|
Live: $25,500 WPT World Championship
Live: $100,000 WPT Super High Roller
| Earnings | $459,360 |
| Cashes | 1 |
| Final Tables | 1 |
| Titles | 0 |
| Tournaments Played | 19 |
Est. Current Chipcount
Est. Average Chipcount
8,700,000
Current Chipleader
-
Day 1
120,200
Day 2
224,300
Day 3
685,500
Day 4
900,000
Day 5
1,454,000
Day 6
2nd
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
Let's be honest. The deck was not stacked in Tommy Vedes favor at this year's Seminole Hard Rock Showdown final table. Sure, he had experience on his side as the only WPT Champions Club member at the final table, but experience can only make up for so much. Vedes started the day with half as many chips as everyone else. He was fighting against overwhelming odds, as only two players have ever started sixth in chips to pick up the title. He was aso aiming to do something only Scotty Nguyen had done before him: final table the same WPT event back to back years and win it the second time around.
Even with all that going against him though, Vedes still fought and, up to the very last night, it seemed as though the deck was not stacked in his favor, but he still found a way to prevail and pick up his second WPT title and earn redemption after a sixth place finish in this tournament one year ago.
Like we said, Vedes began the final table as the short stack, while Joe Serock began the action with an overwhelming lead and a stack twice the size of any of his other opponents. Vedes picked up chips out the gate though, winning a coinflip against Kyle Bowker to double early and leave Bowker running on fumes. Even though he managed to triple up, then double up, Bowker could not make up the ground he lost and he exited in sixth place after he ran Q
J
into Serock's A
J.
Just four hands later, Sharon Levin would join Bowker on the rail. After losing some pots, Levin pushed with A
3 and Vedes looked him up with pocket sixes. The pair held and the Seminole Lucky Hearts fourth place finisher had to settle for a fifth place showing at his second WPT final table.
With Levin's elimination, Serock could rest a little easier knowing that he officially claimed the lead in the WPT Player of the Year race. Serock's lead in the race got bigger after Craig Bergeron exited in fourth place when he open shoved pocket sixes right into Vedes' pocket queens.
Bergeron's bust gave Serock points, but it also gave Vedes chips and started to narrow the gap in chips going into three-handed play. John Dolan turned the entire table dynamic upside down when he doubled thru Serock after Serock four bet all-in with the hand of the night, pocket sixes, and Dolan called with AJ. Dolan flopped a jack to double to a big chip lead while Serock fell even with Vedes in the counts.
Serock lost a little more chips after that as Dolan put the pressure on his opponents. In one of the pressure points, Dolan effectively put Serock all-in from the small blind and the two got the last of Serock's stack in on an 833 flop. Dolan's K8 for top pair looked to be in bad shape against Serock's pocket queens, but Dolan turned a king to bust Serock, who picked up his second consecutive third place finish.
The pot gave Dolan the advantage in chips going into heads-up play, but Vedes was a guy with something to prove and he had no intention of giving up. Vedes tread water for a while, but picked up momentum when he flopped a flush and got it in against Dolan's top pair to double up.
The second double up, where both players flopped top pair and got it in with Vedes holding the bigger kicker, gave Vedes his first chip lead of the night, which he would never relinquish. Vedes called it then, telling the crowd, "It's all over. Lights out."
It was over just seven hands later. Dolan three-bet all-in with K6 and Vedes called him with A10. The KJ6 flop looked to be all Dolan, but the turn was Vedes' saving grace, as it brought the Q, giving him a straight. When the river failed to fill Dolan up, Vedes could pop some champagne and celebrate, as he defied the odds, claimed redemption, and picked up a nearly $800,000 payday.
Here are the final table results from the Season X Seminole Hard Rock Showdown:
1st: Tommy Vedes - $779,520 (includes $25,500 WPT World Championship seat)
2nd: John Dolan - $459,360
3rd: Joe Serock - $306,240
4th: Craig Bergeron - $212,976
5th: Sharon Levin - $158,688
6th: Kyle Bowker - $122,496
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
John Dolan raises to 250,000, Tommy Vedes reraises to 620,000, and Dolan thinks for nearly two minutes before he moves all in. Vedes snap-calls with A10, and Dolan turns over K6. Dolan needs to improve to stay alive.
The flop comes KJ6 -- Dolan flops two pair to take the lead! Vedes picks up a gutshot straight draw, so he still has outs
The turn card is -- the Q!
Tommy Vedes turns an ace-high straight to retake the lead! Dolan needs to catch another king or a six on the river to stay alive with a full house. The river card is …
The 4!
Tommy Vedes wins the hand -- and the WPT title -- with an ace-high straight.
John Dolan finishes as the runner-up, earning $459,360.
Tommy Vedes wins the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown, earning $779,520, which includes his $25,500 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship. Vedes gets his name engraved on the WPT Champions Cup, and receives a WPT Champions Trophy, a Seminole Hard Rock trophy, and a silver Tiffany card protector.
Congratulations to two-time WPT winner Tommy Vedes!
