2018 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
$1,100 WPTDeepStacks No Limit Hold’em
$1,000,000 Guarantee
Entries: 1,366
Prize Pool: $1,325,020
January 11-16, 2018

The WPTDeepStacks tour has become a staple during the Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open series and this year it moved to the front of the schedule. After three starting days, two play down days, and a marathon final table, Scott Baumstein walked away with the WPTDeepStacks title for more than $220,000.

The $1,100 buy-in tournament featured a $1,000,000 Guarantee that was easily surpassed. It drew a huge crowd of 1,366 over three flights to push the prize pool up to $1,325,020. The field contained WSOP bracelet winners, WPT Champions Club Members, and local Seminole Hard Rock Poker regulars.

A total of 261 players survived to move on to Day 2 and some big names were still around including Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Kathy Liebert, Jessica Dawley, Loni Harwood, and Wally Maddah. Tim Reilly was also in the mix but he would not earn the best result in his family.

His wife Ness Reilly was among the leaders for the latter parts of the tournament and she advanced to the final table on Day 3. She made it through after Mukul Pahuja and 2015 WSOP Main Event champ Joe McKeehen were knocked out in 11th and 10th setting up a tough final table for the WPTDeepStacks live-stream cameras.

The final table featured nine players with more than $4.7 million and tournament titles from around the world. Circuit regular Justin Harvell came into the last day with the chip lead but was unable to finish better than sixth place.

He was preceded by Michael Aron, Ness Rielly, and Ramon Harvell. 2017 SHRPO H.O.R.S.E. champion A.J. Kelsall put up a good fight but exited the final table in fifth place. Stephen Smith had one of the biggest rails at the final table but he could not win a race as Baumstein moved into the lead.

If Stephen Smith had the biggest group of supporters, Matthew Zarcadoolas had the loudest. The Hollywood, FL player came from behind several times to double up into contention. He put his chips in good once again but got unlucky against Baumstein to exit in third place.

The heads up match began with Baumstein holding a better than 2-to-1 chip advantage which he extended several times. Lumni Zhuta dropped down to 5 million (with 34 million in play) twice but was able to double back up before his third double put him into the lead.

The marathon heads up match finally came to an end after Baumstein rivered a straight to take most of the chips and it was over one hand later. He celebrated with his rail and enjoyed the moment of his win.

“Yeah, I was just trying to do my best to play small pots,” Baumstein said when asked about the long heads up match. “He seemed to want to gamble a little bit more, so I made sure to to adjust my strategy accordingly.”

“It’s fantistic,” Baumstein commented about playing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. “I actually just moved down here to Miami so this is sort of my home room now.”

“It feels great to come out and win a tournament here.”

Baumstein takes home $220,238 for the title along with a $3,000 WPTDeepStack Championship package, and the LHPO trophy.

Congratulations to Scott and everyone who scored big!

Final table results:

1st: Scott Baumstein – $220,238 + $3,000 WPTDeepStacks Championship Package
2nd: Lumni Zhuta – $155,126
3rd: Matthew Zarcadoolas – $100,579
4th: Stephen Smith – $74,579
5th: A.J. Kelsall – $56,239
6th: Justin Harvell – $45,398
7th: Ramon Miquel – $37,440
8th: Ness Rielly – $29,587
9th: Michael Aron – $22,025

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 41: 500,000/1,000,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Lumni Zhuta moved all in for his last 1,900,000 on the button, and Scott Baumstein called to put him at risk.

Zhuta:
Baumstein:

The board ran out , and the see-saw battle was finally ended. Baumstein’s ace kicker earned him the last pot of the tournament, the top prize of more than $220k, a $3K WPTDeepStacks Championship package, and the title of WPTDeepStacks Champion.

Zhuta finished as the runner-up, collecting $155,126 for his efforts.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 41: 500,000/1,000,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Scott Baumstein moved all in for 16,000,000 on the button, and Lumni Zhuta had a decision in the big blind. “Wow!” he said, turning face-up in front of him. “It was mean to be,” he added. A minute or so later, he called to put Baumstein at risk.

Baumstein:
Zhuta:

The flop was , and Baumstein could only shake his head. Zhuta took the lead with a pair of sevens, two cards from the title.

The turn was the , though, providing a suitable sweat for the big moment.

“I have too many outs now,” Baumstein lamented. He needed a nine, jack, king, or ace to extend the match, and he got it.

The river was the , giving Baumstein a king-high straight and an enormous double-up. That put him within reach of the title once again, though that clinching pot had so far eluded him.

