$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event $500,000 Guarantee | Structure Level 4: 100/200 with a 200 ante Day 1A Entries: 115
Tony March
Tony March takes his seat here in the WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event playing not for himself, but for the Pay it Backward Foundation.
March is the founder of the local charitable organization which “invests itself in the lives of the underprivileged broken, abused, homeless and forgotten.” March came from an impoverished background, and after finding professional success, was compelled to combat poverty in the communities in which he lives. Thus began the Pay it Backward Foundation.
According to the foundation’s website:
“[The][Pay][it][Backward][Foundation] has been created to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, assist the poor and encourage the broken hearted while, at the same time, seeking to enrich their spirits and raise their hopes for a better future.”
It’s early here in the WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event, but were March to make a deep run in thsi $500,000 guaranteed finale, March’s organization would prove to benefit handsomely.
The first break is freshly wrapped and Level 4 is underway with the clock showing 118 entries.
$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event $500,000 Guarantee | Structure Level 3: 100/200 with a 200 ante Day 1A Entries: 107
Level 3 is underway and the entry count is continuing to tick up. Now sitting at 107, the upward trend is expected to continue all the way until registration closes at roughly 6:30pm.
Those unable to get in today’s installment can register the action for tomorrow’s Day 1B or Saturday’s Day 1C.
$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event $500,000 Guarantee | Structure Level 2: 100/100 with a 100 ante Day 1A Entries: 100
Defending champion, Quentin Jones
Quentin Jones put a hurt on last year’s WPTDeepStacks Tampa series scoring two property trophies. It was the $350 re-entry prelim that got Jones’ momentum going. From there, he parlayed his hot play into a Main Event victory. It was a 12-day stretch that saw Jones score more than $145,000 in earnings.
With a pedigree like that, the 2019 installment was a must-play for Jones. He’s in the early action taking his seat midway through Level 1 and jockeying now in Level 2.
There are plenty of chips flying early with blinds of 100/100 with a 100 ante.
$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event $500,000 Guarantee | Structure Level 1: 100/100 with a 100 ante
There’s been a slew of tournament champions crowned here at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa over the last few days, but the time has come to crown the champion of champions — the Main Event.
Beginning today at 11am is Day 1A of the $1,100 buy-in guaranteed finale. For the first time in the event’s history, the guarantee has been bumped up to a cool half million.
Players in this tournament enjoy loads of play with 30,000 starting chips and 40- and 60-minute levels. Day 1 play is comprised of 15 levels wrapping shortly before 11pm. Registration and re-entry close following level 10, about 6:30pm.
Here are the details:
11AM: Day 1A – $1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
Players begin with 30,000 in chips
Levels last 40 minutes; Final table levels last 60 minutes
Single ante will be paid from the big blind for the entire table
Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 10
Day 1 will end after Level 15 or Tournament Director discretion
2019 Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Poker Classic Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Florida Event 8 $1,650 Main Event $300,000 Guaranteed Entries: 332 Prize Pool: $498,000 February 28-March 4, 2019
Matt Leecy, Tampa Poker Classic Main Event champion
The inaugural Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Poker Classic was a ten-tournament series that was headlined by the $300,000 Guarantee Main Event. The tournament drew players from around the country and Matt Leecy outlasted them all to walk away with more than $100,000.
“It’s humbling,” Leecy said of getting the win outright. “Poker is a game where we tend to think we’re doing everything perfect when it’s going and everything’s just against us when it’s going bad.”
“I struggle with pride like the next guy or gal … I feel blessed and thankful that it ran this way,” he countinued. “Obviously, I was on the good end of a lot of big hands all day.”
The Main Event featured three starting flights and they combined to put 332 entries into the big game. Those entrants pushed the prize pool up to $498,000 for a great turnout in the first running of this event.
Of those 332 entries, we had 58 return for Day 2 on Sunday 3with 4 of them set to earn some cash. The slow structure gave them plenty of room to maneuver and they took their time getting to the money.
