2018 WPTDeepStacks Tampa
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 1
$200,000 Guaranteed
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries: 797
Prize Pool: $398,500
June 7-10, 2018
The 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Tampa WPTDeepStacks series kicked off with a multi-day tournament that hit big marks along the way. Event 1 crushed the $200,000 Guarantee and Andrew Pacifico took home the biggest piece of the prize pool after going from short stack to final table domination. He earned more than $60,000 along with a seat in the $1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event.
Pacifico was down to only a half dozen big blinds late in the day but ran it up, hit the final table with the chip lead, and rode it to the victory.
“When you’re down to that short of a stack it’s very easy to play,” he commented after his win. “The first all-in I was behind but the next four all-ins I was ahead.”
“It put me in a position to kind of chill out and pick my spots.”
Event 1 featured six starting flights over the first three days of the series and they combined to put 797 entries into the game. The players generated a prize pool just shy of $400,000 and the last 100 players shared some of that money.
Day 2 saw 152 players return and each had a shot at the title. Pacifico held a top ten stack for the return after bagging the Flight E chip lead but there were plenty of tough players trying to chase him down. Wally Maddah, Vitor Coelho, Carlos Loving, Derek Bowers, and 2016 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event champion Anthony Astarita were among those vying for the title.
The tournament quickly made into the money before the first Day 2 break and there was a steady parade to the payout desk. Event 1 was down to 16 players at the dinner break and the final table not long after they returned.
Pacifico had the lead to start the final table but Yong Liu was not far behind. One big hand swung even more chips to Pacifico while it was a shocking end for Liu. His turned set ran into Pacifico’s turned straight sending Pacifico further out in front. He held 6.6 million of the 16 million in play with eight players still in contention.
“I had to recheck my cards,” Pacifico said of the hand. “I had to make sure I had the nuts. And I did.”
“I was actually pretty shocked that he had out. I thought he was drawing dead, I’m glad the board didn’t pair.”
Liu wasn’t drawing dead but he was out in ninth and Pacifico held 6.6 million of the 16 million in play with eight players remaining.
Paul Lenkeit saw his aces get cracked with seven players remaining and that set the table for some negotiations. Pacifico earned the title along with the lion’s share of the prize pool courtesy of his huge lead. His official payout was $60,395 plus his WPTDeepStacks Main Event seat.
“I guess I have to drive back down,” Pacifico laughed.
Pacifico transitioned from playing Magic the Gathering into poker after meeting some players who were involved with both. He’s been playing for two decades and was a professional for six years. Now he does real estate and poker training when he’s not at the tables.
It was a great start to the WPTDeepStacks series and we expect to maintain the momentum as we head into the three remaining tournaments.
Congratulations to Pacifico on his biggest career win and thanks to our players for kicking things off with a bang.
Final table results:
1st: Andrew Pacifico – $60,395 + $1,100 Main Event seat*
2nd: Nick Avena – $35,255 *
3rd: Charlie Kapetanakos – $34,111 *
4th: Juan Rodriguez – $30,779 *
5th: Oscar Lindo – $29,811 *
6th: Nick Luczyk – $18,755 *
7th: Paul Lenkeit – $11,902
8th: Ahmad Hamoush – $9,466
9th: Yong Liu – $7,098
10th: Robert Urspruch – $5,842
* – denotes results of a six-way deal