Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open
Event 15: $3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em
June 12-18, 2014
Total Entries: 346
Total Buy-In: $1,115,850
Chip Leader Bonus: $22,500
Total Prize Pool: $1,093,350
RECAP
The heads-up battle between Timothy ‘TK’ Miles and Andrew Batkin began with Miles holding a 6:4 chip lead and lasted more than five hours. Miles would grind Batkin down and Batkin would battle back.
In the end, it took a bad beat to bring it to a conclusion. Batkin was all-in and ahead with pocket Jacks against Miles’ pocket sixes. A six on the river gave Miles the set and the win. He collected $295,203 and the signature Hard Rock guitar, plus the Championship trophy. This brings his lifetime earnings very close to $1 Million.
“It was great!” said Miles. “Happy to be here. I love Tampa. It feels good. This is my biggest score. They [the][staff] did a great job. It’s incredible what they’ve done. The tournament was great, I’m looking forward to the next one. The structure was great. Everything was perfect.”
Batkin took $164,003 for second place, nearly doubling his lifetime earnings of $185k. “That’s disgusting right there,” said Batkin. “Tough way to go out there, a six on the river. I could see the ‘W,’ it’s just disappointing.”
Six players returned for Day 4 and the final day of the Championship event. Tyler Smith was the first elimination in 6th place, running pocket Tens into Andrew Batkin’s pocket Aces. “It was a good experience and I ran good to get here,” says Smith who takes his career earnings to nearly $1 million. Smith was the most accomplished player of the final six with a WSOP Circuit ring to go along with two WPT televised final table appearances.
Bill Burdick was the chip leader at the start of Day 4, but got his Aces cracked early by Miles, who had pocket Kings and flopped a set. Burdick busted out in 5th place when he flopped top pair against Andrew Batkin’s flopped straight. Burdick adds to his $253,000 in lifetime tournament earnings which includes 1 WSOP Circuit ring.
Robert Bennett was in the middle of the pack at the start of the final day, but after a key hand when he doubled up Andrew Batkin, he was left short and busted out soon after in 4th place.
Local pro Stephen Diamantas was the short-stack at the start of Day 4 with only 26 big blinds. He caught two early double-ups to get back into the fight. Then he doubled up Andrew Batkin twice to go back to the short stack, later busting out in 3rd place. Diamantas won the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Open Championship here for $122k. Today he added $102k to his lifetime earnings of $193k. His departure set up the epic heads-up battle between TK Miles and Andrew Batkin.
Day 3 saw the departure of some notable players, including Rod Rodrigue. At the age of 69, he was the oldest player to make it to Day 3. He finished 9th for $21,867. Leading him out the door was the second-oldest player to make Day 3. Hristos Tsironis is 68 years old and he exited the tournament in 10th place, earning $14,214.
Evan Teitelbaum was down to only 3 big blinds on the money bubble on Day 2, but survived and made it all the way to 14th place, earning $11,754. Robbie Godbey returned in 126th place out of 131 players on Day 2 (15k / 13 bb) and not only worked his way into the money, he made it all the way to 21st place for $7,653.
Retired teacher Julio Novo earned his way into this event by winning Event 4. He parlayed his free seat into a 22nd place finish, good for $7,653.
Although no women made it to Day 3, Cinda Goodale was the last woman remaining, She went deep in this event, finishing 27th for $7,653 late on Day 2.
Ray Prieto began Day 2 as the chip leader, but busted out early in the money, finishing 32nd for $6,779. Event 7 winner Angel Vu free-rolled her way to a 35th place finish, also earning $6,779.
The Championship event drew a total of 346 entries over three starting flights. 131 players survived to advance to Day 2 and the final 36 got paid. The money bubble burst late on Day 2.
Joe Gibbons got all-in with a flopped set of 3s, only to discover that Timothy ‘TK’ Miles had turned a set of Kings. Gibbons, who won a seat in a satellite and another seat by winning a preliminary event, fired three bullets in this event and ended up finishing two from the money.
Other notables missing the money were WSOP Ladies Champion Marsha Wolak, who busted out in 48th place; Original November Niner Dennis Phillips, who was out the door just before Wolak; Shawn Cunix; 2010 November Niner John Dolan; and WSOP bracelet holders Gavin Smith and Ryan Eriquezzo.
“I got it in real bad, but I won, what are you going to do…it worked out, guess it’s my time to be lucky,” said TK Miles. “Got my wife here, my dog, my grandparents came to check me out, my brother was here yesterday…It feels good. I guess I played pretty good. I got very lucky and had a lot of big hands, so that’s what it takes to win one of these.”
FINAL RESULTS
1. TIMOTHY MILES (TALLAHASSEE, FL): $295,203
2. ANDREW BATKIN (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $164,003
3. STEPHEN DIAMANTAS (TAMPA, FL): $102,010
4. ROBERT BENNETT (ORLANDO, FL): $82,001
5. WILLIAM BURDICK (PALMETTO, FL): $64,508
6. TYLER SMITH (BILOXI, MS): $53,027
7. JARRED LOOMIS (HOLLYWOOD, FL): $42,641
8. KEVIN SPIRES (WEST PALM BEACH, FL): $32,254
9. RODNEY RODRIGUE (LONGWOOD, FL): $21,867
10. HRISTOS TSIRONIS (ORLANDO, FL): $14,214
11. JUAN MUBARAK PERALTA (HIALEAH, FL): $14,214
12. ANDREW BOCCIA (LAKELAND, FL): $14,214
13. XIAOHONG PENG (LUTZ, FL): $11,754
14. EVAN TEITELBAUM (PARKLAND, FL): $11,754
15. KISHOR BHAKTA (MIRAMAR, FL): $11,754
16. JOSHUA MASKELL (PALM HARBOR, FL): $9,348
17. JAMES OLIVER (BOCA RATON, FL): $9,348
18. IAN O’HARA (BOCA RATON, FL): $9,348
19. JOHN INGOLD (ODESSA, FL): $7,653
20. PAUL DLUGOZIMA (SAINT PETERSBURG, FL): $7,653
21. ROBBIE GODBEY (WINTER GARDEN, FL): $7,653
22. JULIO NOVO (TAMPA, FL): $7,653
23. TODD ANDERSON (FARGO, ND): $7,653
24. JEFFREY COUTROULIS (TAMPA, FL): $7,653
25. LUKE BRERETON (PRESTBURY, ): $7,653
26. SCOTT COWAN (DAVIE, FL): $7,653
27. CINDA GOODALE (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL): $7,653
28. CONG NGUYEN (SAN JOSE, CA): $6,779
29. DAVID BENNETT (PALM HARBOR, FL): $6,779
30. MARK SHULLA (FITCHBURG, WI): $6,779
31. DUY BUI (KILLEEN, TX): $6,779
32. RAY PRIETO (SAINT PETERSBURG, FL): $6,779
33. PAUL STANECHEWSKI (TAMPA, FL): $6,779
34. DANIEL IVERS (HOLIDAY, FL): $6,779
35. NGOC VU (SOUTH DAYTONA, FL): $6,779
36. DEAN IBRAHIM (STUART, FL): $6,779