Taylor Von Kriegenbergh's Long and Winding Road to Victory

Level 33: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

When you come into a final table as the big chip leader, things can go a couple of ways. Sometimes, it is a steamroll straight through the competition and on to the title. Other times, the path to victory is a winding one, complete with ups, downs, surprises, and setbacks. Taylor Von Krienbergh’s final table story is one of the winding road type of stories. Or, more appropriately, a roller coaster ride. Von Kriegenbergh began the day at the top of the hill, looking to only climb higher as play unfolded. Instead, it was a long and crazy night of poker that took a lot of twists and turns, but ended just like it started—with Von Kriegenbergh on top.

The inaugural Seminole Hard Rock Showdown final table will be remembered for a lot of suckouts and short stacks surviving and it was Curt Kohlberg who kicked off that trend by doubling thru Tommy Vedes on just the 17th hand of play. Three hands later, it was Abbey Daniels’ turn to double when a cooler of a hand saw her set of sevens hold up against Von Kriegenbergh’s set of threes.

From there, there were plenty more double ups but no eliminations. The chip lead circled around the table as just about every player either doubled someone up or doubled up themselves. Someone had to go out at some point though and the first player to hit the rail was Tommy Vedes, whose hopes of picking up a second WPT title were cut short just two hands after he took the chip lead at the final table. Vedes lost most of his stack when he called Daniels’ river shove with a king-high straight only to run into her rivered flush. The very next hand he got it all-in with top pair and a flush draw to Curt Kohlberg’s two pair and bricked to go home in sixth.

Allen Bari was the next player to fall. Bari seemed pretty card dead all evening and his bad run of luck was capped off when his A10 couldn’t win a coinflip against Justin Zaki’s pocket fives. Daniels met her demise a few orbits later on the wrong end of a coinflip as well. Getting short on chips, Daniels moved in with A8 and Kohlberg called her with pocket sixes. The board ran out seven-high and the man who began the day as the shortest stack took the chip lead, while Daniels exited in fourth place.

After Daniels left, the action stalled as the final three sparred in pots for nearly 70 hands without a major all-in confrontation. During that time, the blinds kept climbing and Von Kriegenbergh needed to pick up some chips in order to stay alive. He took a stand with K10 and ran smack into Zaki’s pocket aces, but a ten on the flop and a king on the turn gave new life to Von Kriegenbergh.

The young pro credited a sick run of luck and a little help from a higher power in his victory. That luck was out in full force from that point forward as he doubled thru Kohlberg to take a big chip lead, then finished off Zaki with 67 to Zaki’s AJ. With the local grinder out, Von Kriegenbergh only needed to dispatch of one more opponent and victory was his.

Von Kriegenbergh came into heads up play with a more than 5-1 chip lead and Kohlberg was at quite a disadvantage with his less than ten big blind stack. Kohlberg sparred with the big stack for a few minutes, but it only took eight hands of heads-up play for Von Kriegenbergh to eliminate his fellow Bostonian and take the title.

On the final hand of play, Von Kriegenbergh got one last bit of luck as his Q8 made a full house to beat Kohlberg’s A10 and bring the twelve-hour and 220-hand final table to a close. The Seminole Hard Rock had the presidential suite waiting for Von Kriegenbergh after play ended. However, after this long and winding final table, Von Kriegenbergh was much more inclined to get some much deserved rest rather than rock hard celebrating his $1,122,340 victory.

Here are the results from the Seminole Hard Rock Showdown final table:

1st: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh - $1,122,340
2nd: Curt Kohlberg - $586,109
3rd: Justin Zaki - $415,680
4th: Abbey Daniels - $286,819
5th: Allen Bari - $211,997
6th: Tommy Vedes - $166,272

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh Wins the Seminole Hard Rock Showdown

Level 33: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Hand #220: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh Wins the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown! ($1,122,340)

Level 33: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh moves all in, and Curt Kohlberg calls with A10. Von Kriegenbergh turns over Q8, and Kohlberg needs his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board comes Q44KQ, and Taylor Von Kriegenbergh wins the pot -- and the tournament -- with a full house, queens full of fours.

Curt Kohlberg finishes as the runner-up, earning $586,109 for second place.

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh wins the inaugural televised WPT event in the state of Florida, the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown, earning $1,122,340, a WPT bracelet, a Seminole Hard Rock Showdown trophy. Von Kriegenbergh's prize includes his $25,500 entry into the WPT World Championship at Bellagio later this month.

Congratulations to Taylor Von Kriegenbergh!

Hand #219: Curt Kohlberg

Level 33: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Curt Kohlberg moves all in, and Taylor Von Kriegenbergh folds.

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh  -  11,575,000
Curt Kohlberg  -  1,400,000

Hand #218: Curt Kohlberg

Level 33: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh folds, and Curt Kohlberg receives a walk.

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh  -  11,800,000
Curt Kohlberg  -  1,175,000

Hand #217: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh

Level 33: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Curt Kohlberg folds, and Taylor Von Kriegenbergh receives a walk.

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh  -  11,925,000
Curt Kohlberg  -  1,050,000

Hand #216: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh

Level 33: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh moves all in, and Curt Kohlberg folds.

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh  -  11,800,000
Curt Kohlberg  -  1,175,000

Level 33 Begins

Level 33: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Level 32 comes to an end, and Level 33 begins with increased blinds of 100,000-200,000 and a 25,000 ante. Play continues without a break.

Hand #215: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh

Level 32: 75,000-150,000, 25,000 ante

Curt Kohlberg folds, and Taylor Von Kriegenbergh shows A-A as he collects the pot.

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh  -  11,575,000
Curt Kohlberg  -  1,400,000

Hand #214: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh

Level 32: 75,000-150,000, 25,000 ante

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh limps for 150,000, and Curt Kohlberg checks his option. The flop comes KQ8, Kohlberg checks, Von Kriegenbergh min-bets 150,000, and Kohlberg folds. Von Kriegenbergh takes the pot.

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh  -  11,475,000
Curt Kohlberg  -  1,500,000