Scott Baumstein – 32,200,000 (32 bb)
Lumni Zhuta – 2,000,000 (2 bb)

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 40: 400,000/800,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Several of the pots have gone limp-shove in this heads-up match, and it happened again in the last hand.

Baumstein limped the button, and Lumni Zhuta moved all in for 9,500,000. Baumstein had laid the trip, and he instantly called to put Zhuta at risk.

Baumstein:
Zhuta:

Baumstein nervously paced around the table as the flop safely came .

Under his breath, Zhuta was pleading, “Ace… ace…,” and he got his wish. The turn was the , giving him a big lead with one card to come.

“I just can’t avoid that ace to save my life,” Baumstein told his friends on the rail.

The river was the blank , and Zhuta doubled up. “They call that Albanian Power!” he said.

Lumni Zhuta – 19,200,000 (24 bb)
Scott Baumstein – 15,000,000 (19 bb)

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 40: 400,000/800,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Lumni Zhuta limped the button, and Scott Baumstein checked his option in the big blind.

The flop was . Baumstein checked, and Zhuta moved all in for 9,200,000.

Baumstein gave it a long look, asking for the count and wriggling in his chair for a minute or so. “I think you have eight-nine,” he appeared to say.

“I might” Zhuta answered.

Baumstein eventually folded, though, and Zhuta won the pot.

Lumni Zhuta – 11,000,000 (14 bb)
Scott Baumstein – 23,200,000 (29 bb)

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 40: 400,000/800,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Scott Baumstein limped the button, and Lumni Zhuta checked his option in the big blind.

Both players checked through the flop. The turn was the . Zhuta bet 1,000,000, and Baumstein called. The river was the . Zhuta checked, Baumstein bet 2,600,000, and Zhuta called.

Baumstein showed , winning the pot with trip sixes.

Scott Baumstein – 23,700,000 (30 bb)
Lumni Zhuta – 10,500,000 (13 bb)

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 40: 400,000/800,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Scott Baumstein open/shoved his button and Lumni Zhuta asked for a count. The dealer broke it down to 8,900,000 and Zhuta sat back to think it through.

“You want to gamble?” Zhuta asked Baumstein. “This is my favorite hand.”

Zhuta went back and forth and eventually called with a chance to win the title.

Zhuta:
Baumstein:

“He’s going to beat me,” Baumstein told his rail.

But that prediction did come true as he hit the flop and Zhuta was drawing dead after the turn to swap the lead.

Seat 1: Lumni Zhuta – 15,400,000 (19 bb)
Seat 4: Scott Baumstein – 18,800,000 (24 bb)

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 39: 300,000/600,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Lumni Zhuta limped his button again and Scott Baumstein checked his option to the flop. Baumstein bet 900,000 and Zhuta called for the turn.

Baumstein put out another 1,600,000 and Zhuta moved all in for 9,200,000. Baumstein thought for a moment and tossed in a handful of 500K plaques.

Zhuta:
Baumstein:

Zhuta flopped bottom two pair against Baumstein’s top pair and the river sent Zhuta the double for the lead.

Seat 1: Lumni Zhuta – 21,300,000 (43 bb)
Seat 4: Scott Baumstein – 12,900,000 (26 bb)

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 39: 300,000/600,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Scott Baumstein and Lumni Zhuta are taking a short break as tournament staff color off the 25K chips. The ante is now a single 100K chip with the plaques grabbing attention.

Seat 1: Lumni Zhuta – 12,700,000 (25 bb)
Seat 4: Scott Baumstein – 21,500,000 (43 bb)

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks NLH (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts | Live Stream
Level 38: 250,000/500,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,366

Scott Baumstein began heads up play with a big lead and he extended it to leave Lumni Zhuta well under 10 million. But Zhuta didn’t quit.

On his first double he limped his button, Baumstein checked his option, and both checked the flop. Baumstein bet 400,000 after the turn and Zhuta raised it up to 1,800,000. Baumstein moved all in and Zhuta called for his last 5,050,000.

Zhuta:
Baumstein:

Zhuta was ahead with flopped top/bottom two pair and he dodged a ten on the river to double.

Baumstein ground Zhuta’s stack back down shorter against when Zhuta limped another button. This time Baumstein moved all in and Zhuta called for his 5,000,000 stack.

Zhuta:
Baumstein:

Zhuta had Baumstein outkicked and he held for another double as the board ran .

Seat 1: Lumni Zhuta – 11,700,000 (23 bb)
Seat 4: Scott Baumstein – 22,450,000 (45 bb)