2023 Tampa Poker Classic
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 6
$400 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$25,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 204
Prize Pool: $68,340
September 10, 2023

Richard Saunders took home the top prize worth $12,070 along with the SPS trophy after a chop was decided to at the final table among the last seven players standing around 2 am in Event 6.
We caught up with Saunders shortly after the win, and here is what he had to say about the victory, “This sensation is very good to win such a nice tournament. There were a lot of good people playing. I feel very good. A lot of good people playing, a very good atmosphere.”
He continued, “Actually, today was a lot of fun. My first table was a lot of happy people, and I enjoy that. Yeah, let’s have fun.”
Saunders journey through the tournament was an up and down affair. He lost a bad beat, but rallied back from it on the way to the title. “Poker is like this, you have to breathe in order to come back. We always have another hand.”
Saunders had built up a big stack by the time the final table began, but he did reveal a key hand that sent him on the path to victory. “A guy raised, another one three-bet, and I came in with tens and went all in, and I won. My tens held, and I made 800,000 to win that hand,” said Saunders.
Saunders has his eyes on the main event for the tournament series after this, and he is enjoying his time at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. “Yes, the main event, I’m just the hold’em. It’s very nice here, everything is very nice,” said Saunders.
Final Results:
Place | First Name | Last Name | City | State | Prize Amount |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Richard | De Carvalho Saunders | Weston | FL | $12,070 * |
2 | Matthew | Edens | Kailua | HI | $7,625 * |
3 | Asif | Mohammed | Brandon | FL | $7,480 * |
4 | John | Safaro | Brunswick | $6,985 * | |
5 | Avades | Bahnam | Cape Coral | FL | $4,920 * |
6 | Saif | Keshwani | Tampa | FL | $4,640 * |
7 | Wally | Maddah | Tampa | FL | $4,380 * |
8 | Cory | Cunningham | Lafayette | IN | $2,000 |
9 | Steven | Dinelli | Hyde Park | NY | $1,680 |
10 | James | Tomblin | Wilton Manors | FL | $1,460 |
11 | Illya | Liberman | Alpharetta | GA | $1,460 |
12 | Adam | Isaacson | Oviedo | FL | $1,460 |
13 | Gregory | Josephson | Sarasota | FL | $1,240 |
14 | David | Howard | Parrish | FL | $1,240 |
15 | Jennifer | Haselton | Riverview | FL | $1,240 |
16 | Nicholas | Scholz | Tampa | FL | $1,030 |
17 | Patrick | Mcconnell | Meriden | CT | $1,030 |
18 | James | Stephens | Foley | AL | $1,030 |
19 | Michael | Hermoza Laverde | Flushing | NY | $820 |
20 | Tam | Nguyen | Tampa | FL | $820 |
21 | Angel | Boas | Sylva | NC | $820 |
22 | Piseth | Pea | Palm Coast | FL | $630 |
23 | Daniel | Kasper | Minneola | FL | $630 |
24 | Joseph | Gargiulo | Port Charlotte | FL | $630 |
25 | Anthony | Hall | N Franklin | CT | $510 |
26 | Constance | Stephens | Port Charlotte | FL | $510 |
* – denotes results of a seven-way deal