2016 Coco Poker Showdown
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
Coconut Creek, Fla.
Event #8
$1,100 Championship
Entries: 161
Prize Pool: $161,000
January 30-31, 2016

Coconut Creek, Fla. (January 31, 2016) — The 2016 Coco Poker Showdown wrapped Sunday night at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. The series finale, a $1,100 Championship with a $100,000 guarantee, saw a field of 161 entries amass a prize pool of $161,000. The tournament played out over the course of two days before Stu Paterson emerged victorious to score a $32,785 first prize. Paterson was part of a four-way chop that saw his chip lead earn the lion’s share of the prize pool while Andrew Badecker went home with $32,276, Frederico Dabus with $25,000 and Herbert Woodbery with $20,380.

“It’s nice to get up there and do well,” Paterson said of going deep in the Championship. “I liked the structure — it was fast, but not too fast.”

The $1,100 price point, $100,000 guarantee and the fact the event was Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year points eligible helped the Coco Poker Showdown Championship draw a decorated field. SHRP team member Mike Laake, SHRP POY points leader Timothy Miles and WSOP gold bracelet winner Phil Hui were among those to make a special trip to the property. While Laake and Hui weren’t able to get anything going, Miles graced the final three tables before bowing out late on Day 1.

Action restarted on the second and final day of play Sunday at 1 p.m. with 20 players remaining. Marc Medrano lead the way while Paterson began second. The bubble burst roughly an hour into play when John DePersio was eliminated 19th sending the remaining 18 into the money. From there, it was about two hours until Santan Noronha exited 11th and play consolidated to the final table. Badecker held the chip lead but as play stretched deeper the stacks got thinner. In all, it took about four hours for play to narrow from 10-handed to the final four. The final tablists who finished outside the top four were James Newcomb (5th), Dave Whalen (6th), Israel de la Cerda (7th), Peter Vitantonio (8th), Adam Levy (9th) and Ido Ashkenzai (10th).

No sooner did Newcomb hit the rail did the remaining four pause the clock to maneuver a deal. After a breakdown of the ICM values, Badecker got a little kick back from Dabus and Woodbery and the deal was given the go-ahead.

The Coco Poker Showdown began Thursday, January 21 with a $130 buy-in $100,000 guarnateed event. The tournament drew 1,156 entries and saw local David Albertson earn its $25,225 top prize. From there, the next headliner was Event 6, a $350 buy-in $250,000 guaranteed tournament. The field totaled 721 and saw Edward Novak emerge victorious to the tune of a $63,323 first prize.

Paterson rounded out the trio of headliners Sunday night with his victory in the Championship. Paterson is a 37-year-old professional poker player from nearby Boca Raton. The 1st-place finish marked his first major tournament win and moved him over $700,000 in career tournament earnings.

Championship final results:

1st: Stu Paterson – $32,785
2nd: Andrew Badecker – $32,276
3rd: Frederico Dabus – $25,000
4th: Herbert Woodbery – $20,380
5th: James Newcomb – $10,063
6th: Dave Whalen – $7,648
7th: Israel de la Cerda – $5,957
8th: Peter Vitantonio – $4,428
9th: Adam Levy – $3,140
10th: Ido Ashkenazi – $2,496
11th: Santana Noronha – $2,496
12th: Robert Midgette – $2,496
13th: Ronald Sullivan – $2,093
14th: Marc Medrano – $2,093
15th: Robert Miller – $2,093
16th: Bruce Snell – $1,852
17th: Stephen Diamantas – $1,852
18th: Dolphus Powers – $1,852

$1,100 Championship
Level 23: 15,000/30,000/3,000 Ante
Players: 4/161

The final four players in the Coco Poker Showdown Championship have made a deal. Chip leader Stu Paterson goes home with the title and a $32,785 score. Andrew Badecker is the runner up earning $32,276, Frederico Dabus 3rd for $25,000 and Herbert Woodbery 4th for $20,380.

