$150 Big Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 6: 200/400 with a 50 ante Entries: 86
Tom Nguyen
Anytime Tom Nguyen is at a table, there’s sure to be some action. Nguyen crushed the middle stages of Event 1 yesterday, claiming 800,000 or more chips while much of the rest of the field hovered around a couple hundred thousand. Nguyen ended up finishing 24th and is giving it another go here in the $150 multi-flight re-entry.
A quick stroll by Nguyen’s table and it’s clear it’s business as usual. With a raise and a few callers, Nguyen jammed the big blind. After some thought, everyone got out of the way and Nguyen — who flashed an ace — took the blinds, antes and the rest of the chips in the middle.
The very next hand someone shoved and Nguyen called with . He had the stack of the opponent covered, but couldn’t improve and sent a double to his tablemate.
Nguyen pocket sevens can’t improve versus pocket nines
Nguyen joked about going to play baccarat because it’s cheaper than poker.
$150 Big Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 5: 150/300 with a 50 ante Entries: 86
Richard Rose
The first break expired and players are back in their seats with Richard Rose appearing to own the top spot among the counts. Rose has turned his 15,000 starting chips into 34,000 and more than doubled his stack early.
$150 Big Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 4: 100/200 with a 25 ante Entries: 80
Herbert Woodbery
The entry count continued to tick up through Level 4 and it’s now at 80 with the first break right around the corner. Herbert Woodbery, a two-time Seminole champion, is among those in action.
Woodbery resides in nearby Winter Park and has claimed victories both here in Tampa and at Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee. With $184,000 in career earnings, a victory in Event 4 would undoubtedly move him over the $200,000 mark.
Players are about to go on their first break of the day and a glance at the chip leader will be provided shortly after cards get in the air.
$150 Big Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry) Level 3: 75/150 with a 25 ante Entries: 62
Myhong Han
Myong Han came out on the good end of yesterday’s $150 Turbo primary event after gracing the final table and bowing out fourth for $1,634. When ten players remained, there was some talk of chop, but Han wanted to play. For all intents and purposes, his fourth-place payday was equal to the chop presented at the time, so Han made out pretty much event.
With the turbo structure came an abrupt end and Han was able to go home and get a good night’s sleep. He’s back it here in today’s Flight A of the $150 buy-in, $50,000 guarantee.
With 16 minutes remaining on the clock in Level 2, the board reads a total of 52 entries to this point. Last year’s opener drew 102 and it appears the most recent installment will likely come up just a bit shy of that. Late registration and re-entry are available until 3:30pm.
Below is a recap of Event 3 of the Winter Poker Open, a $150 Deep Stack Turbo event that concluded Sunday, December 4.
2016 Winter Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, FL Event 3 $150 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em Entries: 184 Prize Pool: $20,430 December 4, 2016
Josias Santos, Event 3 Champion
Josias Santos broke through and carded another tournament victory at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sunday night during the property’s Winter Poker Open. Santos, a native of Brazil, defeated a field of 184 entries in a $150 Deep Stack Turbo event pocketing $4,749 and a $1,650 seat in the series’ $300,000 guaranteed Championship. The victory is his second at the Seminole Hard Rock, his first coming in 2015 when he carded more than $30,000 in the Deep STack Winter Poker Series.
Event 3 played out in a flash, narrowing from nearly 200 starting entries to the final table of 10 in just about seven hours. The average stack hovered around 10 big blinds and Louis Constant’s 10th-place finish opened the floodgates. Just about 30 minutes after his departure play narrowed to a heads-up battle between Santos and eventual runner-up Jennifer Arojado. Santos owned roughly three-quarters of the chips in play heads up, but that didn’t stop Arojado from trying to negotiate an even chop. Santos was reluctant at first, but obliged after a few minutes of debate. The prize money was split evenly, but Santos’ deal was sweetened with the Championship seat, and of course, the property’s token guitar trophy.
Santos is a 52-year-old business owner who spends as much of his free time on the tournament felt he can. His poker resume boasts 44 cashes totaling nearly $160,000 in career earnings. He experienced some success in Tampa recently as well, finishing fourth in the WPTDeepStacks-Tampa in June for over $18,000.
