$350 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry) Level 4: 100/200
Seminole Hard Poker Player of the Year leader Ory Hen has found his way into Event 8. Hen finished 3rd last night in Event 7 and is back at it again.
Joining him at his table is Ian O’Hara. O’Hara is over the half-million dollar mark in lifetime tournament earnings and is looking to add a Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open title to his already stellar resume.
Also getting into the game is Earl Barron. Barron just busted out of Event 5 a little while ago is giving it another whirl this afternoon.
The tournament now has 82 entries as the players head to their first break.
$350 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry) Level 2: 50/100
A group of players who made final tables already in this series are back looking for more. Jorge Gomez won Event 1 and will look to try to take a second title today. Also making final tables earlier in this series were Manuel Vargas in Event 4, Kathy Fleck in Event 6, and Jack Shea in Event 7.
$350 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry) Level 1: 25/50
As if the action of a six-max tournament wasn’t enough to get your blood pumping, Chris Williams has ensured that his opponents won’t take their eyes off of him.
Sporting the newest fashion statement of the skateboarding sasquatch and coordinating fruit-covered hat and shorts, it’s sure to be a look that will take South Florida by storm. Or maybe not…
$350 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry) Level 1: 25/50
The cards are in the air in Event 8 – the $350 Six-Max No Limit Hold ‘Em. Six players will be seated at the table meaning the blinds will be coming around faster creating more aggressive play. It is also a single re-entry so players will only be able to come back into the tournament one time if they bust.
Registration will close at the start of Level 9 so if you’re planning on playing this great event, c’mon down and join us here at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open!
$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 8: 300/600/75 Ante
After a rebuy, Raymond Ruszkowski was shoved into the deep end onto Table 66 where it’s been some pretty tough sledding. But we think he may have found the answer: The Ruszkowski Terminator 2015.
We’ll have to check if entering a cyborg into the tournament is permissible according to TDA rules but in the meantime Raymond will look to chip up with his new look and advance to Day 2 tonight.
2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown $1,650 Purple Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out) $100,000 Guarantee
April 12th-13th, 2015
Total Entries: 85 Total Prize Pool: $85,000
Event 8 Champion Pete Malkoun
Recap:
Kazu Oshima got all the Day 2 eliminations except the one he wanted the most as Pete Malkoun stormed back from a large chip deficit to win a three hour heads-up battle and the Event 8 title.
Event 8 reached the final table last late in Day 1 with top pros Brett Bader going out in 9th and Brian Hastings bubbling the tournament in 10th. After play resumed on Monday, it was a table filled with hilarious table talk led by Oktay Altinbas and Travell Thomas with some Alon Yahudi mixed in for fun. But the real story was the devastation of the table by Kazu Oshima and an amazing comeback by Pete Malkoun on his way to the Event 8 title.
Kazu Oshima was a wrecking machine on Day 2 as proceeded to eliminate every player on the table leading into heads-up play. His first victim was Lawrence Paden in 8th followed by Joseph Elia in 7th. John Brody fought all the way playing short-stacked but fell in 6th. Travell Thomas was his next victim in 5th after Oshima hit a flush to end his night and then Oshima continued to build his stack and open up a solid lead having the rest of the table covered.
The hand of the final table was Oshima’s elimination of Alon Yahudi. Yahudi holding flopped the nut straight on a board but Oshima also had a straight draw with which then turned into a king-high flush crushing Yahudi’s hopes of winning the tournament.
Oktay Altinbas brought his lucky dragon with him on Day 2 which managed to drag him into third as he had been nursing a short stack since the tournament was down to two tables. But he finally ran out of luck as the Oshima steamroller finished him off and heads-up play was under way between him and Pete Malkoun.
Oshima had a near 4-1 chip lead but Malkoun was not detered. With the players still stacked very deep, Malkoun kept the pressure on and had closed the gap significantly by the time the players hit a dinner break. Upon their return, Malkoun won a huge hand extracting 150,000 chips without a showdown and took the chip lead. Malkoun continued the pressure and Oshima could not find the answer eventually leading to his elimination.
