Paul Snead Reigns Supreme: Conquers SHRPO Championship, Takes Home $529K & Guitar Trophy!

The 2024 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) delivered two weeks of non-stop poker thrills at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Florida, culminating in the highly anticipated “Big Four” finale. With the $5,300 buy-in SHRPO Championship headlining the action, alongside the $25,500 High Roller, the $1,100 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em, and the $3,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em, the stakes were high, and the competition was fierce.

And when the dust settled on the SHRPO Championship, Paul Snead emerged victorious, seizing the title, the coveted Guitar Trophy, and a career-best $529,428 payday!

The $5,300 buy-in SHRPO Championship soared past its $3 Million guarantee as 865 hopefuls battled over a share of the lush $4,195,250 prize pool, with payouts extending to the top 109 contenders. The tension was thick as the tournament reached three-handed play. Blinds were sky-high at 100K/200K and a 150K ante, and every decision carried immense weight. Then, Snead made a move that would change everything. He raised to 500K from the button, and Brandon Kessous shoved all-in for 7 Million from the small blind. Kessous’s ace-jack was up against Snead’s pocket jacks. The board ran out clean for Snead, sending Kessous to the rail and setting up a thrilling heads-up duel.

As the heads-up phase commenced, Snead edged out with a slight chip lead against Clemen Deng. The atmosphere was electric as the two players battled it out, each vying for the title and the lion’s share of the prize pool. Finally, the duo agreed to a deal that awarded them both a staggering sum, surpassing $500,000 each. Snead was crowned the official 2024 SHRPO champion. Deng, though falling just short of the title, walked away with an impressive $512,522 for his runner-up finish.

This win marked Snead’s second live title of the year, pushing his lifetime live winnings to $2,288,529, according to his Hendon Mob profile.

“It feels amazing,” Snead exclaimed after his victory. “I just feel like the Hard Rock is my home turf now. I’m originally from New York and still live there and in Florida now. Foxwoods used to be my home turf, but now I totally feel comfortable here. I love the way they run the tournaments here; it’s just great.”

Reflecting on his journey, Snead shared, “I was all in for my tournament life twice yesterday. I won a huge race with Ace-King against Queens, and then I came from behind all-in against Clemen [Deng] post-flop with Queens against Jack-10 on a Jack-10 flop. Those were the two hands where I could have been out of the tournament, but I won. That hasn’t happened to me, so I feel really good… I’m ready to go hit the PokerGO studio for sure.”

The tournament saw noteworthy performances from seasoned pros such as Ren Lin (56th for $15,500), Kristen Foxen (52nd for $18,400), Kitty Kuo (42nd for $21,800), Andrew Moreno (24th for $31,000), Jesse Lonis (13th for $49,000), Jeremy Becker (10th for $63,000), and Loni Hui (7th for $103,000).

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Paul Snead – $529,428*
2. Clemen Deng – $512,522*
3. Brandon Kessous – $310,000
4. Jack Thu – $230,000
5. Billy Pilossoph – $175,000
6. Tyler Montoya – $133,000
7. Loni Hui – $103,000
8. Sterling Savill – $80,000

*denotes a heads-up deal

Other Highlights From the Big Four

Event #54: $25,500 High Roller, part of the “Big Four” finale, showcased a compelling victory by poker`s all-time money leader Bryn Kenney, who secured a significant part of the $1,654,900 prize pool. Drawing 67 elite participants, Kenney entered heads-up play with a commanding chip lead of 5.4 Million chips against Dan Sepiol‘s 1.3 Million. A heads-up deal guaranteed Kenney the title, a winning prize of $487,990, and the cherished SHRPO trophy, while Sepiol took home $390,810 as the runner-up.

Event #50: $3,000 Deep Stack NLH, despite falling short of its $1 Million guarantee, drew 323 contenders. Kevin Ordet triumphed in a dynamic heads-up battle, claiming the title and $190,800. Trace Henderson secured the runner-up position with a payout of $128,000.

Event #53: $1,100 Deep Stack NLH attracted 504 players, with the $500,000 prize pool distributed among the top 65. The final duel saw Benjamin Moschel outplay Jean “Prince” Gaspard to clinch the title for $89,800, while Gaspard earned $60,000.

Side Event Champions

Two-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Raminder Singh, AKA “The Raminator,” has again etched his name in poker history. He crushed a field of 168 entries in Event #61: $300 Quad Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH, clinching a record-extending 13th Seminole Hard Rock Poker (SHRP) major series title and $6,730 in prize money.

The series also celebrated victories from seasoned players in various side events. Ten-time bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel championed Event #26: $10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em for $179,953 following a head-up deal. Other notable winners included Darryll Fish (Event #3: $600 Deep Stack Big O for $16,830), Ari Engel (Event #8: $600 Eight-Game Mix for $12,875), Phil Hui (Event #12: $600 Mixed PLO for $18,495), Javier Zarco (Event #25: $600 Deep Stack 6-Max NLHE for $19,740), and Nick Yunis (Event #29: $1,100 Deep Stack Turbo NLHE for $15,580).

Three-Peat Winners

Three players stood out by securing two titles each at the 2024 SHRPO. Lenard Adams triumphed in Event #11: $600 Deep Stack Turbo NLH ($9,610) and Event #41: $1,100 Deep Stack Turbo NLH ($16,770). Nick Seward won Event #31: $1,100 Deep Stack NLH ($39,000) and Event #37: $2,200 Deep Stack NLH ($91,500). Matthew Wolfson claimed victories in Event #44: $1,100 Mixed PLO ($11,721) and Event #52: $400 Black Chip Bounty 5-Card PLO ($5,000).

Content & Images Courtesy: Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open