Ryan Tepen, who is doing quite well here on Day 1a, began playing poker in college when his fraternity brother introduced him to the game in a free bar league.
"A year later, four members of The Crew came into our bar league doing a charity for breast cancer. I became friends with them, and started playing online after watching them play for hours," Tepen says. "After a trip to PCA my senior year in college, I decided to pursue it professionally after college. Bouncing in and out as a semi professional, I finally went full time into poker in 2012."
Tepen has amassed $572,411 in live earnings, with his biggest score coming in June 2013 when he finished runner-up to Ana Marquez in the Hollywood Poker Open $2,500 Main Event in Vegas for $197,806. He also won a 2012 LAPC $125 No-Limit Hold'em Rebuy tournament for $50,025, and finished ninth in the 2015 WSOP Circuit $1,675 Main Event at Choctaw Durant for $34,981.
"There have been many challenges and obstacles throughout the years, but with a great group of friends, I have been able to fight through adversity and continue to do what I love as my job" Tepen adds. "As far as poker goes, I've worked long and hard to be good at every form of poker, so I'm more of a mixed game player."
We're not sure how the chips got in, but we do know Mac McMillen, who has been both boisterous and entertaining here on Day 1a, got his last 40,000 all in preflop and was up against Kevin O'Donnell.
O'Donnell:
McMillen:
It was a flip, and while the flop didn't hit O'Donnell directly, it did give him a flush draw to go with his overs. The turn actually gave O'Donnell the lead with aces, and McMillen needed a deuce and a deuce only to stay alive. The dealer burned one last time and put out the . O'Donnell improved to trips and just like that the room got a little quieter as McMillen took his leave from the tournament.
The $3,500 buy-in, $5 million guaranteed World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Championship will take place starting Thursday, April 16, 2015.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., announced that the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, now in its fifth year, will return April 6-22, 2015. Held in the resort ballrooms, the 17-day series will feature the $3,500 buy-in, $5 million guaranteed WPT Seminole Hard Rock Championship with three starting flights beginning Thursday, April 16 at 12 p.m. local time.
Last year's Championship was the largest WPT playing field in history with 1,795 entries. Players may play any or all starting flights and choose their best stack. Reentry will be allowed for six levels, and the televised final table will be take place on Wednesday, April 22 in Hard Rock Live located in Seminole Paradise, with live coverage available on www.SHRPO.com.
The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown will open with a $250 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed no-limit hold'em tournament with six starting flights starting at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m. on April 6 and April 7. The poker action will continue with a $570 buy-in, $1 million guaranteed deep-stack no-limit hold'em event with six starting flights April 9-12.
The WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship final table will be aired on Fox Sports. Broadcast schedule will be released at a later date. On-site registration for all Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown events is available 24/7 at the poker room. To participate, players must obtain a free "Wild Card" at the player's club or in the resort’s poker room located in Seminole Paradise. Visit www.SHRPO.com.
Enter to win a seat in to the $5 million WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship by visiting www.SHRPO.com/winaseat. Satellite events for the Championship will be held at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood starting February 22, 2015. To review the entire series and satellite schedule, please visit www.SHRPO.com; follow the event on Twitter at @SHRPO, hashtag #SHRPO.
In a recent hand there was around 30,000 in the pot and a flop of when Thornton checked and Mac McMillen bet 16,000. The player in the hijack then jammed in for roughly 50,000, the cutoff folded, and Thornton announced a call. McMillen seemed torn as to what to do, but eventually he released his hand.
Thornton:
Hijack:
"Damnit," McMillen lamented, indicating he had folded a king. That king would have been good too as both Thornton and the hijack missed their draws after the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river. As it was, Thornton won the pot with a pair of threes and jumped up to 400,000!
A short-stacked player moved all in for 5,500 from early position and received a call from the player to his direct left. Joe Thornton then called from the cutoff before Rich Arndt three-bet all in for 24,500. That isolated and Arndt got the short stack all to himself.
Arndt:
Opponent:
The flop gave Arndt a set, while the turn gave his opponent a useless pair. The turn gave the shorty a brief moment of excitement, but he soon realized his trips were no good against the full boat of Arndt.
flop didn't hit O'Donnell directly, it did give him a flush draw to go with his overs. The 
turn actually gave O'Donnell the lead with aces, and McMillen needed a deuce and a deuce only to stay alive. The dealer burned one last time and put out the 
. O'Donnell improved to trips and just like that the room got a little quieter as McMillen took his leave from the tournament.
when Thornton checked and Mac McMillen bet 16,000. The player in the hijack then jammed in for roughly 50,000, the cutoff folded, and Thornton announced a call. McMillen seemed torn as to what to do, but eventually he released his hand.
blanked on the turn followed by the 
on the river. As it was, Thornton won the pot with a pair of threes and jumped up to 400,000!