On the final hand, Malkoun’s held up against Oshima’s as Malkoun hit an ace on the turn and captured the title after a little over three hours of heads-up play.
After the tournament, Malkoun gave what he thought were the keys to his victory. “I think I was being more patient than he was. He was raising every button and I wasn’t defending every one of them like he was. I think he was calling light a little more than I was. I was trying to be patient not calling out of position. On the big hand where I was all-in, I had ace-ten and hit two pair and was pretty sure it was the best hand and it was the key swing.”
Despite being so far behind and watching Oshima eliminate player after player, he commented on if he felt like he could still win the tournament. “Of course. It was a really good structure and I was happy people were dropping. I really wanted to make it to heads-up and he cleared the way for me. I ran pretty good heads-up and held up at the end.”
Malkoun was very humble and gracious in speaking of taking the title. “I feel pretty good. Haven’t won a live one before so I’m very happy.”
He also had some terrific words for the staff. “It’s great here. They set us up with two very fast dealers for the heads-up. The staff and you guys were great and everyone here are really nice people.”
Congratulations to our Event 8 Champion – Pete Malkoun!
$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out) Level 20: 4,000/8,000/1000 Ante
After three hours facing off against each other, the comeback is complete.
Pete Malkoun finished off Kazu Oshima pulling out the victory in Event 8. On the final hand, Malkoun flipped up against Oshima’s leaving Oshima behind for his tournament life.
No help came on an flop and then Malkoun got the card he wanted as the peeled off leaving Oshima drawing dead and giving the title to Malkoun.
While he’s had bigger cashes, this is Pete Malkoun’s first live victory in a major series and he leaves tonight with $29,750 and the title. Kazu Oshima finished 2nd taking home $17,000.
Congratulations to our Event 8 Champion – Pete Malkoun!
Peter Malkoun – Event 8 Champion ($29,750)Kazu Oshima – 2nd Place ($17,000)
$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out) Level 19: 3,000/6,000/1000 Ante
Pete Malkoun has shifted the grey 5,000 chips to his side of the table.
After a pre-flop re-raise to 40,000 from Oshima and a call from Malkoun, the flop came out . Malkoun checked, Oshima bet 40,000 and Malkoun called.
The turn brought the and fireworks. Malkoun checked again and Oshima bet 70,000. After some though, Malkoun went all-in and Oshima quickly folded the hand.
With that hand, Malkoun got over the 550,000 chip mark taking a slight lead for the first time in heads-up play and leaving this tournament as anyone’s ball game as we close in on the end of Level 19.
$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out) Level 19: 3,000/6,000/1000 Ante
Halfway through Level 19, Pete Malkoun continues to slowly work his way closer to catching Kazu Oshima.
Malkoun has now built his stack up to approximately 470,000 constantly putting pressure on Oshima. Oshima now stands at 550,000. So what was a 3.5 to 1 chip lead is nearly gone setting up what could be an exciting conclusion to Event 8.
$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out) Level 19: 3,000/6,000/1000 Ante
Kazu Oshima and Pete Malkoun have returned from dinner break just as the clock started and are back at it here in Event 8. Oshima stands at 673,000 chips and Malkoun is at 347,000 as we keep rolling on the road to the title.
flopped the nut straight on a 
board but Oshima also had a straight draw with 
which then turned into a king-high flush crushing Yahudi’s hopes of winning the tournament.
held up against Oshima’s 
as Malkoun hit an ace on the turn and captured the title after a little over three hours of heads-up play.
flop and then Malkoun got the card he wanted as the 
peeled off leaving Oshima drawing dead and giving the title to Malkoun.
and fireworks. Malkoun checked again and Oshima bet 70,000. After some though, Malkoun went all-in and Oshima quickly folded the hand.