2016 Rock n’ Roll Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Hollywood, FL
Event 10: $360 No Limit Hold’em 
Entries: 178
Prize Pool: $53,400
November 27, 2016

With his son Andrew on the rail, having already bagged chips for Day 3 of the Rock n’ Roll Poker Open Main Event, Alan Phillips continued his family’s poker success in South Florida by taking down the $360 no limit hold’em in the early hours of Monday morning.

Phillips topped a field of 178 entries to take home the trophy and $15,484 after a long ,16-hour day of poker. At several points throughout the final table, there were brief discussions of a chop. Alik Sitnyakovsky wanted more money than the ICM or chip chop numbers were giving him and a deal was never agreed upon.

The lack of a deal eventually led to a Phillips/Sitnyakovsky heads-up match. Phillips started the heads-up battle with a sizable chip lead and he won the heads-up battle without much stress to add another title to his poker resume.

“It feels good,” said Phillips after the win. “It’s been a while since I won one. I’ve had a lot of deep runs and a lot of final tables, but the win feels good.”

The New York native grew up playing poker and has been playing some version of the game his whole life. He owned several delis in New York and Connecticut before moving down to Florida in 2002. It was around the Moneymaker boom in 2003 that Phillips took up no limit hold’em.

His son, Andrew, took up the game and started playing no limit hold’em online. It was his son who introduced him to the game and taught him a lot of what he knows now.

“I’ve been playing poker my whole life and I always thought no limit [hold’em] was a redneck game,” said Phillips. “For a guy who ran businesses his whole life, I’ve done pretty well in poker.”

Poker talent runs in the Phillips bloodline. Andrew has two World Series of Poker Circuit rings to his name and is still vying for a Rock n’ Roll Poker Open Main Event title when play resumes on Monday afternoon.

Alan is retired from running his delis and bagel shops, which allows him to spend more of his time at the poker tables. He’s got multiple WPT prelim final tables and can probably best be described as a semi-professional player.

When it comes to his success both on and off the felt, Phillips puts it pretty succinctly.

“What can I say?” said Phillips. “I’m a pretty lucky guy I guess.”

Here are the final table results:

1st: Alan Phillips – $15,484
2nd: Alik Sitnyakovsky – $9,078
3rd: Cameron Collins – $5,340
4th: Ronald Higgins – $4,272
5th: Vicki Holmes – $3,204
6th: Wally Maddah – $2,670
7th: Eric Rivkin – $2,136
8th: David Ward – $1,602
9th: Augusto Cavazzini – $1,202

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 27: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 178

On a flop of , Alik Sitnyakovsky checked and Alan Phillips bet and Sitnyakovsky check-raised all in. Phillips called and the cards were tabled.

Phillips showed and had to dodge a fair amount of outs against Sitnyakovsky’s .

The turn was the and the river was the . Both players made a straight on the river, but Phillips’ straight was queen-high and he won the pot and the tournament.

Phillips earned $15,484 for the win and Sitnyakovsky was the runner-up. He took home $9,078 for his second place finish.

Alan Phillips – $360 No Limit Hold’em Champion 
Alik Sitnyakovsky – Eliminated

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 178

Cameron Collins moved all in on the button for about 120,000 and Alik Sitnyakovsky called out of the big blind.

Collins showed Ah8d and was in the lead against Sitnyakovsky’s 5c2c. The board ran out 7h5d2s7cQc and Collins was eliminated in third place.

Collins earned $5,340 and Sitnyakovsky began heads-up play at a big chip disadvantage against Alan Phillips.

Alik Sitnyakovsky – 720,000
Cameron Collins – Eliminated 

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 178

Alan Phillips raised to 90,000 on the button and Ronald Higgins called from the big blind. The flop was and Higgins moved all in for about 550,000.

Phillips snap-called and showed , good for trip kings. Higgins was drawing to runners with his , but the came on the turn and the came on the river to eliminate Higgins in fourth place.

Higgins took home $4,270 for his finish and Phillips opened up a big chip lead over Alik Sitnyakovsky and Cameron Collins as three-handed play begins.

Alan Phillips – 1,725,000
Ronald Higgins – Eliminated 

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 25: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 178

Alan Phillips raised to 55,000 from under the gun and Ronald Higgins three-bet to 100,000 out of the big blind. Phillips called and the flop was .

Higgins bet 125,000 and Phillips moved all in. Higgins asked the dealer for a count and to pull in the dead money. The dealer informed Higgins that it was another 308,000 to call.

Higgins called and the cards were tabled. Higgins showed and needed a queen against Phillips’ .

The turn was the and the river was the to send the pot to Phillips and take a big chunk out of Higgins’ stack.

Alan Phillips – 860,000
Ronald Higgins – 585,000

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 24: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 178

On a flop of , Vikci Holmes moved all in for about 195,000 from the cutoff and Cameron Collins called on the button.

Holmes showed , but needed to improve against Collins’ .

The turn was the , leaving Holmes drawing dead. The river was the and Holmes was eliminated. Collins took the pot and was the first player over the million chip mark. Holmes took home $3,204 for her finish.

Cameron Collins – 1,050,000
Vicki Holmes – Eliminated 

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 24: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 178

Alik Sitnyakovsky got his last 171,000 into the middle from the big blind and Alan Phillips called from the small blind.

Phillips tabled and needed to improve against Sityakovsky’s .

The board ran out and Sitnyakovsky doubled up.

Alik Sitnyakovsky – 357,000
Alan Phillips – 500,000

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 23: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 178

Wally Maddah got the last of his chips into the middle preflop with against Alan Phillips’ .

The board ran out clean for Phillips and he eliminated the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Ambassador. Maddah picked up his third cash of the series and earned $2,670 for his finish.

Alan Phillips – 505,000
Wally Maddah – Eliminated 

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 22: 6,000/12,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 178

Eric Rivkin moved all in on the button for about 130,000 and Ronald Higgins called out of the big blind.

Rivkin showed and needed to hit an ace against Higgins’ . The flop was and even though Rivkin hit an ace, Higgins flopped middle set and left Rivkin drawing to runners.

The turn was the and Rivkin was officially drawing dead to the river. Higgins dragged the pot and Rivkin was eliminated in seventh place. He took home $2,136 for his finish.

Ronald Higgins – 480,000
Eric Rivkin – Eliminated 

$360 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
Level 22: 6,000/12,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 178

David Ward raised to 25,000 from under the gun and Vicki Holmes three-bet to 100,000 on the button. The blinds folded and Ward moved all in for about 300,000. Holmes called and Ward was at risk.

It was a flip for over 600,000 in chips with Holmes’ up against Ward’s .

The board ran out and Holmes won the flip. Holmes took the chip lead and Ward hit the rail in eighth place. He earned $1,602 for his deep run.

Vicki Holmes – 660,000
David Ward – Eliminated