Hinkle Leads SHRPO Final, Silverman Wins Alpha8, Tran Cashes for 888poker

Blair Hinkle Leads SHRPO Final Table

The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open $5,300 NLHE Main Event began on August 26 with a $10 million guarantee. By the end of three starting days, there were 2,384 entries and a prize pool of $11,920,000. Day 2 started with 758 players and ended with 100. Day 3 thinned that number to only 21.

Day 4 started with the 21^st place elimination of Dan Dyke, and others who followed throughout the day included Amir Lehavot in 16^th place, David Sands in 15^th, Griffin Benger in 14^th, Krystal Seiling in 12^th, and Jeremy Kottler in 11^th. Ultimately, on the final table bubble, Panagiotis Nifakos was all-in holding pocket queens, and Samuel Bernabeu Guilabert had A-K of diamonds. The king came on the flop, though, to eliminate Nifakos in seventh place.

The final table was then set for August 28 as follows:

Seat 1: Samuel Bernabeu Guilabert (4,675,000)

Seat 2: Justin Bonomo (18,500,000)

Seat 3: Blair Hinkle (22,800,000)

Seat 4: Greg Lehn (2,200,000)

Seat 5: Ray Quartomy (13,050,000)

Seat 6: Mukul Pahuja (10,200,000)

Silverman Wins Inaugural Alpha8

The first ever World Poker Tour Alpha8 $100K buy-in reentry tournament started on August 26 with 21 entries and a $2,026,500 prize pool. Nine players started Day 2, but the elimination of Bill Perkins set the official final table, though only four players were to be paid.

Jason Mercier was the first to exit, Daniel Alaei followed, as did Joseph Cheong. On the money bubble, Isaac Haxton ended up eliminated by JC Tran when A-Q beat pocket tens, leaving Haxton out in fifth place.

Tran led the final four, and Matt Glantz exited in fourth place with Jeff Gross following in third. Steven Silverman led heads-up play by a few chips over Tran, and though Tran surged ahead, Silverman doubled through him and then won the tournament with Q-9 over Q-8.

1^st place: Steven Silverman ($891,600)

2^nd place: JC Tran ($526,890)

3^rd place: Jeff Gross ($364,770)

4^th place: Matt Glantz ($243,180)

JC Tran Signs with 888poker

The above-reported second-place finish for JC Tran in the Alpha8 tournament was rather timely, as he just completed a sponsorship deal with 888poker days prior. The chip leader of the November Nine for the WSOP Main Event signed with 888poker as a team ambassador.

Tran wore the 888poker patch as he just missed an Alpha8 win, and he plans to represent the company going forward through the November WSOP final table.