The bubble burst late in the afternoon with SHR Tampa favorite Wally Maddah sliding into a min-cash with less than one small blind. The rest of the day progressed at a steady pace until they joined as one at the ten-handed final table.
Day 2 came to an end when Vitor Coelho was eliminated in tenth place and the nine remaining players returned on Monday to play for the title. Leecy began the final table with the chip lead but had some tough competition including Jeff Trudeau Jr, Justin Zaki, Filipp Khavin, Karl Manouchakian, and TPC Event 1 champ Andrew Boccia.
The stacks were deep and the blind levels were one-hour long, they settled in for a long day. Amelio Amato went out early in the day followed by Zaki. The final table continued to shrink as Leecy built his lead.
The heads-up match between Leecy and Boccia began with Leecy holding a 7-to-2 advantage and he never relinquished his lead. It came to an end when Leecy’s trip sixes won the last hand against Boccia’s top pair.
Boccia followed up his TPC Event 1 win with another $79,152 score for second place while Leecy earned $112,425 as the Tampa Poker Classic Main Event champion.
“I have a lot of respect for those guys [at][the][final][table “” not found /]
,” The 31 year old Tampa resident said. “There were some really good players that have great resumes at that table.”
Leecy is a professional poker player, but dedicates himself to his faith and is active in his church and ministry. He attended Trinity College of Florida where he played basketball and was part of a National Championship winning team. Leecy graduated in May and is actively looking at applying for seminary or graduate school.
Congratulations to Matt and thank you to all of our players who help make this first running of the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Poker Classic a success.
Final table results:
1st: Matt Leecy – $112,425 2nd: Andrew Boccia – $79,152 3rd: Ken O’Donnell – $50,906 4th: Filipp Khavin – $31,050 5th: Jeff Trudeau Jr – $23,979 6th: Chad Kitchen – $19,870 7th: Karl Manouchakian – $16,683 8th: Justin Zaki – $13,944 9th: Amelio Amato – $11,245
For complete Main Event results, click the link below:
$1,650 Tampa Poker Classic Main Event $300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 28: 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante Players Remaining: 1 of 332
Matt Leecy
It was a limped pot with Andrew Boccia on the button and Matthew Leecy first to act. The flop fell and Leecy lead for 100,000. Boccia raised, making it 300,000 to go. Leecy thought for some time, then jammed having Boccia well covered. Boccia called off about 1,500,000 and the hands were up.
$1,650 Tampa Poker Classic Main Event $300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 28: 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 332
Andrew Boccia (left) versus Matt Leecy (right)
Andrew Boccia and Matt Leecy stretched out and the heads-up match is underway for the Tampa Poker Classic Main Event. Level 27 came to an end shortly after Ken O’Donnell was eliminated, here are the current counts.
Seat 4: Andrew Boccia – 2,080,000 (35 bb) Seat 8: Matt Leecy – 7,880,000 (131 bb)
$1,650 Tampa Poker Classic Main Event $300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 27: 25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 332
Ken O’Donnell
Andrew Boccia folded his button and Matt Leecy raised to 175,000 from the small blind. Ken O’Donnell announced all-in from the big and Leecy asked for a count. After hearing 1,735,000 from the dealer, Leecy called.
O’Donnell: Leecy:
O’Donnell was in a lot of trouble and it got worse when Leecy improved on the flop. The turn left O’Donnell drawing dead to the river and he was our third-place finisher.
Matt Leecy – 8,150,000 (163 bb) Ken O’Donnell – Eliminated in 3rd place ($50,906)
and Leecy lead for 100,000. Boccia raised, making it 300,000 to go. Leecy thought for some time, then jammed having Boccia well covered. Boccia called off about 1,500,000 and the hands were up.
for trip-sixes
for top pair
flop. The 
turn left O’Donnell drawing dead to the 
river and he was our third-place finisher.