Josh Reichard Wins WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown; Landon Tice Runner-Up
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Josh Reichard, a 15-time World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) ring winner, picked up the biggest win of his career — the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown — for $839,300. He defeated Landon Tice heads up for the title late Wednesday night at a marathon final table.
The tournament began at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida in April. Action paused for over a month once the final table had been reached, and the remaining six players took a break before traveling to Las Vegas — more specifically the HyperX Arena at Luxor — to play it down to a winner.
And this was one of the most stacked final tables in recent WPT history, with some of the top young guns in the game competing to join the WPT Champions Club, and also win a ton of money.
Final Table Recap
All six players at the final table were paid $176,000, the value of sixth place, upon leaving Hard Rock in April. But they were all hoping to add on to that amount significantly.
For Aaron Kupin, the only player to bust within the first four hours of the marathon session, there would be no pay jump. He was eliminated in sixth place for $176,000 about an hour into play. It took more than three hours before Dylan Smith (fifth place for $230,000) suffered a bad beat to Reichard, who became a huge chip leader with more than half the chips in play four-handed.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Final Table Results
Jesse Lonis, who had over $8 million in live tournament cashes entering play Wednesday, was down to around 10 big blinds. He'd make a huge comeback, thanks in large part to a three-way all in with ace-king against Reichard and Alex Queen, both holding ace-queen. The best hand held up and Queen, who needed but didn't get a queen to stay alive, was out in fourth place for $305,000.
But Lonis, who had nearly caught Reichard in chips at the start of three-handed play, would run king-queen against Tice's pocket aces, and the action ended up all in preflop. The board was of no help to Lonis, and all of a sudden the match was competitive between the final three players.
Tice would soon take over the lead, which inspired a loud "Go Josh Go" chant from the pro-Reichard crowd at the HyperX Arena.
Lonis went all in for around 15 big blinds with a weaker ace than Reichard held, and was eliminated in third place for $410,000. That began heads up play with Reichard back out in front, but only by a small margin.
Early in heads up play, Reichard grinded away at Tice's stack. He'd quickly build a sizable lead that Tice couldn't overcome. On the final hand, on a board of 7♦5♠4♦J♣4♥, Reichard put his opponent all in with K♥K♣, and Tice, down about 6-1 in chips entering the hand, called with 7♥6♣. The runner up took home $550,000, the largest score of Tice's young career.
For Reichard, who has 15 Circuit rings and is a member of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Hall of Fame, he's now over $4 million in lifetime cashes, according to The Hendon Mob.
Reichard had one of the loudest rails in World Poker Tour final table history. The rail was enthusiastic from start to finish at a final table that took over nine hours to complete.
"It's unbelievable, this many people care and love me and want to see me do well," the champion said of his massive rail.
The newest member of the WPT Champions Club, a Wisconsin native, said he wasn't surprised the final table lasted so long given the talent at the table and the large number of blinds in play at the start.
*Images courtesy of the World Poker Tour/Enrique Malfavon.
