2024 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 16
$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Entries: 82
Prize Pool: $27,470
September 24, 2023

The $400 H.E.R.O.S. tournament drew a great crowd of 82 entries for a prize pool worth $27,470. After a tough final table, Sam Sternfield captured his second major Tampa title for $8,110.

Sternfield captured the $300 H.O.R.S.E. title during the 2021 Tampa Winter Poker Open and also has three major titles in Hollywood, one of a handful of players with wins at both properties.

$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 10: 2,500/5,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  36 of 82

We have another great turnout for a non-hold’em tournament, a trend that has been consistent throughout the first two weeks of the series. Proof of concept that Tampa will support these games and come out when we throw them.

$400 Limit Omaha 8: 82 entries
$400 Stud 8: 56 entries
$400 Stud 8/Omaha 8: 67 entries
$400 Pot-Limit Omaha: 114 entries
$400 Pot-Limit Omaha 8: 81 entries
$400 5-Card PLO: 78 entries
$400 Big O: 78 entries
$400 T.O.E.: 81 entries
$400 H.E.R.O.S.: 82 entries

Some of the heroes out today include Michael Laake, Chris Labrie, Joel Deutsch, John Holley, Jena Lytle, Riley Price, and Cary Rosenthal. Having fun, trying to win some money, and the pretty SPS trophy.

2024 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 16
$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Entries: 82
Prize Pool: $27,470
September 24, 2023

Registration closed for the $400 H.E.R.O.S. tournament with 82 entries creating a prize pool worth $27,470. The last 11 spots will be paid with $770 for a min-cash and $8,110 plus the SPS trophy up top.

1st: $8,110 + SPS trophy
2nd: $5,400
3rd: $3,660
4th: $2,570
5th: $1,880
6th: $1,430
7th: $1,130
8th: $940
9th: $810
10th-11th: $770

$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Structure
Level 1:  300/600 Limits

The next mix game on the SPS schedule gets underway at 11 am in the Poker Room with the $400 H.E.R.O.S. They will rotate games between Limit Hold’em, Stud 8, Razz, Omaha 8, and Stud.

Players sit down to 25K 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 3:30 pm.

• Players begin with 25,000 in chips
• Levels last 30 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (3:30pm)
• This is a one-day tournament and plays to completion
• Event 16 Structure Sheet

Primary Event Schedule

11AM: Event 16 – $400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 25,000 in chips
• Levels last 30 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (3:30pm)
• This is a one-day tournament and plays to completion
• Event 16 Structure Sheet

1PM: Event 14 Flight B – $700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

• $100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Levels last 40 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (7:45pm)
• Day 1 will end when 12.5% of field remains
• Event 14 Structure Sheet

7PM: Event 15 Flight B – $130 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

• $50,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Levels 1-18 last 20 minutes; Levels 19+ last 30 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 7 (9:15pm)
• Day 1 will end when 10% of field remains
• Event 15 Structure Sheet

Secondary and Satellite Schedule

9AM: $100 SPS Event 14 Satellite (1-in-10)

• Two seats guaranteed into $700 buy-in/$100,000 GTD SPS Event 14
• Players begin with 15,000 in chips
• Levels last 15 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 7 (10:45am)
• Winners will be registered into the first available flight and chips will be in play when tournament starts
• Structure Sheet

3PM: $100 SPS Event 14 Satellite (1-in-10)

• Two seats guaranteed into $700 buy-in/$100,000 GTD SPS Event 14
• Players begin with 15,000 in chips
• Levels last 15 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 7 (4:45pm)
• Winners will be registered into the first available flight and chips will be in play when tournament starts
• Structure Sheet

2023 Tampa Poker Classic
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 16
$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Entries: 73
Prize Pool: $24,455
September 15, 2023

Filippos Stavrakis took home the title in the H.E.R.O.S. event tonight after making the final table in the T.O.E. event last night. He took home $6,245 and the SPS guitar pick trophy.

Here is what he had to say after the win. “It’s awesome, it feels great. We talked about it earlier, and after disappointment of busting out in fourth place last night this is redemption this evening.”

He continued, “I just started playing the last couple years after my kids got older, and I’ve been fortunate enough to win a gold bracelet and gold rings at the World Series of Poker.”

Stavrakis has been playing in most of the mixed-game events during the SPS series, and he mentioned his appreciation for seeing an abundance of them on the schedule here at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. “I love mixed games, I play no-limit a little bit, but mainly I really love these between South Florida and here. You guys at the Hard Rock properties do a great job promoting for the mixed-game players. I love coming down and playing in these events. For real, these are the best, and the mixed-games community loves it,” said Stavrakis.

When he was asked about both his plans to celebrate and future plans for the rest of the series, Stavrakis responded, “I have family in town, so I’m just going to be probably out on the boat if the weather is good. And the then I’ll be back Monday, Tuesday. I’ll be playing whatever the mixed-games events are.”

“Definitely the one I got super lucky against was when I was all-in on seventh street during seven stud, and I basically raised because I had a king in the hole, and he had a king showing, and I didn’t think he had it. I had an ace up, and ended up spiking an ace on the river to stay alive, so that was probably the one that was the path to victory, the path to redemption,” said Stavrakis to close out the interview when asked about the most pivotal hand at the final table.

Final Results:

1st: Filippos Stavrakis – $6,245 + SPS Trophy
2nd: Alexander Orlov  – $6,240
3rd: Greg Osborne – $3,330
4th: Frank Muir – $2,310
5th: Ken Donoghue – $1,680
6th: Larry Miles – $1,280
7th: $1,020 Michael Zacco – $1,020
8th: Amie Martini – $850
9th: Anthony Angerami – $750
10th: Ken Po – $750

$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 1 of 73

Filippos Stavrakis and Alexander Orlov decided on a chop to end Event 16 before one hand of heads-up play.

Stavrakis was crowned the winner in the decision, and he took home $6,245 along with the SPS guitar pick trophy. Orlov took home $6,240 as the runner-up since the two were nearly even in chips when the final match was about to begin.

Stay tuned for a winner’s photo and interview with the new champion Stavrakis to be posted a little later.

$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 2 of 73

In a hand of Omaha eight-or-better, Greg Osborne was all in with , and it didn’t hold against . The final board read , and Osborne took home $3,330 in prize money for third place. Here is a look at the chip counts for the final two players:

Filippos Stavrakis – 1,190,000 (29 bb)
Alexander Orlov  – 1,000,000 (22 bb)
Greg Osborne – Eliminated in Third Place ($3,330)

$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 3 of 73

Frank Muir was all in short during a hand of seven card stud with a pair of nines, but Filippos Stavrakis had him covered holding (). Muir was eliminated in fourth place, good for $2,310, and Stavrakis stacked up 1.65 million after the hand for a massive chip lead in the tournament.

Filippos Stavrakis – 1,650,000 (20 bb)
Frank Muir – Eliminated in Fourth Place ($2,310)

$400 H.E.R.O.S. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 5 of 73

During a hand of seven card stud eight-or-better Larry Miles was all in with (6s]), and Alexander Orlov had him covered holding (7h]). Orlov was eliminated in sixth place, and Miles stacked up 525,000 after collecting the pot.

Larry Miles – 525,000 (14 bb)
Alexander Orlov – Eliminated in Sixth Place ($1,280)