Kevin Nee Wins WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open in Florida

Six Americans made the final table of the WPT Seminole Hard Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open Championship this week, as Kevin Nee beat Joel Gola heads-up to claim the top prize of $605,100 which included entry into the season-ending $10,400 WPT World Championships later this month. With Aram Zobian and Chad Eveslage going close, it was a thrilling denouement to a popular major live event on the calendar.

Epic Field Conquered by Comparative Rookie

With the WPT World Championships on the horizon, one of the final chances to win a major World Poker Tour event beforehand came to pass in Florida this week. The WPT Seminole Hard Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open Championship had 1,224 total entries, creating a prize pool of $3,916,800 in the $3,500 buy-in tournament at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood near Tampa.

Racking up that huge prize pot, a million dollars clear of the $3m guarantee, the top prize also included a ticket worth $10,400 into the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in a week’s time. When the dust settled, Pennsylvanian player Kevin Nee won his first WPT Main Event and a top prize that was 20 times bigger than anything he had won before.

With 153 players making the money places, WPT legends such as Eric Afriat (133^rd for $6,400), Tony Sinishtaj (119^th for $7,000), Jerry Wong (80^th for $8,200), David Jackson (76^th for $9,600), Chance Kornuth (24^th for $23,200), Rainer Kempe (23^rd for $28,000) and Shannon Shorr (19^th for $33,500) all cashed but missed out on the final table. By the time the six-handed final table was reached, the chip leader was Joel Gola with 18.1 million chips, the equivalent of 73 big blinds, with the eventual winner Nee second in chips on 11.6m (47BB). The short stack was Anthony Merlo on just 4 million chips, which equated to 16 big blinds.

Merlo Has His Fill

As play kicked off in Las Vegas, all eyes were on the leader Gola, but it was the experienced Chad Eveslage who started faster, often pressing his edge over some of the field to bully some early chips out of his opponents. The female player Hyndi Khomutetsky was bidding to become just the third woman to take down a WPT Main Event but fell five places short when she was the first player to leave the party.

All-in and at risk with the best hand, Khomutetsky had ace-queen and was called by Gola with ace-jack. The flop of A-5-2 looked clear for Khomutetsky, as did the six on the turn, but a fateful jack on the river ousted her from the tournament for a score of $127,000 in sixth place.

One place later, Anthony Merlo was crushed after initially doubling up Eveslage. Left short stacked, Merlo poured one out after first doubling up himself then being busted by the eventual winner. Merlo shoved with king-ten and was called by Nee’s ace-queen. A queen on the flop and ace on the turn meant only a jack would save Merlo but the river was an eight and he departed with $166,000 in fifth place.

Nee Claims the Crown

Down to four players, Eveslage’s luck ran out. In only the 48^th hand of the final table, he shoved from the small blind with queen-seven and was called by Aram Zobian with nine-eight. A flop of K-9-4 vaulted Zobian into the lead, before a six on the turn meant only one of the three queens left in the deck would save Eveslage. An eight on the river meant Zobian prevailed at his fellow WSOP bracelet winner’s expense and Eveslage made his way to the rail to collect $220,000 in fourth place.

Out in third for $295,000 was Zobian himself. On a flop of T-4-3, Zobian committed his chips with ten-nine and was correct to do so, as Gola folded the hand he opened the betting with. Nee called with the diamond flush draw, however, and an ace of diamonds on the turn landed immediately to scupper the chances Aram Zobian and give himself a 2:1 lead heading into the final battle for glory.

Heads-up lasted exactly one hand as the 65^th deal of the final table produced a winner in stunning circumstances. Kevin Nee raised it up with ace-deuce of spades and Joel Gola pushed all his chips into the middle with king-ten of clubs. Nee called and Q-7-5 all in spades landed to flop his opponent dead in one flick of the dealer’s wrist.

The two men stood and were shaking hands as turn and river were dealt, proclaiming Joel Gola the runner-up for $395,000 and Kvein Nee the winner. With his total prize fund of $605,100 more than 20 times the $25,000 he won for coming 669^th in the summer’s WSOP Main Event, Nee celebrated getting his name etched on the world-famous WPT Mike Sexton Champions Cup.

Watch the final table as a new winner was crowned and won the poker prize of a lifetime.

The World Championships Loom for WPT

Speaking after the event, the World Poker Tour’s CEO Adam Pliska was thrilled to congratulate a brand-new champion on the tour.

“Each year, the WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship delivers remarkable fields and memorable moments,” he said. “This year was no exception. We congratulate Kevin Nee on adding his name to the prestigious Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.”

“It feels amazing, it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Kevin Nee said after his single-hand heads-up victory. “[I’ve been on] adrenaline for the past four or five days, so I’m sure at some point it will hit me, and I will be very excited!”

The WPT circus rolls from East to West now, as Las Vegas prepares to welcome players for the signature series of the season for the operator. The $10,400-entry World Championship event takes place from December 13-19 with a televised final table then playing out on December 21^st where someone will win millions of dollars just four days before Christmas.