1st: Tommy Vedes - $779,520
2nd: John Dolan - $459,360
3rd: Joe Serock - $306,240
4th: Craig Bergeron - $212,976
5th: Sharon Levin - $158,688
6th: Kyle Bowker - $122,496
Level 30: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante
John Dolan min-raises to 200,000, and Tommy Vedes calls. The flop comes KK4, Vedes checks, Dolan bets 200,000, and Vedes calls. The turn card is the 8, and both players check.
The river card is the 3, Vedes bets 380,000, and Dolan tanks for several minutes before he calls.
Vedes flashes a queen and says, "Queen high." Dolan wants to see both his cards, so Vedes shows Q6 for queen high. Dolan turns over A7 to win the pot with ace high.
Tommy Vedes - 4,975,000
John Dolan - 3,720,000
Level 30: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante
John Dolan raises to 200,000, and Tommy Vedes calls. The flop comes 753, Dolan bets 215,000, and Vedes raises to 585,000. Dolan thinks for about a minute before he moves all in.
Vedes thinks for about 10 seconds before he calls with J7 (pair of sevens). Dolan turns over 74 for the same pair with a lower kicker, but he also has a gutshot straight draw.
The turn card is the 10, giving Vedes a club flush draw. Dolan needs to catch a six or a four (no clubs) to win the tournament right here.
The river card is the 8, and Tommy Vedes -- who started this final table as the short stack --- wins the pot with a pair of sevens and a jack kicker to double up into the chip lead.
A few moments after the river card is dealt, Vedes says, "It's all over. Lights out."
Tommy Vedes - 5,680,000
John Dolan - 3,015,000
Level 29: 40,000-80,000, 10,000 ante
John Dolan raises to 180,000, and Tommy Vedes calls. The flop comes 982, Vedes checks, Dolan bets 240,000, and Vedes check-raises to 530,000. There are some quick raises, and they are both quickly all in.
Vedes shows Q3 for a queen-high flush, while Dolan turns over A9 for a pair of nines. Vedes will double-up unless Dolan catches a runner-runner miracle to win the tournament right here.
The turn card is the K, the river is the 4, and Tommy Vedes wins the pot with his flush to double up in chips.
Tommy Vedes - 3,660,000
John Dolan - 5,035,000
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
John Dolan raises from the small blind to 1,155,000, and Joe Serock calls from the big blind -- it's a huge portion of his stack, but he still has 310,000 behind.
The flop comes 833, Dolan moves all in, and Serock quickly calls with QQ (two pair, queens and threes). Dolan turns over K8 (two pair, eights and threes), and Serock is a favorite to double up here.
The turn is -- the K!
Dolan turns a higher two pair, kings and eights, and one-time massive chipleader Joe Serock is two outs away from elimination.
The river card is the 9, and John Dolan wins the pot with kings and eights to eliminate Joe Serock in third place.
Seat 2. Tommy Vedes - 2,535,000
Seat 5. John Dolan - 6,300,000
Seat 6. Joe Serock - Out in 3rd Place ($306,240)
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
Joe Serock min-raises from the button to 120,000, Tommy Vedes reraises from the small blind to 280,000, and John Dolan cold four-bets from the big blind to 600,000.
Serock thinks for more than a minute before he folds, and Vedes tanks for an additional two minutes before he folds as well. John Dolan takes down a big preflop pot to increase his chip lead.
Seat 2. Tommy Vedes - 2,665,000
Seat 5. John Dolan - 4,280,000
Seat 6. Joe Serock - 1,750,000
Trivia: The button folded in each of the first seven hands of three-handed play.
Level 27: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante
John Dolan raises from the button to 110,000, Joe Serock reraises from the small blind to 240,000, and Dolan thinks for more than a minute before he reraises to 450,000.
Serock quickly moves all in for about 4.3 million, and Dolan thinks for about 30 seconds before he calls all in for nearly 2 million with AJ. Serock turns over 66, and it's a race situation that could drastically change the balance of power at this final table.
The board comes J8735, and Dolan pairs his jack on the flop to win the pot and double up into the chip lead.
Seat 2. Tommy Vedes - 2,335,000
Seat 5. John Dolan - 4,045,000
Seat 6. Joe Serock - 2,315,000
Level 27: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante
John Dolan raises from the small blind to 130,000, and Joe Serock calls from the big blind. The flop comes KQ4, Dolan bets 135,000, and Serock thinks for a bit before he calls.
The turn card is the 7, and both players check. The river card is the 10, Dolan bets 290,000, and Serock folds. John Dolan takes the pot.
Seat 1. Craig Bergeron - 1,085,000
Seat 2. Tommy Vedes - 1,470,000
Seat 5. John Dolan - 2,265,000
Seat 6. Joe Serock - 3,875,000
Level 27: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante
Joe Serock min-raises under the gun to 100,000, Tommy Vedes reraises form the small blind to 255,000, and John Dolan thinks for a full minute before he moves all in from the big blind for 865,000. Serock quickly folds.
Vedes tanks for more than two minutes before he calls with KJ. Dolan turns over 44, and he'll need to win this pot to stay alive.
The board comes 55297, and Dolan wins the pot with his pocket fours to double up.
Seat 1. Craig Bergeron - 1,085,000
Seat 2. Tommy Vedes - 1,665,000
Seat 5. John Dolan - 1,850,000
Seat 6. Joe Serock - 4,095,000
