Sam Sternfield mostly plays "not hold'em" — a crude term for mixed games and Omaha — but he's not saying anything bad about no-limit hold'em after winning the Moneymaker Tour Main Event at Daytona Beach Racing & Card Club for $80,855. It's a big win at an important time and one he can share with his family in more ways than one.
A field of 263 entries turned out in Florida to chase a prize pool of $355K, including Ryan Hogan and Traitors Season 2 winner Trishelle Cannatella, who ran deep to 17th place. Sternfield beat them all for his second Moneymaker trophy.
"Feeling good. Feeling really good," he told us after the win. "First big no-limit win. Poker's been absolutely crazy."
'A big middle finger'
Crazy is an understatement. Sternfield recently played at the PokerGO Studio, where he cashed in four events across the Mixed Game and PLO series. "I got to play at the PokerGO Studio against the best and the world and did pretty well."
Pretty well means two final table finishes, one being a runner-up score for $156K in the $10K HORSE event during the Mixed Game series. "I play mostly not-hold'em, so this is a big accomplishment and a big middle finger to those that say I can't."
His PLO background still shows through in his hold'em game. "There's been a running joke where I just want the best hand on the turn and we can gamble on the river.
Sternfield beat Aleandro Jauregui Reynoso in heads-up play and Hyndi Kohmutetsky finished third. He entered the final day in the middle of a six-player pack, chasing Kohmutetsky's top chip count.
The win was also an opportunity for Sternfield to show gratitude to his family, and to give something back during a tough time. "Shoutout to my mom, she just survived some pretty crazy borderline brain cancer and some crazy surgeries. I just lost my grandma and I know she's looking out for me. I can't wait to make a couple of big donations and share this with my family."
The Moneymaker Tour will now pack up and head to its maiden series at MGM National Harbor in Maryland from April 21–28. Over $400K in guarantees across 12 trophy tourneys including a $1,700 Main Event.
Moneymaker Tour Daytona Beach Main Event final table results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Sternfield | $80,855 |
| 2 | Alejandro Jauregui Reynoso | $56,890 |
| 3 | Hyndi Kohmutetsky | $36,395 |
| 4 | Caleb Powell | $22,135 |
| 5 | Blake Ellinghaus | $17,095 |
| 6 | Craig Pollak | $14,165 |
Images courtesy of Alicia Skillman/Moneymaker Tour.
