2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 4
$400 Big O (Re-Entry)
Entries: 88
Prize Pool: $29,480
September 8, 2023

Near the start of the final table in Event 4 tonight William Clay was one of the shortest stacks remaining when he called his shot and said, “Bring the blue chips this way.” And indeed he did, amassing the most 25,000 chips in the field by the time Clay and Amie Martini decided on a chop to end the heads-up match around 1 am. Clay took home $8,000 up top along with the SPS trophy. Clay was the most talkative player at the final table, and that way with words carried through into his winner’s interview shortly after the victory.

“I came back from nothing, I had three blue chips, just 75,000. You I remember I said ‘I’m going to win this, I’m going to come back.’ I knew I was coming back,” said the Orlando resident with a grin right after the chop.

Clay is a mixed-game specialist who spends many hours a week playing Big O, as was his final opponent Martini. “This is my game, I play this three or four times a week, like 40 hours. I feel like it’s a beatable game, you know what I’m saying? It’s skill with the luck, but you gotta have the skill. You’ve gotta be able to read people, and know how to play the low. People get stuck on the low, and don’t have no high, and that’s how you quarter them,” said Clay.

When he was asked if he appreciates the effort Seminole Hard Rock Tampa makes to add various mixed games to their tournament schedules Clay had this to say, “One hundred percent, I’ve been waiting for it, I love it. I’m glad they did, they’ve got me locked down for life on the Big O for sure.”

“I’ve played two tournaments so far at this one, and won one of them, and I already bagged in the $400 Milly. So hopefully you’ll see me again on Monday with the $400. I will probably go home for a couple days, and then come back up for the $1,700 or something like that,” said Clay about his plans for the rest of SPS series.

The interview ended on a light note as well. The masseuse that was with him at the time he called his shot on the comeback came over to the final table to congratulate him when we were wrapping up, and Clay ended things by exclaiming one more time: “You know I did it. I told you I was going to do it.” She replied with a laugh, ” Hey, that should be your big story because he called you out. He kept yelling blue chips coming this way.”

Final Results:

1st: William Clay – $8,000 + SPS trophy
2nd: Amie Martini – $6,500
3rd: David Prociak – $3,930
4th: Paul Lenkeit – $2,760
5th: James Calderaro – $2,020
6th: James Johnson – $1,530
7th:  Clarence Gissendanner – $1,210
8th: Steve Brite – $1,000
9th:  Michael Zacco – $870
10th: William Wallace – $830
11th: Alexander Orlov – $830