Aaron Mermelstein Takes Down WPT SHRP $25K High Roller; James Carroll & Maria Ho Headline Delayed Final Table in Showdown Championship

Aaron Mermelstein, James Carroll & Maria Ho
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  • Attreyee Khasnabis April 18, 2019
  • 4 Minutes Read

Running from April 4-16, the 33-event long WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker (SHRP) Showdown series is in the books – at least for the time being. Hosted at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, almost all the marquee events at the stop have crowned winners, with the last event – the $25K High Roller – finding a winner in Aaron Mermelstein. The two-time World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event winner outmaneuvered a field of 99 runners to take down the title and the $618,955 cash prize that came with it.

This was Mermelstein’s first high roller title, and with this win, his total live earnings have crossed the $3 Million-mark. Talking to about his latest win to the SHRP officials, Mermelstein said, “I live here part-time now so for me it’s nice to get a big win here especially against a lot of the tougher competition. Feels sort of like home. It feels good. This is my first cash in a $25K, so it’s nice to win the first one.”

Mermelstein afterward said that this was his first cash in a $25K event and he had nearly skipped the event altogether. “I busted the Main Event in pretty brutal fashion,” he said. “I wasn’t even sure I was going to play so I’m glad that I did. It worked out well.”

The only other event now left to crown a champion is the $3,500 WPT Showdown Championship. Following WPT’s recent trend of hosting delayed final tables, this event too will see its six finalists, headlined by James Carroll (18,525,000) and popular poker vlogger Maria Ho (16,650,000), return to the Luxor HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas on May 30 where they will play down to a champion. This event like the $3 Million GTD WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open (WPO) Championship, WPT L.A. Poker Classic Main Event, and the Season XVII WPT Gardens Poker Championship Main Event, will also be live streamed on Poker Central and PokerGO.

 

$3,500 WPT Showdown Championship

Registering 1,360 entries, the WPT Showdown Championship easily surpassed the $3 Million guarantee with a total prize pool collection of $4.3 Million.

With only 170 places assured payouts, some notables who finished in the money were Ryan D’Angelo (9th for $69,920), Brett Murray (18th for $29,690), Dave Farah (32nd for $20,650) and Erik Seidel (35th for $17,510).

Following Jason Marshman‘s seventh-place elimination for $114,285, the six-handed final table was set up.

James Carroll and Maria Ho bagged the biggest stacks among the final six. Carroll recently finished runner-up in the $1,600 NLH Main Event at the DeepStack Extravaganza I series in February after a heads-up chop with Jesse Sylvia, with both players banking $184,707 each.

James Carroll
James Carroll

Ho too is on a high from her win in the $25K High Roller at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, last month where she defeated Kristen Bicknell heads-up to win $276,690 in prize money – her second-largest score till date.

Maria Ho
Maria Ho

The final table play will resume on May 30 at the Luxor HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vega, Nevada.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. James Carroll – 18,525,000

2. Maria Ho – 16,650,000

3. Ami Alibay – 8,175,000

4. Eric Afriat – 4,425,000

5. Chad Eveslage – 3,350,000

6. Jerry Wong – 3,225,000

 

$25K High Roller

The $25K High Roller pulled in 99 entries, generating a prize pool of $2.4 Million. 16 players advanced to Day 2, and with only the top 14 places slated to finish in the money, Ray Qartomy and Jonathan Jaffe were the last two players to bust out empty-handed.

Sean Winter bubbled the nine-player final table and finished 10th for $66,025.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Joe McKeehen – 1,950,000

2. Alex Foxen – 1,895,000

3. James Calderaro – 1,350,000

4. Niall Farrell – 1,200,000

5. Brandon Adams – 1,100,000

6. Aaron Mermelstein – 1,020,000

7. Shannon Shorr – 890,000

8. Ben Yu – 295,000

9. Alan Schein – 260,000

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown $25K High Roller Final Table
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown $25K High Roller Final Table

 

Final Table Recap

Short-stacked Ben Yu was the first elimination on the final table. Yu’s were no match for James Calderaro’s , and the former walked out in ninth place.

Next to go was Brandon Adams when his were outrun by Joe McKeehen’s , resulting in Adams eighth place exit.

Finishing in seventh place was Alan Schein. His ran into Calderaro’s which bettered to a pair of jacks on the river, sending Schein to the rail.

American pro-Niall Farrell‘s time at the felts came to an end when his were cracked by Aaron Mermelstein’s . With the board offering no help, Farrell was ousted in sixth place.

During level 21, Shannon Shorr butted heads with McKeehen. The former’s were bested by McKeehen’s which improved to a two pair on the runout . Shorr was knocked out in fifth place.

A level later, it was James Calderaro turn to leave. Calderaro’s were defeated by McKeehen’s , eliminating the former in fourth place.

Three-handed play continued for close to an hour before the 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen was eliminated in third place. His was outlasted by Alex Foxen’s . The board bricked, and with that McKeenhen was forced to exit.

The heads-up finale between Aaron Mermelstein (5,425,000) and Alex Foxen (4,475,000) began with Mermelstein in the lead. Foxen tried hard to overcome the chip deficit but in the end, had to surrender the title to Mermelstein.

Alex Foxen
Alex Foxen

On the final hand of the tournament, Foxen led out for 350,000 on the button and Mermelstein called to see the flop . Mermelstein checked, and Foxen bet 450,000. Mermelstein check-raised all-in. Foxen glanced at his cards before calling for 2,125,000.

Alex Foxen

Aaron Mermelstein

Mermelstein was ahead with a set of tens, and the turn and river did nothing to change that. Foxen was relegated to the runner-up spot, while Mermelstein bagged the title, along with a top prize of $618,955.

Aaron Mermelstein
Aaron Mermelstein

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Aaron Mermelstein – $618,955*

2. Alex Foxen – $545,000*

3. Joe McKeehen – $305,665

4. James Calderaro – $210,295

5. Shannon Shorr – $136,935

6. Niall Farrell – $100,255

7. Alan Schein – $83,140

8. Brandon Adams – $70,915

9. Ben Yu – $68,470

*denotes heads-up deal

Content & Image Courtesy: World Poker Tour, Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open & PokerNews

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