A full report on Paterson’s victory will be posted shortly. In the meantime, here’s a look at the tournament’s final results:

1st: Stu Paterson – $32,785
2nd: Andrew Badecker – $32,276
3rd: Frederico Dabus – $25,000
4th: Herbert Woodbery – $20,380
5th: James Newcomb – $10,063
6th: Dave Whalen – $7,648
7th: Israel de la Cerda – $5,957
8th: Peter Vitantonio – $4,428
9th: Adam Levy – $3,140
10th: Ido Ashkenazi – $2,496
11th: Santana Noronha – $2,496
12th: Robert Midgette – $2,496
13th: Ronald Sullivan – $2,093
14th: Marc Medrano – $2,093
15th: Robert Miller – $2,093
16th: Bruce Snell – $1,852
17th: Stephen Diamantas – $1,852
18th: Dolphus Powers – $1,852

$1,100 Championship
Level 23: 15,000/30,000/3,000 Ante
Players: 4/161

Chip counts:

Stu Paterson – 1,093,000
Andrew Badecker – 985,000
Frederico Dabus – 703,000
Herbert Woodbery – 445,00

Remaining payouts:

1st – $49,905
2nd – $28,980
3rd – $18,515
4th – $13,041

Updated results:

5th: James Newcomb – $10,063
6th: Dave Whalen – $7,648
7th: Israel de la Cerda – $5,957
8th: Peter Vitantonio – $4,428
9th: Adam Levy – $3,140
10th: Ido Ashkenazi – $2,496
11th: Santan Noronha – $2,496
12th: Robert Midgette – $2,496
13th: Ronald Sullivan – $2,093
14th: Marc Medrano – $2,093
15th: Robert Miller – $2,093
16th: Bruce Snell – $1,852
17th: Stephen Diamantas – $1,852
18th: Dolphus Powers – $1,852

$1,100 Championship
Level 23: 15,000/30,000/3,000 Ante
Players: 4/161

James Newcomb open shoved for 299,000 and Stu Paterson jammed for more from his direct left. The remaining players folded and Newcomb was drawing slim for his tournament life.

Paterson:
Newcomb:

The board fell and James Newcomb busted 5th earning $10,063.

The deep run marks Newcomb’s third of the Coco Poker Showdown series. He previous finished runner up in Event 2 and 8th in Event 3.

$1,100 Championship
Level 22: 12,000/24,000/3,000 Ante
Players: 5/161

One hand after playing — and losing — a decent-sized pot against Stu Paterson, Dave Whalen open shoved from under the gun. It folded around to Frederico Dabus who woke up with kings in the big blind. Whalen’s was well behind as the dealer started the burn and turn.

Runout:

Whalen never caught up and he was sent to the rail 6th with a $7,648 consolation prize.

The five remaining players are each assured five figures — $10,063.

$1,100 Championship
Level 22: 12,000/24,000/3,000 Ante
Players: 6/161

Israel De La Cerda got all in from the small blind holding . He was at risk against the of James Newcomb. The board fell and De La Cerda busted 7th earning $5,957.

All remaining players have now locked up $7,648.

$1,100 Championship
Level 22: 12,000/24,000/3,000 Ante
Players: 7/161

Over the course of the last four hands, Frederico Dabus has been all in twice and James Newcomb once. On all three occasions, the players faded a call.

Remarkably, Dabus and Newcomb aren’t even the table shortstack. That honor goes to Israel De La Cerda who sits on just over 100,000.

$1,100 Championship
Level 21: 10,000/20,000/2,000 Ante
Players: 7/161

Dave Whalen open shoved the small blind sending the action to Peter Vitantonio in the big blind. Vitantonio, who was covered by Whalen, called off and the hands were tabled.

Whalen:
Vitantonio:

The runout fell and Vitantonio busted 8th earning $4,428.

$1,100 Championship
Level 21: 10,000/20,000/2,000 Ante
Players: 8/161

Adam Levy and Stu Paterson got the last of Levy’s chips in preflop. Levy held and was behind the of Paterson. The board ran out and Levy was eliminated 9th for $3,140.

Levy is a professional poker player from Los Angeles. His resume boasts more than $2,300,000 in earnings. In 2010, he finished 12th in the WSOP Main Event pocketing $635,011 in the process.