2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Florida Event 21 $3,500 Signature NLH (Re-Entry) Entries: 38 Prize Pool: $121,600 September 19, 2023
Joe Serock, SPS Event 21 champ
The $3,500 Signature event was a big buy-in tournament for locals and those still around for the Championship. It drew 38 entries, and WSOP bracelet winner Joe Serock defeated former Tampa Poker Classic Champion Paul Snead heads-up for the title and $45,630.
The turnout for this inaugural event created a prize pool worth $121,600 and the last five players were set to make some money. Francis Anderson picked up a fifth-place payout before the tournament paused overnight.
Snead was the chip leader coming back for the rest of the final table action and Duff Charette exited soon after the restart. AJ Kelsall, another WSOP winner, went out in third to set up a nearly tied heads-up match between Serock and Snead.
But as Snead commented, “he can’t miss.”
Serock hit his cards, Snead slipped lower, and couldn’t come from behind on the last hand of the tournament. Snead picked up $30,420 for his runner-up finish while Serock took home the top prize along with the SPS trophy.
1st: Joe Serock – $45,630 + SPS Trophy 2nd: Paul Snead – $30,420 3rd: AJ Kelsall – $20,280 4th: Duff Charette – $14,380 5th: Francis Anderson – $10,890
$3,500 Signature NLH (Re-Entry) Structure | Payouts Level 14: 5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Paul Snead
“This is supernatural,” former Paul Snead said of Joe Serock, his heads-up opponent for the $3,500 Signature NLH title. “He hits everything.”
Snead began heads-up action in a virtual tie with Serock, but that quickly changed.
The final hand saw Serock bet 55,000 after a flop and Snead raised to 235,000 from his button. Serock called and then checked the turn. Snead moved all in for 720,000 and Serock took his time to make a decision.
After a few minutes, Serock called and the hands were tabled.
Serock: Snead:
Serock was ahead the bigger two pair and Snead had 11 outs to double, a queen or any diamond that wasn’t a ten. The river was a blank for our former TPC champ and Snead was sent out in the second spot. Serock earned the title, the trophy, and the $45,630 top prize.
1st: Joe Serock – $45,630 + SPS Trophy 2nd: Paul Snead – $30,420
$3,500 Signature NLH (Re-Entry) Structure | Payouts Level 14: 5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 38
Paul Snead (left) and Joe Serock (right)
Heads-up is underway in the $3,500 Signature NLH tournament with 2022 Tampa Poker Classic Champion Paul Snead in a virtual dead heat with WSOP bracelet winner Joe Serock.
Seat 1: Paul Sneak – 1,850,000 (123 bb) Seat 2: Joe Serock – 1,950,000 (130 bb)
1st: $45,630 + SPS Trophy 2nd: $30,420
3rd: AJ Kelsall – $20,280 4th: Duff Charette – $14,380 5th: Francis Anderson – $10,890
$3,500 Signature NLH (Re-Entry) Structure Level 13: 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante Players Remaining: 4 of 38
Paul Snead
Paul Snead topped the field at a loaded final table that stopped with four remaining in Event 22 tonight. The final day that will begin at 11 am has a lineup of notable familiar faces. Here is look at the seating chart and chip counts for when they return:
Seat 1: Duff Charette – 428,000 Seat 2: Paul Snead – 1,893,000 Seat 3: Joe Serock – 1,135,000 Seat 4: AJ Kelsall – 344,000
Day 1 Results and Remaining Payouts:
1st: $45,630 + SPS Trophy 2nd: $30,420 3rd: $20,280 4th: $14,380 5th: Francis Anderson – $10,890
2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Florida Event 21 $3,500 Signature NLH (Re-Entry) Entries: 38 Prize Pool: $121,600 September 18, 2023
Registration closed for the $3,500 Signature NLH tournament with 38 entries, creating a very nice prize pool worth $121,600. The last five spots will be paid with $10,980 to fifth and $45,630 to the Event 21 champ.
$3,500 Signature NLH (Re-Entry) Structure Level 1: 500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
The biggest buy-in tournament on the schedule gets underway at 2 pm in the Event Center with the $3,500 Signature NLH trophy event—a big buy-in with a lot of play.
They’ll start with 100,000 stacks and all levels last 40 minutes until they reach the final table where they increase to 90 minutes. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 10 at 10 pm following the 90-minute dinner break.
It will be a fun tournament to watch and we look forward to see who jumps in the game.
Players begin with 100,000 in chips
Levels last 40 minutes; Final table levels last 90 minutes
Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 10 (10:00pm)
2022 WPT Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Florida Event 21 $3,500 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) $1,000,000 Guaranteed Entries: 1,165 Prize Pool: $3,728,000 September 2-7, 2022
WPT TAMPA
The 2022 WPT Tampa Championship headlined the two-week festival and the $3,500 buy-in tournament featured a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool. After a tough final table, Corey Wade took the Championship title and earned $615,050.
“It feels absolutely amazing, I got heads-up for a bracelet this summer and fell short with a big chip lead, and this time I came through and got lucky on the river, I’m really excited. It felt so good, it’s a surreal feeling,” said Wade right after the victory.
“I was to Brock Wilson’s left, and he was the best player at the table, and I didn’t have a lot of big stacks on my left so I was able to open more than I would have otherwise than not open. I was able to maneuver more than the stack size I had should have been able to do. I was able to open up my range a little bit and find some spots that were good to take,” said Wade when he was asked about his journey through the final table.
“This is the first time I’ve ever been here, and the casino is really big and really nice, I enjoyed it. The room service was great, the tournament ran perfect. I only have good things to say, I had a great time,” said Wade.
Wade took some tough beats earlier in the tournament, and here is his answer about how he persevered, “I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and it really got to me for a while. I had to call a couple people to calm me down. I tried to just tell myself, whatever happens, happens, so just be happy.”
The tournament drew a record-tying 1,165 entries over two starting flights to create a prize pool worth $3,728,000. Both numbers tied the 2021 WPT Tampa Championship turn out as the biggest in our history.
The last 146 places were paid with the tournament reaching the money before the end of Day 2. They played down to 16 players on Day 3 with Wade leading the way, and the Championship hit the final table early on Day 4.
Local favorite Fred Paradis (who won his seat in the Championship Event in a $550 satellite) had the big stack at the tough six-handed WPT final table, featuring Wade, David Tuthill, Seth Berger, Steven McKoy, and high roller specialist Brock Wilson.
That brings the WPT Tampa series to a close and concludes our coverage. Congratulations to all the trophy winners, and thanks to all the players that made the last two weeks a success.
$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship (Re-Entry) $1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 34: 300,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante Players Remaining: 1 of 1,165
Corey Wade
Fred Paradis raised to 1.6 million on the button, Corey Wade reraised all in, and Paradis called all in. The two players then flipped over their cards.
Wade: Paradis:
Board:
Paradis was eliminated in second place, good for $441,686, and Wade won the hand and the tournament to take home the top prize worth $471,686, the Guitar Trophy, and he added his name to the WPT Champions Cup thanks to the queen on the river.
Stay tuned for a recap of the final day, a winner photo, and interview with the champion.