threes, and Kelsall called.

6th Street:  Hoenig bet 80,000, and Kelsall called.

7th Street:  Hoenig bet, and Kelsall called all in for 15,000.

Ryan Hoenig:  ()    ()
A.J. Kelsall:  ()    ()

Kelsall finished with just a pair of tens and no low, and Hoenig caught an unnecessary full house on seventh street, threes full of jacks, to win the pot, the trophy, the title, and $21,575.

A.J. Kelsall finished as the runner-up, earning $12,720.

This is the third trophy of the series for Hoenig, and his 10th career trophy here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. Congratulations to Ryan Hoenig!

1st:  Ryan Hoenig  –  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  A.J. Kelsall  –  $12,720
3rd:  Frederic Moss  –  $8,030
4th:  Phil Hui  –  $5,415
5th:  Jason Papastavrou  –  $4,210
6th:  Jacob Babins  –  $3,315
7th:  Michael Dreese  –  $2,710
8th:  Joseph Olivieri  –  $2,165

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 62

During Badugi, A.J. Kelsall got it all in preflop for 60,000 against Ryan Hoenig.

Draw #1:  Kelsall drew three cards, and Hoenig drew two.

Draw #2:  Kelsall drew two cards, and Hoenig drew one.

Draw #3:  Both players drew one card.

Ryan Hoenig:    ()
A.J. Kelsall:    ()

Hoenig’s last card gave him a three-card 8-6-3, but Kelsall won the pot with a 7-high Badugi to double up in chips.

Ryan Hoenig  –  1,740,000  (22 BB)
A.J. Kelsall  –  120,000  (2 BB)

The next hand, Kelsall got it all in for 120,000 before the first draw.

Draw #1:  Hoenig drew three cards, and Kelsall drew two.

Draw #2:  Hoenig drew two cards, and Kelsall stood pat.

Draw #3:  Hoenig drew two cards, and Kelsall stood pat.

Ryan Hoenig:    ()
A.J. Kelsall:  

When Hoenig flipped over his first card from the final draw, he still had a lot of outs to win, with any heart that didn’t pair his hand. He got the heart, but it paired his four, and Kelsall won the pot with his K-high Badugi to double up for the second hand in a row.

Ryan Hoenig  –  1,620,000  (20 BB)
A.J. Kelsall  –  240,000  (3 BB)

1st:  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $12,720

As the game switched to Stud-8, Kelsall said he was going to take his stack “From Sixty to Greatness.” He even (jokingly) apologized to Hoenig in advance for the pain of losing the trophy after holding a 30-to-1 chip lead.

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 62

During Badugi, A.J. Kelsall raised to 40,000, and Ryan Hoenig called from the big blind.

Draw #1:  Hoenig drew two cards, and Kelsall drew one. Hoenig checked, Kelsall bet 40,000, and Hoenig check-raised to 80,000. Kelsall called.

Draw #2:  Hoenig drew one card, and Kelsall stood pat. Hoenig checked, Kelsall bet 80,000, and Hoenig called.

Draw #3:  Hoenig drew one card, and Kelsall stood pat. Hoenig checked, Kelsall bet 80,000 (leaving him with 60K behind), and Hoenig went into the tank.

After a while, Hoenig laughed and said, “This hand is definitely reportable.”

Hoenig eventually called with a three-card 5, saying, “You deserve this one.”

Ryan Hoenig:    ()
A.J. Kelsall:    ()

Unfortunately for Kelsall, he was pipped once again, bluffing with a three-card 6. Hoenig won the pot worth 560,000, and Kelsall was left with less than a single big bet.

Ryan Hoenig  –  1,800,000  (23 BB)
A.J. Kelsall  –  60,000  (<1 BB)

1st:  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $12,720

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 62

During NL 2-7 Single Draw, A.J. Kelsall raised to 45,000, Ryan Hoenig reraised to 150,000, and Kelsall thought for a while before he called.

Ryan Hoenig stood pat, and Kelsall drew one card.

Hoenig bet 30,000, and Kelsall asked what he meant by such a small bet. Kelsall tanked for a while before he said, “Good way to bluff me, I guess.”

Kelsall folded, and Hoenig took the pot.

Ryan Hoenig  –  1,060,000  (13 BB)
A.J. Kelsall  –  800,000  (10 BB)

About 10 minutes, after the game switched to Badugi, there was about 320,000 in the pot after the second draw.

