2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood
Event #15
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Total Entries: 261
Prizepool: $261,000 

Ryan Olisar won the $1,100 No Limit Hold’em in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He bested a field of 261 and took home $61,180.

He took the better end of a deal heads-up with Brian Altman and had more chips, thus giving him more money and the title. Altman took home $51,476.

Olisar came into town for some of the bigger events that are getting underway soon and was able to start his trip off on the right foot.

“I got in last night,” said Olisar. “I only got a couple hours of sleep, but it feels good to stay up for another 15 hours and get less sleep again.”

With the $3,500 WPT Main Event starting on Friday, Olisar hopes to take this momentum into an event with a much larger payday.

“It’s always good to start off like this just before the series,” said the 26-year-old poker pro. “We got the main event for this series coming up and then we got the World Series coming after that. It’s nice to have good momentum. It’s perfect.”

Olisar went nearly wire to wire at the final table. He came in with the chip lead and was active the whole way through. There was a short period in the middle stages of the final table where Asher Conniff took the chip lead, but Olisar was never very short on chips.

The final table was fairly stacked with tournament success. Conniff is the reigning WPT World Champion and Altman won a WPT title here at the Seminole Hard Rock last year in the main event of the Lucky Hearts Poker Open. Long-time pro David Levi finished third to round out one of the tougher tables the series has seen so far.

Here is a look at the final table results:

1st: Ryan Olisar – $61,180
2nd: Brian Altman – $51,476
3rd: David Levi – $24,051
4th: Asher Conniff – $19,494
5th: Paul Balzano – $15,190
6th: Stefan Schillhabel – $12,659
7th: Josh Hillock – $10,127
8th: Casey Yontz – $7,595
9th: Ryan Dunn – $5,063

Event 15 Final Results

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 261

Ryan Olisar and Brian Altman were heads-up for one hand before talks of a deal broke out. They agreed for Olisar to take the win and $61,180, while Altman takes home $51,476.

A complete recap will be published in the morning.

Ryan Olisar – $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Champion
Brian Altman – “Eliminated” in second place

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 261

David Levi got all in out of the big blind for about 400,000 against Ryan Olisar on the button. Olisar showed and David Levi tabled .

The board ran out and Levi hit the rail in third place. Olisar drags the pot and takes about a 2-to-1 chip lead into heads-up play against Brian Altman.

Ryan Olisar – 2,000,000
David Levi – Eliminated

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 261

Asher Conniff moved all in under-the-gun for about 350,000 and Brian Altman moved all in from the small blind.

It was Conniff at risk with his against Altman’s . The board ran out and Altman’s kings hold up to send Conniff home in fourth place.

Conniff takes home $19,494 and Altman moves over the million chip mark.

Brian Altman – 1,000,000
Asher Conniff – Eliminated

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 261

Asher Conniff moved all in from the small blind for 200,000 and Ryan Olisar tanked for a few moments before calling out of the big blind.

Conniff showed and was a favorite against Olisar’s . The board ran out and Conniff doubled up with a pair of nines.

Asher Conniff – 420,000
Ryan Olisar – 1,420,000

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 261

Asher Conniff moved all in on the button and Brian Altman called off for less out of the big blind. Altman was all in for 375,000 and the cards were tabled.

It was a classic race situation with Altman’s up against Conniff’s .

The flop was and Conniff flopped overs and a flush draw to Altman’s eights. The turn was the and the river was the to brick off for Conniff and give Altman another double up.

Brian Altman – 785,000
Asher Conniff – 265,000

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 261

Paul Balzano raised from middle position and Ryan Olisar defended his big blind.

They were heads-up to a flop of and Olisar check-called 95,000 from Balzano. The turn was the and Balzano moved all in for about 300,000. Olisar snap-called.

Balzano showed , good for a gutshot straight draw and needed a jack against Olisar’s , giving him trip kings. The river was the and Olisar scoops the pot to eliminate Balzano in fifth place.

“The way the cards have been falling, I was expecting the jack to come on the end,” said Olisar.

Balzano took home $15,190 for fifth place and Olisar has about half the chips in play.

Ryan Olisar – 1,670,000
Paul Balzano – Eliminated

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 261

Asher Conniff raised to 60,000 from middle position and Brian Altman moved all in for 100,000 out of the small blind. Paul Balzano called from the big blind and Conniff called as well.

The flop was with Balzano and Conniff having the option to start a side pot. Both players checked and the turn was the . Balzano checked and Conniff bet 75,000. Balzano quickly folded.

Conniff tabled , but was crushed by Altman’s .

The river was the and Altman triples up.

Brian Altman – 325,000
Asher Conniff – 910,000

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 25: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 261

On a flop of , Paul Balzano got his last 330,000 into the middle from under-the-gun against Brian Altman in the big blind.

Altman had flopped a huge draw with his , but needed to improve against Balzano’s .

The turn was the and the river was the to give Balzano another double up with queen-high.

The players take a 10-minute break while the staff races off the 1,000 denomination chips.

Paul Balzano – 800,000
Brian Altman – 115,000

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em
Level 25: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 261

Paul Balzano moved all in on the button for 246,000 and David Levi called from the small blind. Asher Conniff folded his big blind and Balzano was heads-up with Levi.

It was a flip for Balzano’s tournament life with his up against Levi’s .

The board ran out and Balzano doubled up for the second time in the last orbit.

Paul Balzano – 536,000
David Levi – 580,000