2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 4
$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Entries: 88
Prize Pool: $29,480
September 8, 2023

Near the start of the final table in Event 4 tonight William Clay was one of the shortest stacks remaining when he called his shot and said, “Bring the blue chips this way.” And indeed he did, amassing the most 25,000 chips in the field by the time Clay and Amie Martini decided on a chop to end the heads-up match around 1 am. Clay took home $8,000 up top along with the SPS trophy. Clay was the most talkative player at the final table, and that way with words carried through into his winner’s interview shortly after the victory.

“I came back from nothing, I had three blue chips, just 75,000. You I remember I said ‘I’m going to win this, I’m going to come back.’ I knew I was coming back,” said the Orlando resident with a grin right after the chop.

Clay is a mixed-game specialist who spends many hours a week playing Big O, as was his final opponent Martini. “This is my game, I play this three or four times a week, like 40 hours. I feel like it’s a beatable game, you know what I’m saying? It’s skill with the luck, but you gotta have the skill. You’ve gotta be able to read people, and know how to play the low. People get stuck on the low, and don’t have no high, and that’s how you quarter them,” said Clay.

When he was asked if he appreciates the effort Seminole Hard Rock Tampa makes to add various mixed games to their tournament schedules Clay had this to say, “One hundred percent, I’ve been waiting for it, I love it. I’m glad they did, they’ve got me locked down for life on the Big O for sure.”

“I’ve played two tournaments so far at this one, and won one of them, and I already bagged in the $400 Milly. So hopefully you’ll see me again on Monday with the $400. I will probably go home for a couple days, and then come back up for the $1,700 or something like that,” said Clay about his plans for the rest of SPS series.

The interview ended on a light note as well. The masseuse that was with him at the time he called his shot on the comeback came over to the final table to congratulate him when we were wrapping up, and Clay ended things by exclaiming one more time: “You know I did it. I told you I was going to do it.” She replied with a laugh, ” Hey, that should be your big story because he called you out. He kept yelling blue chips coming this way.”

Final Results:

1st: William Clay – $8,000 + SPS trophy
2nd: Amie Martini – $6,500
3rd: David Prociak – $3,930
4th: Paul Lenkeit – $2,760
5th: James Calderaro – $2,020
6th: James Johnson – $1,530
7th:  Clarence Gissendanner – $1,210
8th: Steve Brite – $1,000
9th:  Michael Zacco – $870
10th: William Wallace – $830
11th: Alexander Orlov – $830

$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 88

A short time after William Clay took over the chip lead from Amie Martini the final two players in Event 4 agreed to a chop. Here are the results from that chop:

1st: William Clay – $8,000 + SPS Trophy
2nd: Amie Martini – $6,500

Stay tuned for the winner’s photo and what will surely be an entertaining interview with Clay, who was the most talkative player at the final table tonight.

$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 88

With the elimination of David Prociak in third place ($3,930), the heads-up final is set in Event 4. Here is a look at the chip counts between the final two players:

Seat 2: William Clay (pictured above left) – 930,000
Seat 8: Amie Martini (pictured above right) – 1,270,000

Remaining Prize Pool:

1st: $8,710 + SPS trophy
2nd: $5,790

$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 88

Remaining Chip Counts:

Seat 2: William Clay – 310,000
Seat 6: David Prociak – 570,000
Seat 8: Amie Martini – 1,320,000

Remaining Prize Pool:

1st: $8,710 + SPS trophy
2nd: $5,790
3rd: $3,930

$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 88

After the conclusion of the final table at Event 5, the spotlight goes back over to the playdown of Event 4. Here is a look at the recent batch of results at the final table.

4th: Paul Lenkeit – $2,760
5th: James Calderaro – $2,020
6th: James Johnson – $1,530
7th:  Clarence Gissendanner – $1,210
8th: Steve Brite – $1,000

Remaining Chip Counts:

Seat 2: William Clay – 145,000
Seat 6: David Prociak – 1,130,000
Seat 8: Amie Martini – 925,000

Remaining Prize Pool:

1st: $8,710 + SPS trophy
2nd: $5,790
3rd: $3,930

$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 14:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 88

The money bubble has burst in Event 4, and Alexander Orlov was the first player to cash in the tournament for $830. When the field loses one more player they will be moved over to the final table and draw for new seats.

$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 12:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 21 of 88

Two notables that are making a deep run tonight in the Big O tournament include James Calderaro and Donny Maloney.  The tournament is currently at the final three tables with the final 11 cashing, and the tournament will play down to a champion later tonight.

Maloney made a deep run in Event 3 last night at the Omaha 8OB tournament, finishing in fourth place. His career tournament earnings stand above $1.6 million. The World Poker Tour Champions Club member claimed his title at the WPT Borgata Poker Open back in 2019.

Speaking of WPT Champions Club members, Calderaro won his at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open here in Florida down at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood sister property to Tampa in 2014. Calderaro also holds a World Series of Poker gold bracelet that he won in 2017. Caldo’s career earnings are above $5.6 million.

2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 4
$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Entries: 88
Prize Pool: $29,480
September 8, 2023

Registration closed for the $400 Big O tournament with a tough field of 88 entries. They created a prize pool worth $29,480 and the last 11 players will make the money. They will pick up $830 for a min-cash and the Event 4 champ will take home $8,710 plus the trophy.

1st: $8,710 + SPS trophy
2nd: $5,790
3rd: $3,930
4th: $2,760
5th: $2,020
6th: $1,530
7th: $1,210
8th: $1,000
9th: $870
10th-11th: $830

$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Entries:  50

The Big O tournament hit half a hundred in the first hour and that number will climb, a lot of that due to the action-heavy nature of the game.

The field is smaller but it is tough. We found a couple in the tournament looking to bring some success across the state; John Binns and Matthew Bretzfield have five major wins in Hollywood and now shooting for one in Tampa.

$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante

Third day on the series schedule means the third Omaha game of the series is ready to go. This time around, we have a $400 Big O tournament that should add to the big crowd in the Event Center.

They’ll sit down to 25K in their stacks and all levels last 30 minutes for the one-day trophy event. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 9 at 4:30 pm. The 30-minute dinner break is scheduled for 6:30 pm and they’ll return to play down to our next SPS champ.

• Players begin with 25,000 in chips
• Levels last 30 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (4:30pm)
• This is a one-day tournament and plays to completion
• Event 4 Structure Sheet