2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 18
$600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 216
Prize Pool: $113,400
September 17, 2023

Tung Nguyen took home the title tonight in Event 18 after a chop was decided to before the start of heads-up play. That gave Nguyen the top prize worth $23,710 along with his first SPS guitar pick trophy.

Here is what he had to say after the win. “Great man, first time winning the trophy so I’m really happy. I’ll find a place for it when I get back home.”

“Maybe not right now, back I’ve got some friends in the neighborhood when I go back home and have a celebration with them,” said Nguyen when he was asked about his plans to celebrate the victory.

Poker is a hobby for Nguyen, and he wasn’t sure if his coworkers would believe his stories about tonight around the water cooler conversations when he gets back home. “I have to go back to work on Monday. I have a business to run, so maybe next time. They would never believe me if I told them I won a trophy because I’ve been playing pretty bad [laughs]. I have a nail place, I own a nail spa so I work with a lot of ladies in there. I just play here and there from time-to-time,” said Nguyen.

Nguyen continued, “I live down near Hollywood so I play more there. I love it at the Seminole events, it gives you a chance to play a lot of tournaments and get more experience. It feels great to finally win something.”

“I was short stacked, I had eight bigs left. I had A-5, and I jammed all in to triple, and that’s what put me in this position. We were seven-handed, but at two tables left I just had eight bigs left and that was the moment that got me to this position,” said Nguyen when he was asked about his most pivotal hand in the tournament.

Once he had the big stack at the final table, his endgame strategy was set in his mind. “I just played big hands after that. I don’t get involved with a lot of hands, I just waited until I had some decent hands. Because mostly you want to raise, because you don’t play with bad hands If you’re in a hand, and you’re scared to raise and people limp in, you have to raise,” said Nguyen to finish off the interview.

Fin al Results:

1st: Tung Nguyen – $23,710 + SPS Trophy
2nd: Rajasekar Govindan – $22,990
3rd: Kyle Brock – $11,620
4th: Alejandro Funes  – $7,070
5th: Wasim Assaf – $5,460
6th: rant Missonis – $4,520
7th: Prasad Vemulpalli – $3,860
8th: Charles Lutz – $3,300
9th: Chase Kalivas – $2,760
10th: Gerald Silva – $2,380
11th: OK Haselton – $2,380
12th: Jamison Alford – $2,380
13th: Johnny Bromberg – $2,040
14th: John Kennedy – $2,040
15th: Matthew White – $2,040
16th: Jonathan Schreier – $1,700
17th: David Nadeau – $1,700
18th: Dan Larsson – $1,700
19th: Nicholas Egarhos – $1,360
20th: Gabriel Fuller – $1,360
21st: Christopher Johnson – $1,360
22nd: Derrick Smith – $1,050
23rd: Likang Berninger – $1,050
24th: Aldring Gomez Torres – $1,050
25th: Patrick Schortemeyer – $840
26th: Mike Dentale – $840
27th: Lawrence Dowling – $840

$600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante

A chop decided the end of play at the final table after Alejandro Funes fell in fourth place ($7,070), and Kyle Brock went out in third for $11,620.

The chips were pretty close before the start of the heads-up final, and that’s when Tung Nguyen (3,515,000) and Rajasekar Govindan (2,965,000) decided on the chop.

Nguyen was awarded $23,710 along with the SPS guitar pick trophy, and Govindan took home $22,990 as the runner-up. Stay tuned for a winner’s photo and interview with Nguyen later tonight.

$600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante

Recent eliminations at the final table in Event 18 include Wasim Assaf who went out in fifth place for $5,460, and Grant Missonis in sixth place to score $4,520 in prize money.

$600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante

Prasad Vemulpalli was all in with in the hole, and Tung Nguyen had him covered holding .

The final board read , and Vemulpalli was eliminated in seventh place, good for $3,860. Nguyen stacked up 2.67 million after the hand for the chip lead.

Tung Nguyen – 2,670,000 (89 bb)
Prasad Vemulpalli – Eliminated in Seventh Place ($3,860)

$600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante

Here is a look at the chip counts from the final table.

Seat 1: Prasad Vemulapalli – 670,000
Seat 2: Alejandro Funes – 730,000
Seat 3: Tung Nguyen – 1,960,000
Seat 4: EMPTY
Seat 5: Kyle Brock – 1,380,000
Seat 6: Wasim Assif – 640,000
Seat 7: Rajasekar Govindan – 400,000
Seat 8: EMPTY
Seat 9: Grant Missonis – 325,000

$600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante

Switching attention over to the trophy event for the evening, here is a look at the results leading up to the final table where seven players currently remain.

8th: Charles Lutz – $3,300
9th: Chase Kalivas – $2,760
10th: Gerald Silva – $2,380
11th: OK Haselton – $2,380
12th: Jamison Alford – $2,380
13th: Johnny Bromberg – $2,040
14th: John Kennedy – $2,040
15th: Matthew White – $2,040
16th: Jonathan Schreier – $1,700
17th: David Nadeau – $1,700
18th: Dan Larsson – $1,700
19th: Nicholas Egarhos – $1,360
20th: Gabriel Fuller – $1,360
21st: Christopher Johnson – $1,360
22nd: Derrick Smith – $1,050
23rd: Likang Berninger – $1,050
24th: Aldring Gomez Torres – $1,050
25th: Patrick Schortemeyer – $840
26th: Mike Dentale – $840
27th: Lawrence Dowling – $840

2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 18
$600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 216
Prize Pool: $113,400
September 17, 2023

Registration closed for the $600 One-Day $100K tournament with 216 entries, creating a prize pool worth $113,400. The last 27 players will make the money with $840 for a min-cash and $27,580 awaiting the Event 18 champ.

1st: $27,580 + SPS Trophy
2nd: $19,120
3rd: $11,620
4th: $7,070
5th: $5,460
6th: $4,520
7th: $3,860
8th: $3,300
9th: $2,760
10th-12th: $2,380
13th-15th: $2,040
16th-18th: $1,700
19th-21st: $1,360
22nd-24th: $1,050
25th-27th: $840

$600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante

The clock is ticking on the SPS series and time is running out to take home one of those great trophies. We have two new changes to win one today, starting with Event 18 at 10 am. The tournament has a $600 buy-in, a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool, and a one-day structure.

Players start with 30K deep stacks and all levels last 30 minutes. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 9 at 2:30 pm. They will take a 30-minute dinner break at 4:30 pm and play down to a champ when they return.

• $100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Levels last 30 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (2:30pm)
• This is a one-day tournament and plays to completion
• Event 18 Structure Sheet

Primary Event Schedule

10AM: Event 18 – $600 One-Day $100K NLH (Re-Entry)

• $100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Levels last 30 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (2:30pm)
• This is a one-day tournament and plays to completion
• Event 18 Structure Sheet

12PM: Day 2 – $1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)

• Championship Day 2 Chip Counts
• Championship Day 2 Table and Seat Assignments
• Championship Payouts

4PM: Event 19 – $1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

• $50,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Levels 1-12 last 30 minutes; Levels 13+ last 40 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (9:00pm)
• Day 1 will end after Level 15
• Event 19 Structure Sheet

Secondary and Satellite Schedule

2PM: $400 SPS Signature Event Satellite

• Winners earn seats into $3,500 Signature Event 21
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Levels last 20 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 7 (4:15pm)
• Structure Sheet

4PM: $400 SPS Signature Event Satellite

• Winners earn seats into $3,500 Signature Event 21
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Levels last 20 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 7 (6:15pm)
• Structure Sheet