Chino Rheem Going for his Third WTP Title in SHRP Finale

David Chino Rheem all set to make a run for his third World Poker Tour title tomorrow (source: pokernews.com)
David Chino Rheem all set to make a run for his third World Poker Tour title tomorrow (source: pokernews.com)

The six-handed final table of the $10,000 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale in Hollywood, Florida. The man of the hour is undoubtedly David Chino Rheem who will be making an attempt at his 3rd World Poker Tour title. If successful, Chino would join an elite club of three-time winners, together with Gus Hansen, Anthony Zinno, and Carlson Mortensen.

Chino Rheem navigating the field of 342 players

The event, which started three days ago, gathered a total of 342 entries, creating the prize pool of more than $3.2 million. Rheem was able to hold his own throughout the tournament and he will return for the final day of play on Thursday, April 21, as second in chips (83 big blinds).

The man leading the pack is Richard Leger, with the stack of 4 million chips (around 100 big blind). A title of the official short stack for the SHRP final table belongs to Bryan Piccioli, who will have some catching up to do, starting the day with just 13 bigs.

Other players who will also come back on Thursday to battle it out for the $700,000 first place prize are Aditya Prasetyo, William Benson, and Adrian Mateos. Considering the fact that the first one out will take home only $128,000, there is little doubt that players will give their all to try and reach the heads up phase.

Other notables in the field

The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale Main Event attracted a number of big names. A few of them made it quite deep, but couldn’t go all the way this time around. Of these, Jared Jaffe presented the best effort, finishing in 8th place, good for almost $90,000.

Close, but no cigar for Anthony Zinno, who already has three WPT titles to his name (source: pokernews.com)
Close, but no cigar for Anthony Zinno, who already has three WPT titles to his name (source: pokernews.com)

Anthony Zinno, who already has three WPT titles, came dangerously close to staking a claim for the fourth one, but fell short as he busted in 11th, good for $58,000 and change. Jonathan Little and Adam Levy were sent home in 12th and 13th respectively. Little went home with $58k in his pocket, while Levy boosted his bankroll by almost $50,000.

Chino Rheem previous results

David Chino Rheem has had a lot of success on the live tournament circuit. According to Hendon Mob, he has in excess of $7.5 million in earnings (including this WPT finish). His biggest prize came from the 2007 WSOP Main Event, where he finished 7th, earning just shy of $1.8 million.

His two World Poker Tour titles came in 2008 and 2013. First, he was victorious in the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas, banking $1.5 million. Then, in 2013, he outlasted the field in the WPT World Championship, adding another $1,150,000 to his winnings.

Controversies surrounding Chino Rheem off the felt aside, no one can deny he is a great poker player (source: cardplayer.com)
Controversies surrounding Chino Rheem off the felt aside, no one can deny he is a great poker player (source: cardplayer.com)

Apart from these, another seven figure score came from the victory in the 2011 Epic League Main Event, good for an even $1,000,000.

Although Chino Rheem is clearly a great player, his stellar career has been marked by scandals away from the felt. Over the years, he’s been accused by a number of fellow players of not paying his debts and avoiding to own up to his mistakes.

These things aside, come tomorrow, Chino will be making a run for his third WPT title. If successful, this will tremendously boost his poker resume. What poker gods have in store for him remains to be seen.

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