WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Blinds 30k/60k/10k ante

James Calderero has taken over the chip lead as blinds are now 30k/60k. Heads up blind levels are 30 minutes each.

Chip Counts

James Calderero 6.6 million (110 bb)
Shannon Shorr 5.8 million (97 bb)

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Blinds 25k/50k/5k ante

Keven Stammen 4-bets all in for 1.3 million (26 bb) and James Calderaro calls.

Stammen:
Calderero:

Flop: (Stammen still leads]

Turn: (no change)

River:

The audience lets out a groan as Calderero pairs his 9 for the winner and the knockout.

Stammen finishes in third place for $122,197.

Calderero has 5.5 million and is heads up with Shannon Shorr for the title.

“I have to be happy with it,” says Stammen who takes his career earnings to $2 million, “I just wish I could’ve gotten heads up with Shannon my buddy.”

Stammen says he and Shorr have been poker friends since both coming on the scene together seven years ago when both started playing at age 21.

“Top five,” says Stammen on where this ranks in his poker career. “It’s my fifth highest cash, that’s all I go by.”

Stammen is 28-years old and a former masonry worker.

“I was short a lot,” he says, “to ladder up to third, I have to be happy with that.”

Heads Up Chip Counts

Shannon Shorr 7 million (140 bb)
James Calderaro 5.5 million (110 bb)

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Blinds 25k/50k/5k ante
3 players remaining, 4.15  million avg (83 bb)

Players are back from a short break.

Chip Counts

Shannon Shorr 5.38 million
James Calderaro 5.34 million
Keven Stammen 1.7 million

Remaining Prize Pool

1st $271,103
2nd $190,039
3rd $122,197

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Dimas Martinez is all in for 1.6 million and James Calderaro gets the exact count before making the call.

Martinez:
Calderaro:

“I hate to do it to you, but Ace in the window,” urges Martinez.

Flop: (Calderaro still leads)

Turn:

“Here it comes,” says Martinez, who adds a flush draw to his two over cards.

River:

A blank on the river gives Calderaro the winner with two pairs, Tens and Queens. He’s now virtually even with Shannon Shorr for the chip lead.

Martinez, the most entertaining person at the final table, finishes in fourth place for $90,366.

“I feel good,” says Martin, “it’s the best I’ve ever cashed.”

Martinez calls himself a “Georgia boy,” but is originally from Queens, New York.

“I loved it,” he says about his time at Coconut Creek, “It was up and down, I felt like I was at Coney Island.”

Martinez is 40 years old and the owner of Spanish Mafia Records saying, “I try and bring all kinds of people together no matter where they’re from.”

Martinez had his sister Shareese Freeman on the rail, along with his best friend Donnell Dais. “We’ll be back,” says Dais, who has his eye on the next Hard Rock series at Hollywood beginning March 27th.

“I would have liked to put my name on the title,”  says Dimas, “But God is good, it’s not my time.”

Final Three Chip Counts

Shannon Shorr 5.38 million
James Calderaro 5.34 million
Keven Stammen 1.7 million

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Blinds 15k/30k/5k ante

Tim Kegel moves all in for 400k and Shannon Shorr calls.

Kegel:
Shorr:

Flop: (Kegel leads, pair of Kings)

Turn: (Shorr adds flush draw)

River:

Shorr hits his flush on the river and is now the chip leader with 4.3 million.

Kegel is out in 5th place for $67,842.

“It’s way up there,” says Kegel who earns his largest career recorded live cash.

“This tournament is a lot of fun. Dimas and I have been at the same table for the last few days. All the they guys have been great,” he says.

This is Kegel’s third cash of the series here at Coconut Creek after finishing 7th in the Seniors (Event 9) and in Event 1 ($560) pushing is combined series earnings to $70,000.

“Not bad, says Kegel, “I just wish I could’ve played a little longer.”

Kegel is 53-years-old and worsk in the horse racing industry.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Blinds 15k/30k/5k ante
5 players remaining, 2.5 million avg (83 bb)

The 1k chips have been removed from play and blinds are up. Levels for the final table are 60 minutes each.

The Champions Cup is on display. Who will be the next WPT & Lucky Hearts Champion?

Chip Counts

Dimas Martinez 4.3 million
Shannon Shorr 3.4 million
James Calderaro 2.5 million
Tim Kegel 1.2 million
Keven Stammen 1 million

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Short stack Evan Dollinger is all in for 600k and is up against chip leader Dimas Martinez.

Martinez:
Dollinger:

Flop: (Martinez set)

Turn: (Dollinger, two outs)

River:

Martinez wins the hand with a set of 7s to extend his chip lead to 4.3 million.

“I feel fine,” says Dollinger who finishes in 6th place for $54,355. “I had a couple of suck outs along the way to stay alive.”

His wife Rebecca is quick to point out that Dollinger was down to 18k (4 bb) on Day 2, but rallied for his third highest career cash.

“Probably going to get him to take a few days off,” says Rebecca as today is the couple’s second wedding anniversary. “A stay-cation at home.”

“It’s going to be a good anniversary,” smiles Dollinger, who is a full time professional player. Dollinger plays in a lot of cash games, along with tournaments here at Coconut Creek and at Hard Rock Hollywood.

Dollinger, who is 28-years-old, now has more than $300,000 in career tournament earnings.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Blinds 12k/24k/4k
6 players remaining, 2.1 mill avg (88 bb)

The final six players have finished their photo-op and ready to see who will be the next WPT and Lucky Hearts Champion.

Cards are in the air at the Coconut Creek Pavilion.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Blinds 12k/24k/4k
6 players remaining, 2.1 mill avg (88 bb)

Remaining Players

Dimas Martinez 3.588 million
Shannon Shorr 3.478 million
James Calderaro 2.649 million
Tim Kegel 1.271 million
Keven Stammen 826k
Evan Dollinger 684k

Prize Pool

Place-Name-Payotut

1st $271,103
2nd $190,039
3rd $122,197
4th $90,366
5th $67,842
6th $54,355
7th Justin Zaki (Tierra Verde) $45,318
8th Mukul Pahuja (Coconut Creek) $36,147
9th Doug Hartwick (Willowdale, ON) $27,110
10th Corrie Wunstel (Baton Rouge, LA) $19,827
Continue reading Championship: Final Six Set, Play Resumes 1 pm Tues →

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open