2019 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 23
$25,500 RRPO High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 45
Prize Pool: $1,111,500
December 2-3, 2019

For the first time in our history, there was a High Roller during the Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N Roll Poker Open” and it did not disappoint. The $25,500 buy-in tournament drew 45 talented players and it was High Roller specialist Bryn Kenney walking away with the title along with $354,565 in a heads-up deal with Brock Wilson.

“A $25K tournament could run every time you guys have a festival,” Kenney said of the first RRPO High Roller. “There are enough people in Florida who will play and enough pros who come.”

Those 45 put $1,115,500 into the prize pool to best the $1,000,000 guarantee. A few of the top players in the game included Jason Mercier, Erik Seidel, Anthony Zinno, Andjelko Andrejevic, Rainer Kempe, Anton Wigg, Darren Elias, and James Romero among the tough group.

The tournament paid out the last seven spots so they still had some work to do when they hit the final table late on Day 1. SHR Poker Showdown Champ Scott Margereson, Anton Wigg, Robert Heirdon all fell short of the money with Lazaro Hernandez going out in seventh place before Day 1 came to an end.

Brock Wilson was the chip leader at the six-handed final table to start Day 2 but Bryn Kenney quickly began building his stack. Mercier, looking for his four SHRP High Roller title and fifth overall, had the lead for a short while before Kenney stormed back to send him out in fourth place.

Kenney made quick work of third-place finisher Jerry Robinson after Mercier was knocked out and Kenney went into heads-up play with a huge lead. Wilson doubled back early in the match and the two decided to split the remaining prize pool.

As the chip leader, Kenney earned the High Roller title along with $354,565 while Wilson took home $301,215 for his runner-up finish.

“It was a fun time,” Kenney said of his tournament. “I was in New York for Thanksgiving and flew in the morning of [the][High][Roller] and played.”

“Two days, 45 players, in a nice city. Great weather and I’m going to the beach now. It’s perfect.”

High Roller results:

1st: Bryn Kenney – $354,565 + RRPO Trophy *
2nd: Brock Wilson – $301,215 *
3rd: Jerry Robinson – $161,170
4th: Jason Mercier – $111,150
5th: Anthony Zinno – $77,805
6th: Andjelko Andrejevic – $61,135
7th: Lazaro Hernandez – $44,460
* – denotes results of heads-up deal