John Andress Wins SHRPO $25K High Roller For $801,450

(Photo: Seminolehardrockpokeropen.com)

Less than the small blind, and right on the money bubble. With 16 other players sniffing at the blood he’s pumping into the water and not one of the sixteen likely to cut this dead man walking some slack.

That’s how close John Andress was to taking a $25,500 bath in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open $25,500 High Roller event. Right on the bubble; down to a couple of chips plus some table fluff; and watching players like Matt Glantz, Jeff Gross, Chance Kornuth, Brandon Adams and Mike Leah bullying anyone who showed a sign of wanting to just hold on till they made the money.

A few good cards and a whole lot of heart later and the table’s have turned. It’s just John Andress and Mike Leah left, fighting over who has the bad luck to go home with $561,600, instead of the grand prix of $801,450. For Andress that amount would almost double his career winnings of $984,573.

What was that saying about a chip and a chair?

Near Zero to FT Hero

Andress eventually made it to the final table after Brandon Adams put Glantz out in 9th during the 25,000/50,000 blind level with 5,000 antes. 

The levels meant that even Andress, the big stack had just under 45 big blinds (2,245,000) to play with and no one that far behind with the tail end Charlie, Sam Panzica, sitting behind 910,000 in chips.

Those eight had outlived a field totalling 117 players, who’d contributed to a $2,925,000 prize pool, far exceeding the $2 million guarantee. Now they were all guaranteed at least $78,975 – the prize for 8th – which eventually went to Panzica whose Ks-8s couldn’t outdraw Tom Marchese’s As-2h. Kornuth was next out in 7th ($93,600), and so on...

Mike Leah was the big dog at this final table and as the other players fell he accumulated enough chips for a comfortable 3-1 lead going into head-up play with Andress.

Heads Up Marathon

Andress managed an early double up, evening the score, but it still took three hours of back-and-forth before the final hand came. For all the careful mind games, wide ranges and post-flop fencing, in the end the tournament was decided by a classic coin-flip.

Leah got it in pre with A-J against Andress’ 8-8. The board whiffed both of their hands leaving Andress with the advantage and Mike Leah with the cold comfort of a half-million dollars. “You just had it every time, huh?” quipped Mike Leah as he left the stage.

“Most of the time,” was Andress’ quiet response.

Final Table Results: