2017 Winter Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 5
$1,650 Main Event
Entries: 671
Prize Pool: $1,006,500
December 14-18, 2017

Series finale sees 671 entries generate $1,006,500 prize pool, enjoys year-over-year attendance increase of over 37 percent.

Colombian pro Farid Jattin goes wire-to-wire with the chip lead, records largest first-place score of his career with $241,651 prize.

Tampa, Florida — The Winter Poker Open Main Event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida kicked off Thursday, December 14 in the property’s newly-opened, state-of-the-art poker room. The $1,650 buy-in series finale boasted a $500,000 guarantee that was more than doubled by the time 671 entries generated a $1,006,500 prize pool. After the five-day tournament concluded, Colombian pro Farid Jattin claimed the title outright along with a $241,651 score.

“I feel like I put up a really good performance,” Jattin said following the win. “I was really, really focused the whole time […] I ran pretty good, but I felt like I played amazing. I don’t feel like I made any big mistakes.”

Jattin bagged a huge stack in Flight B of the three-flight tournament. He began Day 2 as the only player over the 400,000 mark and claimed the chip lead with the tournament slated to play down to the final 10. The restart lasted the better part of 14 hours as past champion David Bradshaw and John-Christian Templeton hit the rail. By the time the final table was reached, Jattin ended the day just as he started — with a massive advantage.

On the third and final day, Jattin was in front of a tough 10-handed final table that included John Racener, Filipp Khavin, Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member Mike Laake and a slew of Tampa regulars. With 5,500,000 of the 20,000,000 chips in play, it was his tournament to lose and he maneuvered his way to heads-up play busting seven of the tournament’s nine final tablists including the aforementioned Khavin fifth, Racener sixth and Laake ninth. There was but a brief moment at the final table where he relinquished the chip lead to heads-up opponent Witold Wasik before ultimately sealing the deal on the largest first-place payday of his career.

“It was a gift from me to me. It’s my birthday in two days,” Jattin said of his dominant performance. “I thought it was an amazing tournament, well run. The room is amazing and I’ll definitely be coming back.”

Jattin, born in Colombia, is currently 28 years old and has a home in Miami. He spends much of his time traveling South America and was supposed to be in Prague during the Winter Poker Open, but woke up feeling ill on his travel day. He canceled his flight overseas, but still had the urge to play a tournament. A quick glance through the schedules, he stumbled upon the Winter Poker Open and made his way northwest to Tampa.

“Sometimes crazy things happen,” Jattin said of his unscheduled trip to the Tampa property.

The Winter Poker Open enjoyed huge attendance increases across the board. With a $1,006,500 prize pool, the series’ Main Event solidified its spot on the tournament calendar as the event to play before the New Year.

“Obviously it’s a big, big score, but I’m more happy for myself that I finally got the win,” Jattin said. “It’s been a while. I’m there all the time. For the volume that I put in, I’m very, very consistent and I don’t get the wins. I’m just really happy I got the win finally.”

Final table results:

1st: Farid Jattin – $241,651 + Guitar Trophy
2nd: Witold Wassik – $135,878
3rd: Scott Caracciolo – $85,553
4th: Joseph Skarzynski – $69,449
5th: Filipp Khavin – $55,358
6th: John Racener – $45,796
7th: Satish Surapaneni – $36,737
8th: Kevin O’Donnell – $27,679
9th: Mike Laake – $19,124

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

Next up at the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa is WPTDeepStacks slated for June of 2018.

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 32: 80,000/160,000/25,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 1/671

Farid Jattin was on the button and casually plopped a pile of white chips in the middle that had Wasik well covered. Wasik called off and the hands were put face up.

Wasik:
Jattin:

Runout:

Jattin’s trips were best and he won the Winter Poker Open Main Event for $241,651. Wasik, meanwhile, was sent home with a $135,878 consolation prize.

A full report on the tournament will be posted shortly. In the meantime, here’s a look at the final table results:

1st: Farid Jattin – $241,651 + Guitar Trophy
2nd: Witold Wassik – $135,878
3rd: Scott Caracciolo – $85,553
4th: Joseph Skarzynski – $69,449
5th: Filipp Khavin – $55,358
6th: John Racener – $45,796
7th: Satish Surapaneni – $36,737
8th: Kevin O’Donnell – $27,679
9th: Mike Laake – $19,124

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 31: 60,000/120,000/20,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 2/671

Farid Jattin was on the button and limped. Witold Wasik checked his option and the pair saw a flop.

