The 2024 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown continues this week in Hollywood, FL with an action-packed slate of events that includes the $10,000 Heads-Up NLH, the $50,000 Super High-Roller, the $25,000 High-Roller Pot-Limit Omaha, a WPT meet-up cash game with Brad Owen and Vince Van Patten and, of course, the $3m guaranteed WPT Championship event.
The first three rounds of the Heads-Up event played out yesterday and saw the 28-player bracket whittled down to a final four of Landon Tice, Chance Kornuth, Scott Baumstein, and Stoyan Madanzhiev.
Each of the four semi-finalists made the money, locking up a $33,250 cash, but with only two matches left to win for the $133,000 top prize and the Showdown trophy, they all had their hearts set on a first-place finish.
Below, you can see each players' order of opponents defeated en route to the semi-finals - and the money.
| Tice | Kornuth | Baumstein | Madanzhiev | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | Brian Green | Zhen Cai | Kevin Rabichow | Bye |
| Round of 16 | Joshua Heinzl | Lachezar Petkov | Joe McKeehen | Bin Weng |
| QFs | Nitis Udornpim | Michael Rocco | Frank Lagodich | Kai Cohen |
Kornuth vs. Tice, Baumstein vs. Madanzhiev
Despite a strong start, Tice found himself on the wrong end of a number of pots, sending chunk after chunk of his stack to his opponent and relinquishing the early chip lead. The final nail in the coffin came in the form of a friendly slow-roll from Kornuth.
After limping in from the button and facing a raise from Kornuth, Tice opted to three-bet jam his 
. Kornuth took his time before smiling at Tice as he tabled 
. The two friends laughed as the aces held up across the 
runout.
Meanwhile, Baumstein went to work on Madanzhiev, methodically taking the lead without any major showdowns. Then, a massive collision saw Baumstein put serious pressure on his opponent in the match-defining pot. On a board of 
, Madanzhiev opted to over-bet nearly 2x the pot. Baumstein responded to the aggression in turn, moving all-in to put the Bulgarian at risk of elimination.
Madanzhiev deliberated over his decision for several minutes before making the call and tabling his 
good for two pair with a flush draw and way ahead of Baumstein's 
. Madanzhiev only needed to fade six outs that would improve Baumstein's hand to the winner. The 
river was one of those six, improving Baumstein's hand to a straight and crushing Madanzhiev's hopes for a place in the final round.
Final Round: Kornuth vs. Baumstein
The two finalists, each guaranteed a $66,500 prize, made relatively quick work of their respective opponents in the semi-finals and likely came into the finals brimming with confidence. Kornuth shot out to an early lead, but Baumstein quickly battled back to even out the stacks.
Kornuth vs. BaumsteinKornuth struck a major blow in a cooler of a pot that saw both players make a flush. On a flop of 
, Kornuth opted to check call Baumstein's bet. The turn brought in the 
and Kornuth again check-called. The river came down the and Kornuth checked for a third time, ushering in a large bet from Baumstein. After a couple minutes, Kornuth dialed up a raise and sent Baumstein deep into the tank.
Eventually, Baumstein put in the call and tabled 
, only to see the bad news as Kornuth turned over 
to scoop the pot with his higher flush.
The flush-over-flush cooler set Baumstein on the short stack as Kornuth began to ramp up the pressure. The final hand saw Baumstein limp from the button with 
, prompting Kornuth to move all-in with 
. Baumstein made the call to put his stack at risk and would need to improve his hand to stay alive. The board came down 
, leaving Baumstein drawing dead on the flop.
Kornuth collects the $133,000 top prize and the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown trophy for his efforts, made all the more impressive as the tournament was the first time he'd played live poker in three months.
Images Courtesy of Seminole Hard Rock Poker
