2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 15
$300 HORSE 
Entries: 53
Prize Pool: $13,515
November 28, 2017

If there is a mixed games event at the Hard Rock, Phil Hui is usually in the field and favorite to take the whole thing down. In one of the last events of the 2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open, he did just that.

Hui defeated a 53-entry field to win the $300 HORSE event. In a four-way deal, Hui got nearly original first place money. What was scheduled to be a $5,000 first place payout was still $4,782 in the deal.

“I just ran pure when the levels were high,” said Hui. “Just stayed patient and not waste any bets and try to get it in good. And I ran good.”

Hui made his mark on the poker world when he broke through for a bracelet at the 2014 World Series of Poker in the $3,000 Omaha Hi-Lo event. Since then, he’s been regarded as one of the better mixed game players around.

Living in Florida, it can be tough to find a mixed game. Most of the games in the state are big bet games, but he still finds a way to stay sharp.

“If I want to play [mix], I’ll fly up to Philly and play cash at Parx,” said Hui. “Other than that, I just play these small tournaments during the series.”

Before becoming a full-time poker pro, Hui made his living as a professional golfer. Golfers tend to gamble quite a bit and it was on the tour where he got hooked on poker.

Unlike most pros his age, he didn’t get his start playing no limit hold’em.

“That’s how I learned how to play poker,” said Hui. “PLO8 was the first game I learned. And badugi before no limit hold’em.”

After getting a grasp of the game with his fellow golfers, he decided to leave the tour and play poker full time. He met a few other poker players who gave him some more in-depth strategy advice on no limit hold’em.

“In 2010, I met Rob Salaburu and some internet guys that taught me how to raise and three-bet,” joked Hui.

While he’s been a highly successful poker pro, the urge to get back out on the golf course and play on the PGA tour is in the back of his mind. A transition back to golf, would mean no time on the felt for Hui.

“It’s still up in the air,” said Hui. “I really do want to go back and give it one more shot. It would be 100% commitment to golf and no poker.”

While he never reached the PGA tour, he was quite successful on the tours just below it. If there wasn’t a change in the procedure, we might have seen Hui on television battling it out with the game’s best golfers instead of battling poker’s best players on the felt.

“I was pretty good,” said Hui about his time on the ‘mini tours.’  “I was top five on our money list. I almost got my card, but they changed the structure as to how you get your card, so it was a two-year process instead of one. So, I just decided to turn to poker.”

Results:

1st: Phil Hui – $4,782*
2nd: Carey Pickus – $2,300*
3rd: Georges Boyadjian – $2,000*
4th: Wally Maddah – $2,000*
5th: Harold Klein – $1,014
6th: Dennis O’Connor – $811
7th: Ricardo Quintero – $608

*Indicates adjusted payouts per the four-way deal

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 19: 10,000/20,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 4 of 53

After Klein’s fifth place elimination, the final four players agreed to a chop. With Phil Hui having such a massive chip lead, he takes credit for the win.

Carey Pickus, Wally Maddah, and Georges Boyadjian were also involved in the chop. Here are the details:

1st: Phil Hui – $4,782
2nd: Carey Pickus – $2,300
3rd: Georges Boyadjian – $2,000
4th: Wally Maddah – $2,000

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 8,000/16,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 4 of 53

Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 

Hal Klein: [x][x] /
Phil Hui: [x][x] /

Hal Klein got all in on fifth street against Phil Hui with the boards looking like they are above. Klein showed in the hole and Hui showed .

Klein had a 7-6 low on fifth and Hui had a pair of fours and a better low draw.

Hui picked up the on sixth and Klein hit the . Hui bricked his river, showing the and Klein tabled the .

Hui made a better low and Klein never made a pair. Hui scooped the whole pot and Klein was eliminated in fifth place for $1,014.

Phil Hui – 350,000
Hal Klein – Eliminated

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 8,000/16,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 5 of 53

Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 

With Phil Hui’s board reading , there were multipe streets of betting and raising against Hal Klein.

Klein calls a river bet and Hui announces an eight low and a flush. He shows in the hole and Klein mucked his hand.

Hui won the pot and took a massive chip lead over the rest of the field.

Phil Hui – 295,000
Hal Klein – 40,000

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 8,000/16,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 5 of 53

Seven Card Stud 

Wally Maddah completes, Phil Hui makes it two bets, Maddah three-bets and Hui puts him all in. Maddah calls and is all in for his last 18,000.

Their boards run out like this:

Maddah: / /
Hui: / /

The Semionole Hard Rock Tampa Ambassador doubled up with a pair of jacks against Hui’s pair of tens.

Wally Maddah – 46,00
Phil Hui – 225,000

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 8,000/16,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 5 of 53

Seven Card Stud 

Dennis O’Connor got all in on third street against Carey Pickus for his last 9,000.

Their boards ran out like this:

Pickus: / /
O’Connor: / /

Pickus started and finished with a pair of queens. They were the best hand and she won the pot against O’Connor’s pair of tens.

O’Connor was eliminated in sixth place and took home $811. PIckus now moves into the chip lead.

Carey Pickus – 185,000
Dennis O’Connor – Eliminated 

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 17: 6,000/12,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 6 of 53

Omaha Hi-Lo 

Ricardo Quintero called bets from Phil Hui all the way down as the board ran out .

Quintero got all in by the river and showed aces and jacks, but was eliminated by Hui’s . Hui won the pot with a better two pair Quintero was eliminated in seventh place for $608.

Phil Hui – 185,000
Ricardo Quintero – Eliminated 

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 17: 6,000/12,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 7 of 53

Limit Hold’em 

Ricardo Quintero raised from the hijack and Georges Boyadjian three-bet on the button. Quintero called and the flop was .

Quintero checked and Boyadjian bet. Quintero called. The turn was the and Quintero put his last 4,000 in the pot. Boyadjian called.

Quintero was in great shape with his up against Boyadjian’s .

The river was the and Quintero doubled up.

Ricardo Quintero – 64,000
Georges Boyadjian – 37,000

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 16: 5,000/10,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 7 of 53

Razz

Phil Hui: [x][x] /
Dennis O’Connor: [x][x] /

Picking up the action on fourth street, Dennis O’Connor bet and Phil Hui called.

“I called light,” said O’Connor. “The ace helped me.”

On fifth, O’Connor kept the lead and bet again. Hui called. On sixth, Hui took the lead with a jack against a king and checked. O’Connor bet and Hui called.

On seventh, both players checked. Hui showed and won the pot with a nine low. Over the course of the last couple of rounds, Hui took the chip lead over the rest of the table.

Phil Hui – 230,000
Dennis O’Connor – 85,000

$300 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 4,000/8,000 Limits | Structure
Players Remaining: 7 of 53

Omaha Hi-Lo 

Dennis O’Connor raised from the cutoff and Carey Pickus called out of the big blind.

Pickus led out on a flop of and O’Connor raised. Pickus called and the turn was the . Pickus checked, O’Connor bet and Pickus called.

The river was the and Pickus checked. O’Connor bet and Pickus folded.

Dennis O’Connor – 110,000
Carey Pickus – 81,000