Scott Seiver Makes $50K for SHRPO Third, Despite Debate

Scott Seiver took third and $50,000 in the controversial SHRPO Super High Roller event. (Image: WPT)

Scott Seiver and the Seminole Hard Rock Casino enjoyed a dose of irony earlier this week after Seiver finished third in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) $100,000 Super High Roller event. In order to unravel the coil of irony spun by Seiver’s win, let’s briefly recap the complaint that kicked things off.

Payout Confusion

Seiver initially caused a stir when he persuaded the organizers of the SHRPO Super High Roller to pay two people instead of the three that were listed on the structure sheet.His main argument at the end of Day 1 was that the players had been told that two places would be paid. Because of this, players such as Seiver made their strategy and ICM decisions on this basis.

However, after Seiver learned that three players were going to be paid, he decided to make a complaint. Eventually his protest was accepted and the decision overturned; something which meant that the two-place pay out structure was reinstated. Unfortunately, this decision led to a string of complaints, so, as a gesture of goodwill, the casino added an extra $50,000 to the prize pool.

Fortunate Break for Seiver

Reserved as a token gesture for the player finishing third, the tournament then took an ironic twist as the former chip leader, Seiver, proceeded to hit the rail in third. Had it not been for the casino’s generosity, Seiver would have talked himself out of a payout and, no doubt, gone home with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Ultimately, Jake Schindler went on to win the event for $570,000 after beating Ryan Fee ($307,125) heads-up. However, beyond Seiver’s lucky escape, it was the casino’s decision to add some value to the event that impressed players the most. Despite incurring a $2.5 million loss after the SHRPO Main Event failed to meet its $10 million guarantee, the casino decided to payout a further $50,000.

That decision proved to be a wise one, as a number of pros sent out tweets in support of the venue soon after hearing about the decision: “Wow! @shrpo @SHRHollywood just did an amazing gesture! They added $50k to third place! It’s a step in the right direction,” Josh Arieh wrote.

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