2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 20
$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 206
Prize Pool: $69,010
September 18, 2023

Registration closed for the $400 Seniors 50+ event with 206 entries turning the $50,000 guarantee into a prize pool worth $69,010. The last 26 players will make the money with $520 for a min-cash and $16,930 for a top senior this evening.

1st: $16,930 + SPS Trophy
2nd: $11,780
3rd: $7,070
4th: $4,300
5th: $3,320
6th: $2,750
7th: $2,350
8th: $2,020
9th: $1,700
10th-12th: $1,480
13th-15th: $1,260
16th-18th: $1,040
19th-21st: $830
22nd-24th: $640
25th-26th: $520

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 778

Karl Manouchakian returned from break, made it through the big blind, and open-shipped for about 1,100,000 from the small blind on the next hand. Jeremy Joseph called from the big blind to put Manouchakian at risk.

Manouchakian:
Joseph:

Manouchakian ran into a dominating hand with Joseph holding the bigger king. The board ran out and Manouchakian was eliminated from the Championship in seventh place.

Manouchakian was already the all-time SHR Tampa leader for tournament cashes and this is another big one to his credit.

Jeremy Joseph – 3,975,000 (32 bb)
Karl Manouchakian – Eliminated in 6th Place ($33,530)

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 778

Players were sent on another 15-minute break with Craig Varnell leading and Karl Manouchakian and Raymond Mancini needing to get moving.

Seat 1: Heitor Saraiva – 5,250,000 (42 bb)
Seat 2: Karl Manouchakian – 1,475,000 (12 bb)
Seat 4: Jeremy Joseph – 3,725,000 (30 bb)
Seat 5: Seth Fischer – 5,600,000 (45 bb)
Seat 6: Craig Varnell – 8,250,000 (66 bb)
Seat 7: Raymond Mancini – 1,450,000 (12 bb)
Seat 8: Michael Phillips – 4,325,000 (35 bb)

1st: $207,280 + SPS Trophy
2nd: $138,150
3rd: $101,930
4th: $75,990
5th: $57,250
6th: $43,580
7th: $33,530

8th: Eric Edwards – $26,070
9th: Shane Melert – $20,490
10th: Rodney Turvin – $20,490
11th: Marcus Carter – $16,270
12th: James Calderaro – $16,270
13th: Brett Bader – $13,140
14th: Steven Bennett – $13,140

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 778

Heitor Saraiva opened to 250,000 from the cutoff and Seth Fischer ripped it in again, this time for 2,350,000 from the big blind. Saraiva thought for a minute and called.

Saraiva:
Fischer:

It was a race and Saraiva held on to the lead after the flop.

“Don’t do it on the river,” Saraiva asked.

The turn changed nothing but Saraiva’s wishes were not answered because Fischer paired his king on the river to double again.

Seth Fischer – 4,850,000 (49 bb)
Heitor Saraiva – 4,050,000 (41 bb)

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 778

Seth Fischer was all in for 1,150,000 from the hijack with in the hole, and Heitor Saraiva had him covered holding .

The final board read , and Fischer doubled up to survive with 2.55 million. Saraiva held 6.4 million after the hand.

Seth Fischer – 2,550,000 (25 bb)
Heitor Saraiva – 6,400,000 (64 bb)

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 778

Eric Edwards was all in with from the hijack, and Heitor Saraiva had him covered holding from late position.

The final board read , and Edwards was eliminated in eighth place for $26,070. Saraiva was up to 8.9 million after the hand thanks to the straight.

Heitor Saraiva – 8,900,000 (118 bb)
Eric Edwards – Eliminated in Eighth Place ($26,070)

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 778

Shane Melert was eliminated in ninth place when his pocket kings couldn’t hold against the of Eric Edwards and of Craig Varnell in a three-way pot. Melert took home $20,490 in prize money. Varnell held 5,775,000 after the hand, and Edwards was still on a short stack after winning the side pot.

Shane Melert – Eliminated in Ninth Place ($20,490)

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 778

The final table was sent on a break after Level 25 and here’s a look at their counts. Michael Phillips continues to lead, while Eric Edmonds has some work ahead to get back into fighting shape.

Seat 1: Heitor Saraiva – 5,750,000 (77 bb)
Seat 2: Karl Manouchakian – 3,600,000 (48 bb)
Seat 3: Eric Edwards – 525,000 (7 bb)
Seat 4: Jeremy Joseph – 4,150,000 (55 bb)
Seat 5: Seth Fischer – 2,075,000 (28 bb)
Seat 6: Craig Varnell – 4,100,000 (55 bb)
Seat 7: Raymond Mancini – 2,400,000 (32 bb)
Seat 8: Michael Phillips – 7,400,000 (99 bb)
Seat 9: Shane Melert – 1,100,000 (15 bb)

1st: $207,280 + SPS Trophy
2nd: $138,150
3rd: $101,930
4th: $75,990
5th: $57,250
6th: $43,580
7th: $33,530
8th: $26,070
9th: $20,490

10th: Rodney Turvin – $20,490
11th: Marcus Carter – $16,270
12th: James Calderaro – $16,270
13th: Brett Bader – $13,140
14th: Steven Bennett – $13,140

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 778

Heitor Saraiva opened to 120,000 from early position and Karl Manouchakian three-bet to 350,000 next to act. It folded back around to Saraiva, he called, and the flop came .

Saraiva bet 300,000 and Manouchakian called. The turn was , Saravia looked at Manouchakian’s stack and announced all in. Manouchakian went into the tank and would be at risk if he called. He took several minutes to think it through, called for his last 1,140,000 and the cards were tabled.

Manouchakian:
Saraiva:

Manouchakian was ahead with top-top and needed to dodge Saraiva’s eight outs with the open-ended straight draw. The river was safe for Manouchakian and he doubled big at the final table.

Heitor Saraiva – 5,975,000 (100 bb)
Karl Manouchakian – 3,730,000 (62 bb)

$3,500 Signature NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure
Level 1:  500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante

The biggest buy-in tournament on the schedule gets underway at 2 pm in the Event Center with the $3,500 Signature NLH trophy event—a big buy-in with a lot of play.

They’ll start with 100,000 stacks and all levels last 40 minutes until they reach the final table where they increase to 90 minutes. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 10 at 10 pm following the 90-minute dinner break.

It will be a fun tournament to watch and we look forward to see who jumps in the game.

• Players begin with 100,000 in chips
• Levels last 40 minutes; Final table levels last 90 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 10 (10:00pm)
• Day 1 will end when nine players remain
• Event 21 Structure Sheet