2016 Winter Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, FL Event 1 $350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Entries: 721 Prize Pool: $214,650 December 1 – 4, 2016
(Tampa, FL) – The opening event of the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open was a success and drew a big crowd to start the series. After six flights, 721 entries were logged in the game and it was SHRP Tampa regular Rob Manjura taking home the title after a nine-way final table deal.
The tournament kicked off on Thursday morning and the fields were great throughout the six starting sessions. They combined to push the $150,000 guaranteed prize pool over $200,000 by the time registration closed and the last 72 players earned a piece of the money.
Only 135 players were still around at the end of their starting day and they gathered together on Sunday afternoon for Day 2. The field quickly played into the money after the first break and down to three tables shortly after the second.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa ambassador Wally Maddah was a short stack at the restart but built it back up to sit comfortably after the money bubble. Other notables to cash were Steve Trizis, Matt Silva, Tom Nguyen, and Brandon Byars.
They were down to the final table ten when Pedro Arcia ran into a big pair against Manjura. The hand sent Arcia out in 11th place while breaking the virtual tie between Manjura and Justin Maddox at the top of the counts.
WSOP Circuit winner David Tuthill was eliminated on the first hand of the final table and the last nine players worked out a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool. Manjura took home the biggest prize, the guitar, and the title while Maddah negotiated his way into the 2016 WPO Championship seat.
This is the ninth career tournament victory for Manjura, adding onto his more than $100,000 in career earnings. His last title came right here a year ago when he won the 2015 Fall Little Slick Series Main Event for $36,000.
Final table results:
1st: Rob Manjura – $30,000 2nd: Justin Maddox – $25,900 3rd: Max Goodzari – $16,861 4th: Debra Dorcy – $16,510 5th: Wally Maddah – $14,442 + Championship Seat 6th: Greg Osborne – $12,070 7th: Jordan Wunder – $11,972 8th: Randy Spain – $11,312 9th: John Ryan – $11,188 10th: David Tuthill – $2,683
$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 27: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante Players Remaining: 9 of 721
With nine players left after David Tuthill’s elimination, they began discussions to divide up the remaining prize pool. Rob Manjura held the chip lead at the time and was declared the Event 1 winner.
$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 27: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante Players Remaining: 9 of 721
After a brief pause at the start of the final table, David Tuthill moved all-in on the first hand back with pocket jacks. Justin Maddox called with to dominate the WSOP Circuit winner.
The board ran and the jacks failed to advance Tuthill.
Justin Maddox – 3,300,000 (66 bb) David Tuthill – Eliminated in 10th place ($2,683)
$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 27: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante Players Remaining: 10 of 721
After a few trips around the tables on the final table bubble, it was a quick end when Pedro Arcia moved all-in and Rob Manjura quickly called.
Manjura: Arcia:
Arcia was dominated and it got much worse on the flop. The turn left him drawing dead to 11th place and tournament staff paused the clock to redraw the final table ten.
Rob Manjura – 3,540,000 (71 bb) Pedro Arcia – Eliminated in 11th place ($2,683)
$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 26: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante Players Remaining: 12 of 721
Staffan Lind open shoved about 400,000 from the button and Seminole Hard Rock Tampa ambassador Wally Maddah called from the small blind. Maddah’s stack totaled about 550,000 and it was Lind who was at risk.
Maddah: Lind:
Runout:
Maddah’s ace-king held and he earned the pot. Lind was eliminated in 13th place.
Wally Maddah – 1,050,000 (26 bb) Staffan Lind – Eliminated in 13th place ($1,932)
$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 26: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante Players Remaining: 15 of 721
Brandon Byars told us he was card dead for the last four hours, and in the end, it was a cooler that got him. Action folded to him in the small blind and he moved all-in for his last 157,000 and David Tuthill quickly called in the big blind.
Tuthill: Byars:
A tough spot for the short stack and he found nothing to help him as the board ran out to send him out in 16th place.
David Tuthill – 1,150,000 (29 bb) Brandon Byars – Eliminated in 16th place ($1,331)
$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 25: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante Players Remaining: 17 of 721
John Alegria open/shoved for 252,000 and Pedro Arcia called in the big blind with a monster.
Arcia: Alegria:
Alegria was dominated and found no help on the flop but picked up a flush draw on the turn. No love on the river and Alegria was knocked out in 18th place.
Pedro Arcia – 1,365,000 (46 bb) John Alegria – Eliminated in 18th place ($1,331)