2022 Tampa Poker Classic
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 13
$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 440
Prize Pool: $990,000
March 18 – 21, 2022

The 2022 Tampa Poker Classic series was headlined by the $500,000 guaranteed Championship and the big tournament drew a talented field. It had 440 entries join over two starting flights and poker pro Paul Snead walked away with the title along with nearly $200,000.

The turnout created a prize pool worth $990,000 and the last 55 spots were paid. Of the 440 entries, 77 players advanced to Day 2 with Tampa legend Justin Zaki leading the way.

Day 2 played down to the final table and Zaki was still the leader when they bagged up for a Day 3 return. But it wasn’t going to be an easy ride because the top six stacks were all within four big blinds of each other and one of them belonged to three-time WPT champ Brian Altman.

Altman’s day ended early after several hands against Snead dropped him down and out. Sean Conklin, Siddharth Siddharth, Alexander Orlov, and Zaki all fell short of the title and the last four players had a long grind to settle the game.

Cianfarra, the one-time chip leader at the final table, went out in fourth place followed by Tom McDonald after a valiant short stack effort.

Snead began heads-up play with the chip lead against former Tampa champ Bryce McVay and never lost a major pot during the match. McVay caught some bad luck on the last hand but earned $132,095 for his runner-up finish.

Snead, a New York resident and Tampa snowbird, took home $198,150 as the TPC Champion after a fantastic run over the last three days.

Congratulations to Paul and thanks to all over our players for the tremendous turnout.

Final table results:

• Complete 2022 TPC Championship results (PDF)

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante

Paul Snead limped his button and Bryce McVay moved all in for 2,300,000. Snead thought for a few moments and called to put the game on the line.

Snead:
McVay:

McVay was ahead for the double up but Snead paired his five on the flop. He needed a miracle to double but blanked the turn and river to exit in second place.

He earned $132,095 for his runner-up finish while Snead takes home nearly $200,000 for his TPC Championship win.

1st: Paul Snead – $198,150
2nd: Bryce McVay – $132,095

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 440

Blinds are up to 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante and Paul Snead extended his lead over the last part of Level 29 without a big showdown.

Seat 3: Bryce McVay – 6,300,000 (32 bb)
Seat 4: Paul Snead – 11,300,000 (57 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $198,150
2nd: $132,095

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 440

The heads-up match for the 2022 Tampa Poker Classic Championship is underway with Paul Snead leading Bryce McVay with nearly $200K going to one of them.

They will finish out Level 29 and blinds will increase every 30 minutes after that point.

Seat 3: Bryce McVay – 7,600,000 (51 bb)
Seat 4: Paul Snead – 10,000,000 (67 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $198,150
2nd: $132,095

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 440

With the flop out and reading , Tom McDonald put his 2,850,000 stack in the middle and Paul Snead quickly called to put him at risk.

Snead:
McDonald:

Both flopped top pair but McDonald had bad kicker issues. The turn and river finished the board and McDonald’s come back attempt fell short.

Paul Snead – 10,000,000 (67 bb)
Tom McDonald – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($97,475)

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 440

After his earlier double up, Tom McDonald’s stack was whittled back down to 1,900,000 against Bryce McVay and the three-handed action. He moved all in from the small blind and McVay quickly called in the big.

McDonald:
McVay:

McDonald’s sixes were ahead and he doubled back into the game on the board.

Tom McDonald – 3,950,000 (26 bb)
Bryce McVay – 9,400,000 (63 bb)

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 440

On the first hand back from break, Tom McDonald had the button and open-shoved for 2,500,000. Bryce McVay folded his small blind and Paul Snead quickly called in the big.

Snead:
McDonald:

McDonald needed a lot of help to stay in the game, picked up a diamond draw on the flop and it got there on the turn. The river finished the board and McDonald pulled a big double.

Tom McDonald – 5,250,000 (35 bb)
Paul Snead – 4,050,000 (27 bb)

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 440

Three players remain at the next break of the day with Bryce McVay leading, Paul Snead not far behind, and Tom McDonald with some work to do.

Seat 2: Tom McDonald – 2,500,000 (17 bb)
Seat 3: Bryce McVay – 8,400,000 (56 bb)
Seat 4: Paul Snead – 6,700,000 (45 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $198,150
2nd: $132,095
3rd: $97,475

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 440

Paul Snead opened to 275,000 from the button and Dante Cianfarra moved all in from the small blind. Tom McDonald checked his cards and quickly moved all in from the big to get a fold from Snead.

McDonald:
Cianfarra:

McDonald caught a big hand and Cianfarra was in trouble for a double. The board ran and McDonald made a full house to win the pot. They counted down the stacks and McDonald had Cainfarra covered by a single 25K chip to send him out in fourth place.

Tom McDonald – 2,875,000 (23 bb)
Dante Cianfarra – Eliminated in 4th Place ($72,710)

$2,500 TPC Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 440

Blinds are up at the four-handed Championship final table with Bryce McVay and Paul Snead holding the bigger stacks while Tom McDonald and Dante Cianfarra are grinding it out.

Seat 1: Dante Cianfarra – 2,300,000 (18 bb)
Seat 2: Tom McDonald – 2,500,000 (20 bb)
Seat 3: Bryce McVay – 6,625,000 (53 bb)
Seat 4: Paul Snead – 6,125,000 (49 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $198,150
2nd: $132,095
3rd: $97,475
4th: $72,710