Elio Fox won the 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) $50,000 no-limit hold’em super high roller, defeating a field of 25 total entries to win $500,000. This was Fox’s fifth live tournament title of 2018, having also won the $10,000 turbo bounty event at the World Series of Poker this summer for his second career gold bracelet.
The $50,000 no-limit hold’em super high roller featured a $1,000,000 guarantee this year, which was surpassed by nearly a quarter of a million dollars when 25 entries were made. Day 2 started with only three players remaining including Christopher Hunichen (5th – $100,000) and Almedin Imsirovic (4th – $130,000) having been eliminated late on day 1.
High roller tournament regular Dan Shak held the chip lead, with Fox close behind and Giuseppe Iadisernia as the shortest stack. Iadisernia called a shove from Shak in the small blind, holding the KDiamond Suit10Spade Suit against Shak’s AHeart Suit7Spade Suit. Neither player improved their hand on a 6Heart Suit4Diamond Suit2Heart Suit3Spade Suit8Diamond Suit runout and Iadisernia was sent to the rail in third place ($190,000).
Shak took 1,350,0000 into heads-up play against Fox, who began with 1,150,000. Their final showdown didn’t last very long, with Fox able to overtake the lead before the final hand of the tournament came down. With a board of KClub SuitKDiamond SuitJSpade Suit10Heart Suit Shak checked to Fox, who bet 80,000. Shak check-raised all-in and Fox called holding the AHeart SuitQHeart Suit for the Broadway straight. Shak had JHeart Suit3Spade Suit, and could make a full house to win the hand. The 5Spade Suit on the river locked up the pot and the title for Fox. Shak was awarded $305,000 as the runner-up finisher.
Official Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Earnings (USD) | POY Points |
| 1 | Elio Fox | $500,000 | 306 |
| 2 | Dan Shak | $305,000 | 255 |
| 3 | Giuseppe Iadisernia | $190,000 | 204 |
| 4 | Almedin Imsirovic | $130,000 | 153 |
| 5 | Christopher Hunichen | $100,000 | 128 |
