The World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship took place this week in Hollywood, Florida and reached a six-handed final table that included several prominent young poker stars, including Jesse Lonis and Landon Tice. The action paused until May 29, the six players have some time to relax and recalibrate before playing out the rest of the event in the Luxor HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas.
En route to the stacked final table, there were several notable, pivotal and outright entertaining hands captured by the WPT live reporting team of BJ Nemeth, Mike Patrick and James Murray. While the final six take their off time, here’s a look at five of the biggest hands from the first four days of the SHPRS Championship.
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David Jackson’s Ace-High Bluff Gets Called, Binks River
On Day 1b of the Championship event, known South Florida crusher David Jackson played a massive pot against Lily Kiletto that saw the Jacksonville native getting bailed out on the river.
A player in the cutoff started the action with an open to 2,700 as Kiletto called on the button before Jackson bumped it up to 13,000 in the small blind. Only Kiletto called.
Jackson continued for 20,000 on the flop of 7♦2♦2♠ and Kiletto stuck around. Jackson then moved all in for 55,000 on the J♥ turn and it wasn’t enough to shake Kiletto, who called after spending some time in the tank.
“He’s always bluffing me,” she said before calling. “Please have ace-high, please have ace-high, please have ace-high”
David Jackson: A♥4♥
Lily Kiletto: 8♥7♥
Kiletto’s read was spot-on as Jackson did indeed have ace-high. However, the A♦ river gave Jackson one of his three outs and he doubled to stay alive.
Aces Against Kings Against Jacks — And Kings Win
Aces against kings is nothing new in poker, but when a king spikes it makes for a bad beat to remember.
During Day 2, Balakrishna Patur opened to 25,000 in early position and Anthony Spinella called in the cutoff before Shlomo Gardi moved all in from the big blind for 317,000. Patur re-shoved for 400,000 and Spinella called with both players covered.
Balakrishna Patur: A♠A♣
Shlomo Gardi: K♦K♥
Anthony Spinella: J♠J♦
Patur had the goods in the battle of the overpairs and the flop of 10♥5♥4♥ kept him ahead while giving Gardi a flush draw. The 10♣ turn didn’t change anything, but the K♠ on the river landed to earn Gardi a major triple up in what was likely the biggest hand of the tournament up to that point.
Dramatic Chop for Jesse Lonis & Landon Tice
Before they advanced to the televised final table, Jesse Lonis and Landon Tice tangled in a pot that nearly sent one of them home.
During Day 3, Tice opened to 200,000 in the cutoff and Lonis three-bet to 1,450,000 from the big blind while leaving himself a few chips before. Tice responded with a four-bet jam and Lonis called off after using his time chips.
Jesse Lonis: 6♥6♣
Landon Tice: A♥9♦
The flip turned into a rollercoaster as a flop of 10♥7♣6♦ gave Lonis a set before the 8♦ turn gave Tice a straight. As it turned out, the river brought the 9♠ to put a straight on the board and the two chopped the pot.
David Mzareulov Runs Into Quads
It’s never fun running into quads, but especially not on Day 4 of a championship event.
Jaroslaw Osinski completed in the small blind and called as David Mzareulov bumped it up to 350,000 in the big blind.
Osinski check-called a bet of 275,000 on the K♠2♣2♥ flop and check-called again as Mzareulov bet 700,000 on the 10♠ turn. Osinski then led all in for 2,500,000 on the 7♣ river and Mzareulov folded.
It was the right move as his opponent showed him 2♠2♦ for flopped quads and the stone nuts.
Dylan Smith Jams on Josh Reichard to Overtake Chip Lead
15-time Circuit ring winner Josh Reichard had the chip lead for consecutive days, but that changed after a big pot on Day 4 against Dylan Smith.
Reichard opened to 250,000 in early position and Smith called out of the big blind. Smith check-called a bet of 275,000 on the Q♥6♠5♥ flop and again check-called on the A♠ turn as Reichard sized up to 800,000.
Smith checked once more on the J♠ river and Reichard pulled the trigger with a massive bet of 4,500,000. Smith then took control in the hand as he announced “all in” for around 10,000,000 as Reichard went in the tank. Reichard used four time banks before folding to surrender the chip lead, which Smith held onto heading into Day 5.
*Images courtesy Joe Giron & WPT