2021 WPT Tampa
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 13
$2,200 Eight-Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries:  167
Prize Pool:  $334,000
June 17, 2021

It’s been a pretty good week for Hasan Hakim.

On Day 1A of Event #1, Hakim walked over to the media desk and asked what it would take to get his photo in the live updates. He was told that it would be tough on Day 1, and he’d need to have the biggest chip stack in the room (with 463 entries) at one of the breaks.

Hakim said he would do it. And he did, taking the lead shortly before the Money Bubble burst in that first starting flight. With his photo in the updates, Hakim said his next step was to make the final table.

Hakim said he would do it, and three days later, he did, beginning the final table just two big blinds behind the chipleader. That’s when Hakim said he was going to win the trophy.

Unfortunately, Hakim came up short on that one, finishing in fifth place to earn $76,080. But he promised he’d be back, and he promised that next time, he’d win the trophy.

Hakim said he would do it, and — he did it.

On Thursday night, Hasan Hakim outlasted a tough field of 167 players to win the $2,200 Eight-Max No Limit Hold’em event in a three-way deal with Aaron Thivyanathan and Will Parker. As chipleader, Hakim was declared the champion, receiving the title, the trophy, and $75,347.

“I’m very happy to be a champion today,” said Hakim. “I finished fifth on Sunday when I took a pretty bad beat, and I told all my friends that I was coming back so I could play another one. I have a full-time job in sales at Toyota, but I took a little vacation so I could come and play.”

“The final table went good,” said Hakim. “I was very short coming into the final two tables, and then I finally chipped up in a huge hand where I had pocket queens against a guy who called me with nines, and that led me to the final table.”

The key hand for Hakim at the final table seemed to be when he got his big stack all in with aces against chipleader Dan Sepiol’s ace-king. That doubled Hakim into a huge chip lead, which he held onto for the rest of the way.

“I’m glad I went against the chipleader in a huge cooler with his ace-king against my aces,” said Hakim. “That’s why I’m chopping it up and taking first.”

Hakim ended his interview with some nice words for the casino and its staff.

“I want to thank the Seminole Hard Rock for organizing the tournament,” said Hakim. “Nice management, a good staff, and everything was neat and player friendly.”

Can Hakim make it three final tables in a row? He plans to return tomorrow to play Day 1A of the $3,500 WPT Tampa main event, so stay tuned.