2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
SHRPO Big 4 High Roller
$25,500 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  123
Prize Pool:  $3,136,500
August 13-14, 2018

The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Big 4 High Roller has been popular since its inception and this year was the biggest yet. The prize pool climbed over $3,000,000 and High Roller specialist Jake Schindler took home more than $800,000 after defeating Shaun Deeb for the title.

“It’s a combination of practice and luck,” Schindler said afterward. “I got good cards, made mostly right decisions and it worked out.”

The $25,500 buy-in tournament drew 123 entries to surpass the $2,000,000 guarantee and it paid out the last 16 spots. The tournament featured high-stakes players from around the world, multiple WSOP bracelet winners and WPT Champions Club members along with some of our local regulars.

They made it down to the final table in the early morning hours and the last eight returned on Tuesday to play it out for the title. Those players had combined earnings over $53 million for their career Deeb returned with the chip lead.

Former Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year Ory Hen made the final table after turning a $300 High Roller Step Satellite ticket into a final table appearance. He made it to seventh place and cashed out for $116,942 after taking a one-out bad beat at the hands of Omar Zazay.

Zazay came to the final table already owning a Big 4 title. He won the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship in 2015, the first year we ran the Big 4 final tables. Zazay rode a hot streak down to fourth place when Schindler took him out.

Schindler and Deeb had to deal with a short-stacked but very dangerous Tom Marchese. He battled against the two big stacks but was unable to complete the comeback.

Deeb and Schindler exchanged the chip lead several times during the final table but Deeb was never able to get it back during heads-up action. Deeb had a chance to double back into the match but lost a race on the last hand.

Both have huge results in their past but this time around it was Deeb was second best. He took home $534,989 for his runner-up finish while Schindler earned $800,758 for the Big 4 High Roller title.

High Roller results:

1st: Jake Schindler – $800,758
2nd: Shaun Deeb – $534,989
3rd: Tom Marchese – $371,183
4th: Omar Zazay – $265,311
5th: Mark Fisher – $195,570
6th: Barry Hutter – $148,769
7th: Ory Hen – $116,942
8th: Paul Hofer – $95,110
9th: David Peters – $80,073
10th: Chris Hunichen – $80,073
11th: Toby Lewis – $69,926
12th: Nipun Java – $69,926
13th: Alan Schein – $63,407
14th: Ian O’Hara – $63,407
15th: Darren Elias – $59,778
16th: Ryan Riess – $59,778