2025 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 9
$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 352
Prize Pool: $792,000
July 25 – 28, 2025

The 2025 Signature Poker Series Championship was the headline event on the schedule and the $2,500 produced a fantastic field. It drew 352 entries, pushing the $500,000 guarantee into a prize pool worth $792,000, and local favorite Ash Chehata captured the title, along with $164,430, after beating a tough final table.

The Championship had 17 players return for Day 3, where the largest payouts would be made. Chehata held the lead from the start and never relinquished it. He went wire-to-wire with some great play and big hands, and defeated the talented Stephen Song to take the title.

Congrats to Ash and thank you to everyone for coming out!

Final table results:

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 26:  40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante

It seemed like everything kept going to Ash Chehata even in the tough heads-up battle with Stephen Song. On the final hand, Chehata moved all in from his button and Song called at risk for 965,000.

Chehata:
Song:

Song had two live cards to double but that changed quickly when Chehata made trip treys on the flop. The board finished with the turn and river and we had our SPS Champion.

Congrats to both for a great run!

1st: Ash Chehata – $164,430 + SPS Trophy
2nd: Stephen Song – $109,340

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 26:  40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 352

Ash Chehata limped his button, Stephen Song completed his small blind, and Mark Zhang raised to 320,000 from the big. Chehata called and Song moved all in.

Zhang quickly called at risk and Chehata seriously considered joining to make a three-way pot. He elected to fold and the hands were flipped up.

Song:
Zhang:

Zhang was behind but drawing live until Song made trip fives on the board. Zhang had a diamond draw but blanked the turn and river to exit in third place.

Stephen Song – 3,480,000 (44 bb)
Ash Chehata – 10,600,000 (133 bb)
Mark Zhang  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place ($80,260)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 24:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 352

After a bunch of little activity, the three shorter stacks trying to find their spots double or ladder, they finally had a hand get the chips in.

Ash Chehata limped his button, Nakim Adesio moved all in for 1,015,000 from the small and Chehata quickly called after Stephen Song folded his big.

Chehata:
Adesio:

Adesio ran into a big pair and found no help on the board to exit in fourth place.

Ash Chehata – 9,500,000 (158 bb)
Nakim Adesio  –  Eliminated in 4th Place ($59,550)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 24:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 352

Ash Chehata leads the four-handed final table with 70% of the chips in play but still a lot of work to do.

Seat 1: Nakim Adesio – 1,100,000 (18 bb)
Seat 3: Stephen Song – 2,210,000 (37 bb)
Seat 5: Mark Zhang – 985,000 (16 bb)
Seat 6: Ash Chehata – 9,780,000 (163 bb)

1st: $164,430 + SPS Trophy
2nd: $109,340
3rd: $80,260
4th: $59,550

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 352

With the board reading , Rusty Wadsworth moved all in with for top pair heart draw but was behind Ash Cheahata’s made heart draw.

The river finished the board and Wadsworth was eliminated in fifth place.

Ash Chehata – 5,300,000 (106 bb)
Rusty Wadsworth  –  Eliminated in 5th Place ($44,650)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 352

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 352

Peter Vitantonio open-shipped for 210,000 and Nakim Adesio reshipped with a much bigger stack to get folds all around.

Adesio:
Vitantonio:

Vitantonio needed a lot of help with his smaller ace but found no love on the board to exit (while short-stacked Zaki laddered up).

Nakim Adesio – 3,100,000 (78 bb)
Peter Vitantonio  –  Eliminated in 7th Place ($25,980)

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 352

Nakim Adesio opened the action and Justin Zaki three-bet to 355,000. It folded back around, Adesio quickly called, and tabled his pocket kings, thinking Zaki was all in.

But Zaki had a 25K chip behind.

The flop was , giving Adesio a set of kings and Zaki showed the table his queens before folding.

Nakim Adesio – 2,975,000 (74 bb)
Justin Zaki – 25,000 (<1 bb)

But running hot, he quickly spun that up to 250,000 to give him a shot to get back in the game.

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $792,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 352

John Pointer opened to 80,000 from middle position, Nakim Adesio called from the cutoff, and Mark Zhang called in the big blind. The flop was and both Zhang and Pointer checked.

Adesio bet 125,000 and Zhang folded. Pointer thought for a minute, told the dealer he was all in, and Adesio quickly called.

Adesio:
Pointer:

Pointer was ahead preflop but Adesio caught up when he paired his queen. The board finished with the turn and river and Pointer was eliminated in eighth place.

Nakim Adesio – 2,520,000 (63 bb)
John Pointer – Eliminated in 8th Place ($20,020)