2023 Tampa Poker Classic
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 12
$2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$75,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 46
Prize Pool: $92,000
September 13, 2023

Frank Brannan topped the field at a talented final table that included runner-up Paul Snead, AJ Kelsall (who was multi-tabling two final tables along with Event 13), and Joe Serock to take home the tournament title in Event 12 at the SPS tournament series. Brannan was awarded the top prize worth $32,710 along with the SPS guitar pick trophy. He now holds more than $460,000 in career tournament earnings.

Here is what Brannan had to say after the win, “It feels good, I haven’t won a tournament since a deuce-to-seven triple draw. I haven’t won a hold’em tournament since like 2020 or something.”

He continued, “I’ll play anyone, I don’t really care. I just tried to play as optimally as possible short-handed. I’m pretty well studied sub-15 big blind poker, it’s not that difficult. Everyone was pretty even, so there weren’t really many strong ICM spots because we were all equal in chips.”

When he was asked about the heads-up final, here were Brannan’s thoughts “Nothing crazy, and I think heads-up I was just more prepared. He had more chips, but he was doing weird things, he kept four x-ing . I had the more solid strategy, I’ve played a lot of heads-up, I used to play heads-up sit-and-go’s.”

Eight-handed play uncannily lasted for more than three hours, and Brannan took a bad beat during the slow period of play. He offered some interesting thoughts on keeping his composure during that stretch of play.

“I was actually so tilted because I lost a chip lead pot there with jacks versus A-9 there. We were eight-handed for like three hours. I went from being the chip leader to almost the soft bubble, I honestly normally don’t get titled, but I hadn’t eaten yet today because I fasted. I was a little hangry plus tilted. I try not to get emotional. I mean I will get mad, but I don’t let it affect the way I play my hands. It will never change how I play. I’m going to play exactly the way I’m going to play. I’m a big tilter, but if I’m tilted I will just go home, I’ve always good been with that,” said Brannan.

Final Results:

1st: Frank Brannan – $32,710 + SPS Trophy
2nd: Paul Snead – $21,810
3rd: AJ Kelsall – $14,540
4th: Mostafa Aboalmajed – $10,090
5th: Elliot Smith – $7,310
6th: Tim Mina –  $5,540

$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: 1 of 973

Frank Brannan had gained the upper hand in the heads-up final when all the chips went into the middle and he held against the of Paul Snead on a final board reading . Snead was eliminated in second place, good for $21,810, and Brannan was awarded $32,710 for the win along with the SPS guitar pick trophy.

Stay tuned for a winner’s photo and interview later tonight.

$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: 2 of 973

The final match has been set between Paul Snead (925,000) and Frank Brannan (455,000). Here is a look at the results that took things down to heads-up play while action was flying at the two other final tables as well.

3rd: AJ Kelsall – $14,540
4th: Mostafa Aboalmajed – $10,090
5th: Elliot Smith – $7,310
6th: Tim Mina –  $5,540

$2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$75,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Entries: 5 of 46

Tim Mina got all in with in the hole UTG+1, and Paul Snead had him covered holding from the big blind.

The final board read , and Mina was eliminated in sixth place, good for $5,540. Snead stacked up 225,000 after collecting the pot.

Paul Snead – 225,000 (15 bb)
Tim Mina – Eliminated in Sixth Place ($5,540)

$2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$75,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Entries: 8 of 46

Here is a look at the final table seating chart with chip counts for Event 12 with some heavy hitters still in the mix:

Seat 1: Elliot Smith – 360,000
Seat 2: Paul Snead – 150,000
Seat 3: AJ Kelsall – 170,000
Seat 4: Tim Mina – 105,000
Seat 5: Sam Magd – 225,000
Seat 6: Joe Serock – 62,000
Seat 7: Frank Brannan – 170,000
Seat 8: Mike Phillips – 80,000

$2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$75,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Entries: 12 of 46

The field is on dinner break in Event 12, and two notables making a deep run in the tournament include AJ Kelsall and Joe Serock. Kelsall won Event 11 last night for a payday of $28,420 and the SPS guitar pick trophy. You can read the winner’s interview from last night right here. The local pro increased his career earnings to well over $2.8 million with the victory.

Serock holds more than $4.3 million in career earnings, and original resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico now lives in San Diego. Serock has three tournament victories to his credit, and he is a former World Poker Tour Player of the Year. He has 15, six-figure scores, with the largest weighing in at $804,191 for a fifth-place finish at the World Series of Poker Online Main Event in 2021.

2023 Tampa Poker Classic
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 12
$2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$75,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 46
Prize Pool: $92,000
September 13, 2023

Registration closed for the $2,200 Deep Stack tournament with 46 entries. The $75,000 guarantee was surpassed, creating a prize pool worth $92,000. The last six players will make the money with $5,540 for a min-cash and $32,710 to the Event 12 champ.

1st: $32,710 + SPS Trophy
2nd: $21,810
3rd: $14,540
4th: $10,090
5th: $7,310
6th: $5,540

$2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$75,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Entries:  38

The $2,200 Deep Stack has an excellent turnout this afternoon, and the $75,000 guarantee was reached with plenty of time to increase the prize pool.

We caught two former Tampa Main Event/Championship winners in the field, warming up for tomorrow’s big game. Matthew Leecy won the 2019 Tampa Poker Classic headliner and Paul Snead took the same title in 2022. Leecy has an additional big Tampa win; he also captured the Pinktober Poker Open Championship in 2022.

$2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$75,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante

We have one day left before the SPS Championship and one last warmup for the big game. Event 12 is a $2,200 Deep Stack with a $75,000 guaranteed prize pool and one-day structure.

Players sit down to 30K deep stacks and all levels last 30 minutes. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until 4:30 pm. The 30-minute dinner break is scheduled at 6:30 pm and we’ll find out champion later this evening.

• $75,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 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 12 Structure Sheet

Primary Event Schedule

12PM: Event 12 – $2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

• $75,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 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 12 Structure Sheet

12PM: Event 13 – $400 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 20,000 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 13 Structure Sheet

2PM: Event Day 2 – $200 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

• Event 9 Day 2 Chip Counts
• Event 9 Day 2 Table and Seat Assignments
• Event 9 Payouts

Secondary and Satellite Schedule

10AM: $250 Event 12 Turbo Satellite (1-in-10)

• 1-in-10 win seats into $2,200 buy-in Event 12
• Players begin with 15,000 in chips
• Levels last 15 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 7 (11:45am)
• Structure Sheet

3PM: $200 SPS Championship Satellite (1-in-10)

• Five seats guaranteed into $1,000,000 GTD SPS Championship
• Players begin with 15,000 in chips
• Levels last 20 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 7 (5:15pm)
• Structure Sheet

6PM: $200 SPS Championship Satellite (1-in-10)

• 20 seats guaranteed into $1,000,000 GTD SPS Championship
• Players begin with 15,000 in chips
• Levels last 20 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 7 (8:15pm)
• Structure Sheet