Tony Sinishtaj Wins the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown

By Ryan Lucchesi
Photography by Joe Giron / PokerPhotoArchive.com

Tony Sinishtaj won his first World Poker Tour title in his first WPT final-table appearance today at the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown in South Florida. The native New Yorker topped a tough group of competitors from a large field of 1,207 players to take home $661,283, which includes a seat in the Monster WPT Tournament of Champions on Friday. “It feels amazing, I can’t wait, I just want to keep playing, it’s awesome,” said Sinishtaj about his excitement for the TOC.

“I feel amazing, this is really great,” said Sinishtaj in his winner interview with WPT Executive Tournament Director Matt Savage about his feelings after the victory.  He continued, “It’s hard to put into words, it was a tough field right down the stretch, but I got the right cards, got lucky a little bit, got unlucky a little bit, and at the end of the day it happened the way it was supposed to happen I guess, and I came out on top, so I’ll take it.”

Sinishtaj also touched on how he feels about playing down at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino again. “I love playing here. It’s been a few years since I’ve been here, but I feel like I run great. It’s a great place to play, you guys do an amazing job with the tournament. The structure, the series, everything is great. The dealers are amazing, the staff, the floor, everything, I love the place. I should definitely be playing here more often, and I definitely will,” said Sinishtaj.

This was the largest score of his poker career, and Sinishtaj now holds $1,863,255 in career earnings. He came into the final table second in chips, and he doubled up a few times en route to the victory. Sinishtaj survived the long battle that took place during four-handed play, and held a 2-1 chip lead at the start of the heads-up final against Fish, where he scored another double and then won the tournament when he connected on a flush draw.

Here is a look at the chip counts when cards got into the air this afternoon.

Seat 1.  Tony Sinishtaj  –  9,515,000  (95 bb)
Seat 2.  Darryll Fish  –  7,525,000  (75 bb)
Seat 3.  Dan Colman  –  9,975,000  (100 bb)
Seat 4.  Eric Beller  –  2,960,000  (30 bb)
Seat 5.  Simeon Naydenov  –  3,115,000  (31 bb)
Seat 6.  Robert Mizrachi  –  3,100,000  (31 bb)

Hand 13 proved to be unlucky for Simeon Naydenov. He moved all in with K-8 suited, but Dan Colman called with A-7 suited. Colman improved to make trip aces, and that was all she wrote for Naydenov, who took home $132,889 in prize money in sixth place.

Eric Beller hit the rail a little while later in the 26th hand of play. His A-7 ran right into the pocket kings of Robert Mizrachi, and Beller was eliminated in fifth place, good for $164,438.

After starting the final table with the chip lead, Colman ended up as the short stack, but he doubled up not once, but twice to keep his Seminole Hard Rock magic running strong.

Four-handed action continued even longer when Darryll Fish doubled up once, and then Tony Sinishtaj doubled up twice. It wasn’t until Hand 114 when the next elimination occurred. Colman was crippled after paying out the second double up to Sinishtaj, and he shoved with pocket deuces. Fish and Sinihstaj both had him covered in a three-way pot, and Fish won the hand with a pair of sevens to eliminate Colman in fourth place ($217,686).

The battle for third place proved to be mush shorter when Mizrachi moved all in preflop on Hand 134. He shoved with pocket fours, but Fish made a pair of queens on the flop to eliminate Mizrachi in third place ($293,864).

The heads-up battle began with Sinishtaj holding a 2-1 chip advantage over Fish, but Fish flipped the narrative and held double Sinishtaj’s stack as the final match progressed. Sinishtaj scored a double up on Hand 168 to take back the lead, and the next time the two players confronted each other in an all-in pot, the tournament was decided.

Sinishtaj raised from the button to 1,250,000, and Fish called from the big blind. The flop came , Fish checked, Sinishtaj bet 1,500,000, and Fish check-raised all in for 10,950,000. Sinishtaj quickly called with for a diamond flush draw, but Fish turned over for a pair of threes. Fish needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Sinishtaj won the pot — and the WPT title — with a king-high diamond flush. Fish finished as the runner-up, earning $453,185.

Tony Sinishtaj won the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, earning $661,283, which includes his $15,000 entry into the season-ending Monster WPT Tournament of Champions. Sinishtaj also received a WPT Champions Trophy, and his name will be inscribed on the one-and-only WPT Champions Cup, alongside every WPT champion from all 15 seasons.

Congratulations to Tony Sinishtaj!

Final Table Results

1st: Toni Sinishtaj – $661,283*
2nd: Darryll Fish – $453,185
3rd: Robert Mizrachi – $293,864
4th: Dan Colman – $217,686
5th: Eric Beller – $164,438
6th: Simeon Naydenov – $132,889 

* First-prize amount includes the winner’s $15,000 entry into the season-ending Monster WPT Tournament of Champions.

With the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown now in the history books, the next WPT final table will take place tomorrow at 12:00 Noon ET, when the $10,000 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale will play out on Thursday. Return to WPT.com for live coverage of this and all main tour WPT events.