Action at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is in full throttle with this year’s Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown currently taking place at the popular gambling venue
Rich Alati was declared the champion of the ninth event on the schedule of the poker festival last night after dominating performance at the final table and a two-way deal with poker pro Sam Panzica. Alati claimed the trophy and $107,740 in prize money.
It was a busy day for the hopefuls that made it into the final day of the $1,100 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) tournament. Action kicked off with 107 players down from the overall field of 689 entrants. It was Ofer Peleg who led the remaining survivors into the final day of action. The player eventually busted in 22nd place.
The first important task before the competitors was to burst the money bubble. The tournament featured a guaranteed prize pool of $250,000, but that guarantee was crushed and smashed. The top 87 entries split the overall prize pool of $668,330, with min-cashes starting from $1,644. The money bubble burst in the second level of the day.
Alati had gained some momentum by the time the tournament’s field was reduced to just the final three tables. Down to the final table, the soon-to-be-champion went on a spree of eliminations that helped him built a massive stack and come atop his fellow runners for the title.
Alati and Panzica Chop It Up
Three-handed play was quite a spectacle. Alati held the chip lead at that point with Panzica and Ryan Olisar trailing not far behind. Olisar doubled through Alati to get some of his momentum. Stacks were nearly even at that point in action. The eventual champion then sent Olisar to the rail to set the heads-up match.
The two remaining players decided to chop what had left of the prize pool, with Alati, being the chip leader at the time, taking home the trophy. Panzica’s share of the money totaled $100,836, while Alati collected $107,740.
A few months ago, Alati won a prop bet that, as the player noted, really changed the way he approached the game. The player had to stay in a blacked-out and sound proof bathroom for 20 days.
Commenting on winning the challenge, Alati said that it definitely helped him get himself centered. The prop bet gave the player “time to reflect” and helped him become “more patient at the table, more calm, and to think logically.” Bearing in mind his performance last night, his recent isolation has clearly been a game-changing experience.
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