Flop: — Both players checked.

Turn: — Wasik lead for 500,000 and Jatin called.

River: — Wasik checked. Jattin moved all-in for 9,035,000. Wasik verified both Jattin’s all-in bet as well as his own stack. After Wasik found out he held the chip advantage, he called putting Jattin at risk.

Jattin: for the nuts straight
Wasik: for two pair

Wasik shipped a monster pot across the table and the pair promptly went on a 15-minute break.

Farid Jattin – 19,345,000
Witold Wasik – 785,000

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 31: 60,000/120,000/20,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 2/671

Farid Jattin raised the button to 275,000 and Witold Wasik called.

Through the turn, the pair checked down a board.

The river fell the and Wasik switched gears, jamming for 4,645,000. Jattin asked for a count, but before it was final announced, “call.” Wasik turned over for a jack-high flush. Jattin’s hand hit the muck and Wasik doubled through the pro to even the stacks.

Witold Wasik – 10,060,000
Farid Jattin – 10,070,000

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000/15,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 2/671

With $241,651 up top and $135,878 to second, Farid Jattin offered to take $230,000 while giving Witold Wasik $147,529. Wasik countered at $180,000 and Jattin quickly declined. The pair played on.

“Good luck,” Jattin said.

Soon after, Wasik raised the button to 350,000 and Jattin called. The flop was . Jattin checked and Wasik bet 500,000. Jattin called.

The turn was the . Jattin checked again and Wasik bet again, this time 1,400,000. Jattin called.

The river fell the . Jattin open-shoved all-in having Wasik well covered. Wasik quickly folded and Jattin took the pot.

Farid Jattin – 17,130,000
Witold Wasik – 3,000,000

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000/15,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 2/671

With Witold Wasik running up a stack, Scott Caracciolo open-shoved the button. Wasik folded the small, but Jattin called from the big.

Caracciolo:
Jattin:

Runout:

Jattin spiked his pair and bested the eights of Caracciolo. Caracciolo was eliminated in third place while Jattin took the chip lead into heads-up play.

Farid Jattin – 15,180,000
Witold Wasik – 4,950,000
Scott Caracciolo – Eliminated in 3rd place ($85,553)

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000/15,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 3/671

Severely short stacked, Witold Wasik doubled on the first hand back from break and parlayed his good fortune into another double just a few moments ago.

Farid Jattin opened the button to 200,000. It was on Wasik in the big blind and he moved all-in for 1,990,000. Jattin called and Wasik was at risk.

Jattin:
Wasik:

Runout:

Wasik rivered an unlikely straight to best Jattin’s big pair. He doubled through the chip leader.

Witold Wasik – 4,175,000

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000/15,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 3/671

Farid Jattin – 15,450,000 (154 bb)
Scott Caracciolo – 4,005,000 (40 bb)
Witol Wasik – 675,000 (6 bb)

1st – $241,651 + Guitar Trophy
2nd – $135,878
3rd – $85,553

4th: Joseph Skarzynski – $69,449
5th: Filipp Khavin – $55,358
6th: John Racener – $45,796
7th: Satish Surapaneni – $36,737
8th: Kevin O’Donnell – $27,679
9th: Mike Laake – $19,124

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 29: 40,000/80,000/10,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 3/671

Farid Jattin raised the cutoff and Joseph Skarzynski three-bet the button. Jattin called and they saw a flop.

Flop: — Jattin checked and Skarzynski shoved 2,985,000. Jattin thought for a minute, but found a huge call.

Jattin: for top pair
Skarzynski: for two overs

Turn and river:

Jattin’s pair held and he took a massive chip lead into three-handed play. Skarzynski was eliminated in fourth place earning $69,449.

Joseph Skarzynski – Eliminated in 4th place ($69,449)

Winter Poker Open Main Event
$1,650 Buy-In, $500,000 Guaranteed
Level 29: 40,000/80,000/10,000 | Payouts
Players Remaining: 4/671

In a blind-versus-blind battle, short stack Filipp Khavin was at risk holding against chip leader Farid Jattin’s .

Runout:

Jattin’s set was good and he continued his final table dominance. Khavin, meanwhile, was eliminated in fifth place.

Filipp Khavin – Eliminated in 5th place ($55,358)