Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Event 4: $350 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
January 24, 2014
Entries: 38
Total Prize Pool: $11,400
> Download complete list of event results.
RECAP:
Event 4 at the Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open finished in a single day of play and Benjamin Matthews topped the field of 38 players. He took home the top prize of $4,104 and the Seminole Hard Rock guitar pick trophy. Matthews was crowned the winner of the event by a four-way chop that took place around 3 a.m. Sunday morning.
The chop crowned Martin Rascitkovan as the runner-up, made Michael Clemente the third-place finisher, and gave Elon Diamond fourth place. Ronald Bigelow was the other player to cash in the tournament in fifth place. Bigelow’s tournament run came to an end during a hand of Razz that saw his jack-low easily beaten by the 7-6 low of Martin.
The champion Matthews is from Portland, Maine, and he was drawn to the H.O.R.S.E. tournament at the Seminole Hard Rock because he can rarely find this type of tournament anywhere near his home. “I love mixed games, and it’s usually really hard to find games,” said Matthews about his affinity for H.O.R.S.E.
His prowess in the game was on display at the final table despite some stiff competition. “There was a lot of good players. Everyone at the final table really knew what was going on. It wasn’t easy, definitely nail-biting until the end,” said Matthews after the win. Although there were stretches where he lost the chip lead, he was usually near the top of the chip counts, especially when it mattered most.
RESULTS:
1st: Benjamin Matthews (Portland, ME) – $4,104
2nd: Martin Rascitkovan (Tamarac, FL) – $2,850
3rd: Michael Clemente (Coconut Creek, FL) – $1,824
4th: Elon Diamond (El Portal, FL) – $1,482
5th: Ronald Bigelow (West Palm Beach, FL) – $1,140