Event 3 final results:
1st: Josias Santos – $4,749 + $1,650 Championship Seat 2nd: Jennifer Arojado – $4,749 3rd: Kenneth Jensen – $1,941 4th: Myhong Han – $1,634 5th: Michael Scott – $1,226 6th: Eric Buel – $1,022 7th: Moses Clepper – $817 8th: Peter Dalcamo – $613 9th: Mark “Bud” Wiser – $460 10th: Louis Constant – $409 11th: Michael Conner – $409 12th: Matthew Sacks – $409 13th: Paul Huffer – $358 14th: Gerald Silva – $358 15th: Robert Bloom – $358 16th: Jean Hebert – $306 17th: Roerto Polanco – $306 18th: Daniel Pearlman – $306
It’s 11am at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa and the first of four flights in Event 4 of the property’s Winter Poker Open is here — a $150 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament with a $50,000 guarantee. Players begin with 15,000 chips and log 30-minute levels throughout.
Details:
11AM: Event 4 Day 1A – $150 Big Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
Players begin with 15,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9
Day 1 will end after Level 14 or Tournament Director discretion
Those unable to make it for today’s play have the option of playing tonight’s Flight B, or tomorrow’s Flight C and D. Day 2 of this event begins Wednesday at 12-noon.
Updates throughout the action will be posted right here at SHRTPoker.com. Good luck, players!
It was a fun, busy day in the poker room on a Sunday afternoon that saw two new champions crowned in the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open.
The only new event of the day was a quick affair. Event 3 was a $150 buy-in Deep Stack Turbo tournament the played up to its name. It drew 184 entries and sped along until Josias Santos took top honors after a heads up deal with Jennifer Arojado.
Day 5 brings along the first two flights of the $150 buy-in, $50,000 Guarantee Event 4. The first kicks off at 11am with registration open until 3:30pm followed by Flight B at 6pm with registration until 10:30pm.
There is also a $55 Step Satellite running at 2pm in the poker room. For the small buy-in, you can win your way into the $190 buy-in Championship satellite on December 14.
2016 Winter Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, FL Event 1 $350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Entries: 721 Prize Pool: $214,650 December 1 – 4, 2016
Rob Manjura, Event 1 Champion
(Tampa, FL) – The opening event of the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open was a success and drew a big crowd to start the series. After six flights, 721 entries were logged in the game and it was SHRP Tampa regular Rob Manjura taking home the title after a nine-way final table deal.
The tournament kicked off on Thursday morning and the fields were great throughout the six starting sessions. They combined to push the $150,000 guaranteed prize pool over $200,000 by the time registration closed and the last 72 players earned a piece of the money.
Only 135 players were still around at the end of their starting day and they gathered together on Sunday afternoon for Day 2. The field quickly played into the money after the first break and down to three tables shortly after the second.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa ambassador Wally Maddah was a short stack at the restart but built it back up to sit comfortably after the money bubble. Other notables to cash were Steve Trizis, Matt Silva, Tom Nguyen, and Brandon Byars.
They were down to the final table ten when Pedro Arcia ran into a big pair against Manjura. The hand sent Arcia out in 11th place while breaking the virtual tie between Manjura and Justin Maddox at the top of the counts.
WSOP Circuit winner David Tuthill was eliminated on the first hand of the final table and the last nine players worked out a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool. Manjura took home the biggest prize, the guitar, and the title while Maddah negotiated his way into the 2016 WPO Championship seat.
This is the ninth career tournament victory for Manjura, adding onto his more than $100,000 in career earnings. His last title came right here a year ago when he won the 2015 Fall Little Slick Series Main Event for $36,000.
Final table results:
1st: Rob Manjura – $30,000 2nd: Justin Maddox – $25,900 3rd: Max Goodzari – $16,861 4th: Debra Dorcy – $16,510 5th: Wally Maddah – $14,442 + Championship Seat 6th: Greg Osborne – $12,070 7th: Jordan Wunder – $11,972 8th: Randy Spain – $11,312 9th: John Ryan – $11,188 10th: David Tuthill – $2,683
. He had the stack of the 
opponent covered, but couldn’t improve and sent a double to his tablemate.
