2021 Super Stacks Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Main Event
$1,700 No Limit Hold’em
$150,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  323
Prize Pool:  $484,500
September 16-19, 2021

The Super Stacks Poker Series headliner was the $1,700 buy-in Main Event that drew 323 entries over three starting flights. Thomas Elder came back from a short stack several times to take the title along with $101,865 after a dominating heads-up battle with Nick Palma.

The tournament easily surpassed its $150,000 guarantee and put $484,500 in the prize pool. The last 41 spots were paid and the deep, slow structure meant it took a long time to get to the money on Day 2. But when they did, they lost four players at the same time for some min-cash chopping.

It took an extra day to find a winner with eight players coming back on Monday to play to a winner. Likang Berninger and Thomas Elder both returned to Day 2 with 56,000 (14 bb) and both survived to go deep at the final table.

Berninger held a big chip lead for most of it but Palma chipped away until he was eliminated in third place. Elder was behind at the start of heads-up play but quickly took the lead. Palma was never able to come back and Edler earned the outright win after Palma fell in second place.

Edler earned $101,865 and the title of our first-ever Super Stacks Main Event champ!

Final table results:

1st: Thomas Elder – $101,865 + Trophy
2nd: Nick Palma – $67,900
3rd: Likang Berninger – $49,815
4th: Maurice Hawkins – $37,010
5th: Herbert Woodbery – $27,850
6th: Anthony Astarita – $21,235
7th: Karl Manouchakian – $16,400
8th: Hal Rotholz – $12,840
9th: Michael McCray – $10,185

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante

With the flop reading , Nick Palma bet 150,000 and Thomas Elder called. The turn was , Palma checked then called 400,000 from Elder. The river came , Palma checked, and Edler bet 800,000. Palma thought for a minute and called leaving only 200,000 behind.

Elder flipped up for the flopped spade flush and Palma mucked.

On the next hand, Palma put that 200K all in on his button and Elder called.

Elder:
Palma:

“I feel a comeback!” Palma said.

Neither paired the flop but Elder took away tens for Palma. The turn and river finished the board and the tournament as Elder collected the last of the chips.

1st: Thomas Elder – $101,865 + Trophy
2nd: Nick Palma – $67,900

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 323

Level 30 came to an end to send Thomas Elder and Nick Palma on a short 10-minute break. They will return with Edler holding a big lead but plenty of time for Palma to come back.

Seat 2: Thomas Elder – 12,875,000 (86 bb)
Seat 5: Nick Palma – 3,175,000 (21 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $101,865 + Trophy
2nd: $67,900

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 323

With the flop reading , Thomas Elder checked, Nick Palma bet 300,000 and Elder called. The turn was , Elder checked again and Palma bet 950,000. Elder check-raised all in and Palma folded with 3,900,000 behind.

Seat 2: Thomas Elder – 12,150,000 (97 bb)
Seat 5: Nick Palma – 3,900,000 (31 bb)

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 323

All the pots slid Thomas Elder’s way after the start of heads-up to give him a nice lead in the last 10 minutes of Level 29. Blinds are up to 75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante and levels last 40 minutes until we have a winner.

Seat 2: Thomas Elder – 9,950,000 (80 bb)
Seat 5: Nick Palma – 6,100,000 (49 bb)

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 323

Nick Palma took a few minutes to discuss a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool but could not come to an agreement. Cards are back in the air with Palma leading and more than $100K awaiting the winner.

Seat 2: Thomas Elder – 7,575,000 (76 bb)
Seat 5: Nick Palma – 8,475,000 (85 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $101,865 + Trophy
2nd: $67,900

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 323

Likang Berninger tried to make a comeback after slipping to third of three. He was all in for 525,000 against both Nick Palma and Thomas Elder and he tripled with against and on the board for a triple up.

Soon after he was all in for 1,550,000 against Thomas Elder after his caught an eight on the but was up against . The turn and river finished the board and he was eliminated in third place for $49,815.

Thomas Elder – 7,575,000 (76 bb)
Likang Berninger – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($49,815)

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 323

Thomas Elder open-shipped for 1,450,000 and Maurice Hawkins reshipped for 1,900,000 from the button. The blinds folded and we had a big hand.

Hawkins:
Elder:

Hawkins’s big ace ran into a big hand and nothing on the kept him from double up Elder again. He was down to 450,000 and got that in against Nick Palma.

Palma:
Hawkins:

Hawkins needed to catch but it was Palma pairing his aces on the flop. The turn and river finished Hawkins’s Main Event in fourth place.

Nick Palma – 11,100,000 (111 bb)
Thomas Elder – 3,150,000 (32 bb)
Maurice Hawkins – Eliminated in 4th Place ($37,010)

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 323

In a series of hands, none of which were all ins, Nick Palma took the lead from Likang Berninger. The last saw a pot with the board reading , Berninger bet 750,000 and Palma called after two minutes to think it through.

He called correctly with against to build his lead.

Nick Palma – 10,400,000 (104 bb)
Likang Berninger – 2,500,000 (25 bb)

$1,700 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$150,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 323

On the next hand after the Thomas Elder double, Nick Palma opened to 225,000 and Herbert Woodbery shipped for 1,075,000 from the button. The blinds folded and Palma quickly called.

Palma:
Woodbery:

Woodbery needed a lot of help with the smaller ace, picked up a gutshot wheel draw on the flop but blanked the turn and river to go out in fifth place.

Nick Palma – 5,675,000 (57 bb)
Herbert Woodbery – Eliminated in 5th Place ($27,850)