Sebastian Acevedo enjoyed a breakout week at the San Diego Poker Classic, capturing two trophies in just a few days. After winning the $300 Black Chip Bounty Trophy Event earlier in the series, the American player returned to take down the $600 Main Event for a career-best $33,216. The result came after a three-way ICM chop with James Kozono and David Fernandez Sanchez.
The two-day Main Event attracted 375 entries, generating a $195,000 prize pool. Only 43 players advanced to the final day at Jamul Resort Casino in Southern California. Acevedo ultimately secured the largest share of the money and his second wave trophy of the series—an impressive achievement for someone who only began playing tournaments a little over a year ago.
“Honestly, feel great. I came into the run itself, thinking I was gonna win a trophy, at least one. I felt pretty confident. Never would have expected to not only win one, win two, and especially the main event. Couldn’t be happier, honestly,” Acevedo said after his victory.
$600 Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Acevedo | United States | $33,216* |
| 2 | James Kozono | United States | $28,865* |
| 3 | David Fernandez Sanchez | United States | $26,431* |
| 4 | Patrick Wamsley | United States | $12,071 |
| 5 | Silas Tooley | United States | $9,302 |
| 6 | Tolga Gesli | United States | $7,703 |
| 7 | Romeo Ebidag | United States | $6,455 |
| 8 | Michael Kaplitz | United States | $5,285 |
| 9 | Bradley Miller | United States | $4,115 |
*Denotes three-way deal.
From Cash Games to Tournament Success
Acevedo reflected on his remarkable week in San Diego, which included more than just his two titles.
“So, the first opening weekend, I took down the Black Chip Bounty. I got first in that, and the next day I got second in the tag team event as well. And now first in the main event, so it’s been a surreal run and honestly, I don’t know if I can ever replicate it.”
He explained that his background was primarily in cash games before recently switching to tournaments.
“Yeah, so I started tournaments about a year ago. Before that, I had played about a year and a half of live cash games relatively consistently. For a tournament, this is my biggest score. It’s my first five-figure score, and this is probably my tenth tournament ever.”
Faith at the Forefront
In his winner’s photos, Acevedo was seen holding rosary beads, which he explained held profound significance.
“Yeah, the utmost meaning. I put this before poker, work, and everything. I’m Catholic and I was born and raised Catholic, and that’s been the most important thing in my life. God has always led me the right way and if I try to lead my life with God first, I know that only good things happen.”
He went on to emphasize the importance of his faith and cultural roots.
“Religion in my eyes should be a priority for everybody in one aspect or the other – having some kind of respect for where you come from is number one. And so the rosary in particular is important because I’m a big fan of the Virgin Mary – Catholics are in general. And I’m originally from Mexico, so huge Catholic based faith over there. I try to keep it close and that’s my number one thing in life – I lead my life with God.”
Looking Ahead
When asked about his future plans, Acevedo said he intends to manage his winnings responsibly.
“I mean, plans for the money, nothing crazy, obviously just keep it, invest it, you know, savvy financial advice. And then I got a couple of free buy-ins.
There’s an MSPT coming up in Sycuan, and I plan on playing that. I don’t plan on firing a ton of bullets, but here and there, and that’s about it.”
With two titles, a runner-up finish in the Tag Team event, and his first five-figure score, Sebastian Acevedo has quickly established himself as a rising player to watch.
