NFL legend Richard Seymour denied WPT title in heads-up play

Despite coming into the final day of the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship as the short stack, NFL legend Richard Seymour put on a show for the ages. Unfortunately, he’d be stopped at the one-yard line as Ian Cohen delivered a heads-up bad beat to top Seymour for the title, the trophy, and the $645,800 top prize.

For Seymour, it was validation of all the hard work he’s put in as a poker player, as he took home a career-high $430,000 for his second-place finish, firmly crossing the $1 million milestone in career live tournament earnings. Of course, his poker earnings pale in comparison to the nearly $90 million he earned as a star defensive end for the New England Patriots and the then-Oakland Raiders. Seymour was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

For Seymour, it’s back-to-back six-figure scores, having won the $2,200 High Roller at WSOPC Cherokee back in February for his first WSOP Circuit ring and $106,577.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship final day

Seymour came into the final day of the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown with 28 big blinds. With plenty of ammunition, he still had to fight through a battlefield that included the likes of WSOP bracelet winners Frank Funaro and Raj Vohra, serial deep runner Michael Amato, as well as South Florida grinders Ian Cohen and Johnny Bromberg. Bromberg was already having a monster week, having won the 2,937-entry $800 buy-in Mid-Series Showdown Platinum Stack for a career-high $258,125.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown final table chip counts

Unfortunately for Vohra, after starting off fourth in chips, he’d be the first player to go. Vohra got it in fantastically against Seymour, with a similar stack, holding against Seymour’s . However, an ace on the flop doubled Seymour up to 39 big blinds, leaving Vohra with just two. Seymour finished Vohra off the very next hand, and Vohra had to settle for a $138,000 payday.

Ten hands later, next out was Johnny Bromberg, finishing in fifth after starting the day in fifth. With the blinds at 200,000/400,000, Funaro opened to 800,000 from the cutoff with . Bromberg jammed from the button for 5,600,000 (14 big blinds), and Funaro called. Funaro flopped a jack, and Bromberg went home with $181,000 and the third-largest cash of his career and roughly $450,000 for the series.

Despite Funaro moving to 64 big blinds, he’d be the next to go, earning $240,000 for his fourth-place finish. First, Funaro jammed just over 20 big blinds from the small blind with , and Seymour called off with a dominant . Both players would flop a pair, and Seymour received a crucial double-up.

Funaro then doubled up Cohen, incorrectly hero-calling with second pair against Cohen’s made full house, leaving “Franky Funk” with under 20 bigs. Seymour then delivered the death blow, snapping with after Funaro jammed 18 big blinds from the big blind with . The flop was queen-high, and they were down to just three.

Just two hands later, it was heads-up after Amato and Cohen were involved in an insane cooler, with Cohen making a Broadway straight against Cohen’s two pair, aces and nines on . Cohen would go into heads-up play with an 87-53 big blind advantage.

Cohen would blast way ahead, taking a 104-16 big blind lead after the blinds went up. However, Seymour would double with against Cohen’s to get back in the game.

Seymour then got back to even after an insane bluff catch with on , with Cohen bet-check-overbetting with .

The two would fight in an hours-long battle that went nearly 100 hands. In the end, both players had nearly the same stack when Seymour got it in great with against Cohen’s . However, the board ran out to give Cohen an unlikely set and the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown victory.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown final table results