Draw #3:  A.J. Kelsall drew one card, and Ryan Hoenig also drew one. Kelsall checked, Hoenig bet 80,000, and Kelsall tanked for a while before he called.

Ryan Hoenig:    ()
A.J. Kelsall:  mucked

Hoenig won the pot with his three-card 5 to increase his lead, and Kelsall mucked.

Ryan Hoenig  –  1,475,000  (18 BB)
A.J. Kelsall  –  385,000  (5 BB)

1st:  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $12,720

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 22:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 62

During Omaha-8, A.J. Kelsall raised to 60,000, and Ryan Hoenig called from the big blind.

The flop came , Hoenig checked, Kelsall bet 30,000, and Hoenig called.

The turn card was the , Hoenig bet 60,000, and Kelsall called.

The river card was the , Hoenig bet 60,000, and Kelsall went into the tank, saying, “Is it too late to fold the turn?”

Kelsall eventually called, and Hoenig turned over to scoop the pot with a wheel (five-high straight). Kelsall mucked, and Hoenig retook the chip lead.

Ryan Hoenig  –  1,130,000  (19 BB)
A.J. Kelsall  –  730,000  (12 BB)

1st:  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $12,720

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 22:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 62

During Omaha-8, Ryan Hoenig raised to 60,000, A.J. Kelsall reraised from the big blind to 90,000, and Hoenig called.

The flop came , Kelsall bet 30,000, and Hoenig called.

The turn card was the , Kelsall checked, Hoenig bet 60,000, and Kelsall called.

The river card was the , and both players checked. Kelsall showed  for two pair, aces and jacks, with a 6-5 low.

Hoenig mucked, and Kelsall scooped the pot to take the chip lead.

A.J. Kelsall  –  1,035,000  (17 BB)
Ryan Hoenig  –  825,000  (14 BB)

1st:  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $12,720

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 22:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 62

Still during Triple Draw, A.J. Kelsall raised to 60,000, Ryan Hoenig reraised from the big blind to 90,000, and Kelsall called.

Draw #1:  Hoenig drew one card, and Kelsall drew two. Hoenig bet 30,000, and Kelsall called.

Draw #2:  Both players drew one card. Both players checked.

Draw #3:  Both players drew one card. Hoenig bet 60,000, Kelsall raised to 120,000, and Hoenig called.

Ryan Hoenig:  
A.J. Kelsall:  

Kelsall announced his 8-7 low, but Hoenig quickly said he had an 8-6 low. Hoenig won the pot to reclaim a solid lead.

Ryan Hoenig  –  1,355,000  (23 BB)
A.J. Kelsall  –  505,000  (8 BB)

1st:  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $12,720

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 22:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 62

During 2-7 Triple Draw, A.J. Kelsall raised to 60,000, and Ryan Hoenig called from the big blind.

Draw #1:  Both players drew two cards, then checked.

Draw #2:  Both players drew two cards. Hoenig checked, Kelsall bet 60,000, and Hoenig check-raised to 120,000. Kelsall called.

Draw #3:  Hoenig drew two cards, and Kelsall drew one. Hoenig checked, Kelsall bet 60,000, and Hoenig folded. Kelsall showed for a 10-7 low as he took the pot.

The next hand, Hoenig raised to 60,000, Kelsall reraised to 90,000, and Hoenig called.

Draw #1:  Kelsall drew one card, and Hoenig drew three. Kelsall bet 30,000, and Hoenig called.

Draw #2:  Kelsall drew one card, and Hoenig drew two. Kelsall bet 60,000, and Hoenig called.

Draw #3:  Kelsall stood pat, and Hoenig drew one card. Kelsall bet 60,000, and Hoenig called. Kelsall showed to win the pot with an 8-6 low.

A.J. Kelsall  –  900,000  (15 BB)
Ryan Hoenig  –  950,000  (16 BB)

1st:  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $12,720

$1,100 10-Game Mix
Structure  |  Payouts
Level 22:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 62

The players return from break to begin Level 22, with increased limits of 30,000-60,000. Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Ryan Hoenig  –  1,505,000  (25 BB)
A.J. Kelsall  –  355,000  (6 BB)

And the full list of payouts:

1st:  $21,575 + Showdown Trophy
2nd:  $12,720

3rd:  Frederic Moss  –  $8,030
4th:  Phil Hui  –  $5,415
5th:  Jason Papastavrou  –  $4,210
6th:  Jacob Babins  –  $3,315
7th:  Michael Dreese  –  $2,710
8th:  Joseph Olivieri  –  $2,165