2018 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 15
$150 No-Limit Hold’em      
Entries: 1,297
Prize Pool: $155,640 
November 28, 2018

Richard Whitebrook put the finishing touches on the 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Rock N’ Roll Poker Open with a victory in the $150 no-limit hold’em.

The attorney born and raised in Miami Beach took credit for the victory after the final eight players agreed to a deal based around ICM numbers.

The victory puts a wrap on the series and turns around Whitebrook’s latest downswing.

“It feels great. I’ve had a terrible year,” said Whitebrook. “I haven’t had a good cash since February. I’ve had a terrible series and this was my last shot at some redemption, so this is nice.”

With a couple tables remaining, Whitebrook was one of the shorter stacks. A serious rush of cards came his way and in the blink of an eye, he was leading the pack.

The big blow that put him in the lead for good came when Cory Blum was eliminated in 12th place. There was a three-way all in between Blum, David Poces and Whitebrook.

Poces showed pocket jacks, Blum tabled pocket queens and Whitebrook had ace-king. An ace came on the flop and a king on the river to give Whitebrook the lead for good. He also eliminated Ory Hen at the final table to put even more distance between himself and the rest of the field.

“That was a really big hand,” said Whitebrook about the three-way flip. “I had a hand right before that when I was short and I didn’t call a sship with four,s, where I really almost should’ve and I would’ve had quads. The next hand I had kings, doubled, and then took off after that. I got a chance at redemption.”

As a lawyer, his day job already gave Whitebrook plenty of experience in negotiations. But when it came down to the chop, there wasn’t to negotiate. Whitebrook wasn’t going to budge much from his ICM number.

With second place money locked up, Whitebrook decided to take the money and head home early.

“I mean, the truth is that I would’ve been happy to play it out,” said Whitebrook. “I’ve won tournaments before and if I’m getting second-place money eight-handed, it’s worth it for me. Plus, I like getting the trophy as well.”

The 1,297-entry field paid out the top 81 spots. Here are the final table results:

1st: Richard Whitebrook – $22,000*
2nd: Michael Pawelek – $17,572*
3rd: Zachary Mullennix – $13,958*
4th: David Poces – $13,875*
5th: Irwin Block – $11,003*
6th: Ephraim Uzan – $9,626*
7th: James Hamburger – $9,022*
8th: Roy Paulena – $8,323*
9th: Ory Hen – $2,117

*Indicates adjusted payouts to reflect a chop

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 28: 40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 1,297

The final eight players took a 10-minute break at the end of level 27 and returned to talks of an ICM chop.

Eventually, they agreed on a deal that was based around the ICM numbers and Richard Whitebrook gets credit for the victory since he held the chip lead at the time the deal was struck. A complete recap with details of the chop will be posted tonight.

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 27: 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 1,297

Alden Belkin was eliminated on the first hand of the final table, which left the final nine players at the final table.

Just a couple hands later, Ory Hen found himself all in for about 900,000 from the hijack against Richard Whitebrook in early position.

Hen showed and was in trouble against Whitebrook’s .

The board ran out and Whitebrook won the pot with a king-high straight, eliminating Hen in ninth place for $2,117.

Richard Whitebrook – 5,500,000
Ory Hen – Eliminated 

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 27: 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 1,297

Patrick Quinn was eliminated in 11th place and the final 10 players redrew for seats at the unofficial final table. With one more elimination, the final nine players will be at the final table.

Everybody is guaranteed at least $1,525 and the winner will walk away with $2,117. Here is a look at the seating arrangement and chip counts of the final 10 players:

Seat 1: Zachary Mullennix – 1,820,000
Seat 2: James Hamburger – 1,150,000
Seat 3: Michael Pawelek – 3,745,000
Seat 4: Irwin Block – 1,675,000
Seat 5: Richard Whitebrook – 4,600,000
Seat 6: Alden Belkin – 150,000
Seat 7: Ephram Uzan – 1,420,000
Seat 8: Roy Paulena – 1,140,000
Seat 9: Ory Hen – 980,000
Seat 10: David Poces – 2,640,000

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 27: 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 11 of 1,297

There was a three-way all in between David Poces in the hijack, Cory Blum in the cutoff and Richard Whitebrook in the big blind.

Whitebrook was all in for about 1,600,000, which just covered Blum and Poces had all three stacks covered.

Whitebrook held , Blum showed and Poces tabled .

The board ran out and Whitebrook won the pot to just about triple up. Blum was eliminated in 12th place and Poces lost about a third of his stack.

Richard Whitebrook – 4,500,000
David Poces – 3,000,000
Cory Blum – Eliminated 

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 26: 25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 13 of 1,297

There is about 800,000 in the pot on the turn with the board reading .

David Poces led out for 375,000 out of the big blind and Cory Blum called from under the gun.

The river was the and both players checked. Poces shwoed and Blum mucked his hand. Poces took the pot and is opening up a big chip lead over the rest of the field.

David Poces – 4,500,000
Cory Blum – 1,450,000

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 20 of 1,297

Claudio Kalili was short stacked and moved all in from under the gun for about 200,000. Action folded around to Ory Hen in the big blind, who called.

Hen showed and was in great shape against Kalili’s .

The board ran out clean as it came . Hen’s kings held up to win the pot, which eliminated Kalili in 21st place and moved Hen over a seven-figure chip count.

Ory Hen – 1,050,000
Claudio Kalili – Eliminated 

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 22 of 1,297

Here are the most recent payouts:

31st: Michel Dubreuil – $747
30th: Salim Salem – $747
29th: Samuel Borger – $747
28th: Shaun Glennon – $747
27th: Alejandro Armas – $872
26th: Irwin Cohen – $872
25th: Steven Fostoff – $872
24th: Stuart Greenbaum – $872
23rd: George Qiao – $872

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 26 of 1,297

Armas Alejandro Adolfo was all in for 270,000 from the hijack with against Angel Santiago Marnero’s .

The board ran out and Santiago Marnero’s set of aces held to eliminate Adolfo in 27th place.

Angel Santiago Marnero – 925,000 (31 bb)
Armas Alejandro Adolfo – Eliminated in 27th Place ($872)

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 24: 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 BB ante
Players Remaining: 27 of 1,297

The remaining twenty-seven players have just combined and redrawn to the final three tables.