2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 9
$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 973
Prize Pool: $164,437
September 11-13, 2023

Jimmy Tomblin was the clear chip leader throughout the final table tonight, and he played his advantage well to take home the top prize of $28,850 along with the SPS guitar pick trophy. The Fort Lauderdale resident took his career earnings up above $400,000 thanks to what was the most dominant final-table performance we’ve seen during this tournament series.

We caught up with Tomblin shortly after the win, and here were his thoughts about winning his first trophy here at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. “It feels amazing, it feels great. I’m going to put the trophy right in my kitchen [laughs],” said Tomblin.

“I mean I was just picking spots, a lot of three-betting, so I got a lot of folds because the ICM was so crucial. There’s guys with 10 to 15 bigs, and two other guys had 30 bigs, and I had 80. So it was pretty easy cruising. I had one big hand with a guy over here, and after that … I four-bet jammed him on the turn, and he found a fold. It was a pretty sick spot, and that got me to like 7 million,” said Tomblin when he was asked about his dominant journey at the final table.

“I opened under the gun, I was pretty active obviously, and a player jammed for 2.4 [million]. There was a re-jam, and I almost folded, but I couldn’t fold with queens. and aces, and I make the queen on the flop. I was just thinking about the numbers, and of course I have to call,” was Tomblin’s insight when asked about the hand that saw him take out two players in third and fourth place before the start of heads-up play.

“It’s ran great, everybody from the floor, to the dealers, the friendly players, media, everyone has been great, everyone has been awesome. Here and Hollywood are the best two stops that I go to,” said Tomblin when he was asked about what he’s enjoyed for far during the SPS tournament series that has seen him make a couple other of deep runs as well. Tomblin will also be playing in the championship event, maybe tomorrow of Friday depending on how tired he is after tonight.

Final Table Results:

1st: Jimmy Tomblin – $28,850 + SPS Trophy
2nd: Ray Lambert – $17,830
3rd: Tommy Hwang – $13,160
4th: Travis Hall – $9,830
5th: Eric Buek – $7,430
6th: Josh Snodgrass  – $5,680
7th: Moytk Scott – $4,400
8th: Jose Passatino – $3,450
9th: Andrew Brannon – $2,740

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 973

Ray Lambert got all in with in the hole from the button, and Jimmy Tomblin had him covered holding .

The final board read , and Lambert was eliminated in second place, good for $17,830. That gave Tomblin the tournament title, SPS guitar pick trophy, and top prize of $28,850 in prize money.

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 973

James Tomblin took out two players when his pocket queens held up against pocket aces and on a board that delivered a third queen.

That hand kocked out Travis Hall in fourth place and Tommy Hwang in third place to set up a heads-up final with Tomblin holding 14.7 million against the 4.76 million of Ray Lambert.

James Tomblin – 14,700,000 (98 bb)
Ray Lambert – 4,760,000 (31 bb)
3rd: Tommy Hwang – $13,160
4th: Travis Hall – $9,830

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 973

Josh Snodgrass and Jimmy Tomblin were in for 225,000 each before a flop fell 7-3-2, and the money eventually got all in with Snodgrass holding pocket fives against the 8-7 of Tomblin that held up to win the hand with the turn and river both bricks. Snodgrass was eliminated in seventh place, god for $4,400. Tomblin is now the far and away chip leader with a stack worth 10.8 million.

Jimmy Tomblin – 10,800,000 (135 bb)
Josh Snodgrass – Eliminated in Seventh Place ($4,400) 

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 973

Jose Passatino was eliminated in eighth place under the gun when his A-J ran into the pocket nines held by Ray Lambert on the cutoff. The board bricked out, and Passatino was eliminated in eighth place, good for $3,450. Lambert held 1.7 million after the hand.

Ray Lambert – 1,700,000 ( 28 bb)
Jose Passatino – Eliminated in Eighth Place ($3,450)

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 973

Here is a look at recent cashes in Event 9 that led to the final table:

9th: Andrew Brannon – $2,740
10th: Joseph Piambino – $2,200
11th: Eugene Castagliuolo – $2,200
12th: Chi Phan – $2,200
13th: Grant Missonis – $1,790
14th: Sundeep Kumar – $1,790
15th: Anthony March – $1,790

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 973

Here is a look at the final table seating chart with chip counts for Event 9:

Seat 1: Motyk Scott – 2,951,000
Seat 2: Eric Buel – 485,000
Seat 3: Ray Lambert – 920,000
Seat 4: Travis Hall – 525,000
Seat 5: Drew Brannon – 426,000
Seat 6: Jimmy Tomblin – 8,500,000
Seat 7:  Josh Snodgrass – 1,160,000
Seat 8:  Jose Passantino – 855,000
Seat 9: Tommy “Dragonfish” Hwang – 2,920,000

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 12 of 973

Grant Missonis was all in with in the hole from the small blind, and Jimmy Tomblin had him covered holding under the gun.

The final board read , and Missonis was eliminated in 13th place, good for $1,790. Tomblin stacked up 2,040,000 after the hand.

Jimmy Tomblin – 2,040,000 (40 bb)
Grant Missonis – Eliminated in 13th Place ($1,790)

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 15 of 973

Here is a look at the recent results in Event 9:

16th: Yefim Vakser – $1,480
17th: Ryan Hogan – $1,480
18th: Joseph Parrish – $1,480

19th: John Kennedy – $1,240
20th: Christopher Johnson – $1,240
21st: Marsha Wolak – $1,240

22nd: Jason Giles – $1,050
23rd: Khanh Truong – $1,050
24th: Luca Delgado – $1,050

25th: Megan Chapman – $900
26th: James Polanski – $900
27th: Jie Liu – $900

28th: Woodrow Pass – $780
29th: Jonathan Shiner – $780
30th: Rina Coss – $780

31st: Ashton Nowak – $690
32nd: Michael Mattivi – $690
33rd: William Brown – $690

34th: Bradley Miller – $620
35th: Josias Santos – $620
36th: Charles Wright – $620

37th: Matthew Edens – $560
38th: Raminder Singh – $560
39th: John Littleton – $560
40th: Cuinn Griffin – $560
41st: Julio Novo – $560
42nd: Garrison Brown – $560
43rd: Matthew Damore – $560
44th: Smith Collins – $560
45th: Shane Reid – $560

46th: David Sideri – $520
47th: Brent Hoover – $520
48th: Dylan Cann – $520
49th: Adalbert Mustatea – $520
50th: Tam Nguyen – $520
51st: Cary Alter – $520
52nd: Daniel Sudhop – $520
53rd: Zachary Vankueren – $520
54th: Stephanie Miller – $520

$200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 30 of 973

Marsha Wolak is among the final 30 players making a deep run on Day 2, and she can be found playing in tournaments throughout the year all over her home state of Florida.

Wolak holds close to $900,000 in career tournament earnings, and she has ten tournament victories on her poker resume. Two of those wins were good for a World Series of Poker gold bracelet, and a WSOP gold ring. Wolak is currently holding 130,000 as the field approaches the final three tables.