SHR Bowl Round Table: Kevin Hart, Former Champs & Ambassadors

The summer is quickly approaching and over the next week Poker Central’s finest minds are putting their heads together to predict and preview the poker world’s busiest stretch of action. Talking everything Super High Roller Bowl are editorial members Remko Rinkema, Paul Oresteen, Will O’Connor, along with contributions from Sam Simmons, Brent Hanks and Carly O’Loughlin.

The first part of the Super High Roller Bowl Round Table discussion was published Wednesday where we discussed a lot about German players. 

How far can Kevin Hart go?

Will: In the tournament? I’m not sure but in terms of reach, Kevin Hart goes far and wide. He has 30 million Twitter followers and 50 million more on Instagram. Hart is going to move the needle like no one in poker has ever moved the needle before and thanks to his friendship with Daniel Negreanu, he should be able to navigate his way into Day 2. If that does happen, watch out.

Paul: Kevin Hart has enough game and table talk to keep the sharks at bay for a while. I could see him making the final two table on a short stack before running out of steam.

If you could back any player in the field?

Remko: As he alluded to on Heads Up with Remko, Fedor Holz feels that his game is as sharp as it’s ever been, and with a lot more rest he’ll be one of the top contenders. Give me some of that sweet Fedor Holz action.

Brent: Normally I’d pick the German Wunderkind, but I’m anti-Germania. I’ll roll with Jason Mercier. He backed me for years, it’s about time I return the favor.

Is the all-time money leader in poker the best investment? (Photo: PokerPhotoArchive.com)
Paul: Daniel Negreanu – no doubt in my mind. He’s the greatest player of his generation, can read players better than anyone and has the best mix of talents to play against all the different types of players in the field.

Carly: Erik Seidel, he has a history of running good in this and he’s been running pretty hot so far in 2017.

Will: You back players to win, right? Right, so only players that have won massive high rollers need apply. Daniel Colman certainly applies and if I had all the money in the world, I’d probably just give it to him and say, “Play anything and everything under the sun.”

Last champion left standing?

Remko: As Rainer Kempe was my unfortunate pick for the first player to get knocked out, I’m going with Brian Rast as my last champ standing. Rast has shown time and time again that he can’t be messed with, and I’m expecting yet another deep run by the current number 10 on poker’s all-time money list.

Will: Brian Rast has won two $50,000 Poker Players Championships and after winning the first Super High Roller Bowl in 2015, no one would be surprised to see Rast add a second SHR Bowl title to his resume before it is all said and done. That won’t happen this year but he will outlast 2016 victor Rainer Kempe, with both making it to the final two tables.

Paul: Rainer Kempe – he’s been playing any and everything under the sun since she he shipped the 2016 SHR Bowl.

Brent: Considering all the Germans will be removed for excessive tanking, clearly Brian Rast will be the last champion standing.

Sam: Rainer Kempe.

Carly: Brian Rast will be the last previous champion standing, because I think Kempe is going to trip up on something or get a really difficult table draw.

If you could add one player?

Will: The Super High Roller Bowl lost a legend of the game when Mr. Bobby Baldwin had to drop out of the year’s biggest event, so my pick has to replace one legend with another. Next man up, Doyle Brunson.

Paul: I’d love to see Tom Dwan play against the SHR Bowl field. He was on top of the No Limit game before he began spending nearly all his time in Macau and disappeared from Western poker.. I’d like to see how his game has compared to the players in SHR Bowl that were his peers.

Last Poker Central Ambassador left standing?

Remko: Daniel Negreanu, he’s going take it down and with that, demoralize Erik Seidel on his quest for the number one spot on the all-time money list.

Sam: Tom Marchese.

Tom “Big Cheese” Marchese has the support of the Las Vegas office. (Photo: Poker Central)
Brent: Considering he’s my pick to win the whole thing – BIG CHEESE!

Carly: My last ambassador left standing would be Brian Rast as he’s been crushing the ARIA high rollers so far this year. Also, I think his experience winning the first year will help him once it gets down to a final table.

Paul: Though I would back Negreanu, I have got to go with Brian Rast among the pool of player being that the ARIA is his second home lately.

Will: Last year, Antonio Esfandiari was the first player eliminated and while he’ll do much better this year, he won’t be able to beat Tom Marchese in the Poker Central Ambassador Last Longer. Marchese was my pick to win Super High Roller Bowl all the way back at the start of the year and while I’ve shifted slightly since, to Dan Smith, Marchese will make the final table.