Dragos Iosub Wins $570 No-Limit Hold’em in Dominating Fashion

2018 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 8
$570 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em Multi-Flight Re-Entry     
Entries: 795
Prize Pool: $397,500  
November 22, 2018 

Dragos Iosub wins $570 No-Limit Hold’em

Dragos Iosub earned a career-best score in the early hours of Thursday morning at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. In a heads-up deal with Mathieu Selides, Iosub won $82,000 and bested a 795-entry field in the $570 no-limit hold’em.

Not only was it his biggest score of his career, but it had to be one of the most dominating performances he’s ever had. When they first ran ICM numbers and started negotiating a deal, he was so far ahead, Selides’ payout would only be $5,000 more than what he would normally get if he played it out and finished second.

He asked for more money, but Iosub gave a quick response that let everyone know how he felt he was playing.

“You can take the extra $5,000 or you can give it to me,” said Iosub.

The two played heads-up a little bit longer and Selides chipped up a little bit. They agreed on a final deal after a long negotiation and the poker pro from Romania officially took down the title.

“It’s very welcome,” said the 35-year-old after his victory. “I work so hard for getting here.”

Despite having about two-thirds of the chips in play with three players remaining, Iosub credited positive variance with the main reason for his huge stack.

“I get good cards and I feel like I was ahead all of the time when I raised,” he said.

Iosub played almost exclusively in Europe up until a couple years ago when he won a tournament in Italy. He won a $30,000 package to play at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Since then, he’s made the trek across the Atlantic Ocean to play in some of America’s more lucrative events.

Iosub made the trip to Florida because he won a package to play in the $3,500 WPT Main Event. He came a few days early and wound up with a career-best score just a few days before the main event started. He’s going to head into Friday riding high and with plenty of momentum.

The final table had quite an international flare to it, with more than half of the final table residing from outside the United States, including all three of the top finishers.

Ben Dobson, who won a WSOP bracelet in the $1,500 seven-card stud hi-lo event last summer, made the final table and finished seventh for $14,310.

Final Table Results:

1st: Dragos Iosub – $82,000*
2nd: Mathieu Selides – $63,866*
3rd: Dennis Cyr – $32,794
4th: Lawrence L’Hommedieu – $27,030
5th: Gavin O’Rourke – $21,863
6th: Richard Leger – $17,888
7th: Ben Dobson – $14,310
8th: David Rivera – $10,931
9th: Timothy Pettus – $7,553

*Indicates adjusted payouts to accommodate a deal

Event 8: Dragos Iosub Wins in Heads-Up Deal

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 30: 75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 795

Dragos Iosub

At the end of level 30, the final two players took a 10-minute break. They asked the staff to run ICM numbers while they took their break. When they came back from break, they negotiated for just shy of 10 minutes before they agreed to a deal.

Dragos Iosub held a massive chip lead and took $82,000, while Matthieu Selides agreed to take home $63,866 for his runner-up finish.

A complete recap will be posted later tonight.

Mathieu Selides

Event 8: Mathieu Selides Doubles Through Dragos Iosub

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 30: 75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 795

Mathieu Selides got his last 2,175,000 into the middle preflop against Dragos Iosub.

Selides showed KhQs and needed some help against Iosub’s AdJc.

The flop was JdTs2h, which gave everybody a piece of the board. The turn was the 7s, keeping Iosub in the lead, but the 9h came on the river and Selides rivered the nuts to double up and stay alive.

Mathieu Selides – 4,350,000
Dragos Iosub – 11,550,000

Event 8: Dennis Cyr – 3rd PLace ($32,794)

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 30: 75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 795

Dennis Cyr

On a flop of Jd9s2h, Dennis Cyr checked from the big blind and Dragos Iosub bet 300,000 on the button. Cyr check-raised to about 900,000 and Iosub thought for about 30 seconds before moving all in.

Cyr called and committed the last 1,000,000 he had behind. He tabled KcJh and was in trouble against Iosub’s Js9c.

The turn was the 8s and the river was the 4h. Iosub won the pot with two pair and eliminated Cyr in third place for $32,794. Iosub now has nearly every chip on the table as he starts heads-up play with Mathieu Selides.

Dragos Iosub – 13,825,000
Dennis Cyr – Eliminated 

Event 8: Lawrence L’Hommedieu – 4th Place ($27,030)

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 30: 75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 795

Lawrence L’Hommedieu

Lawrence L’Hommedieu raised to 300,000 from the cutoff and Dragos Iosub three-bet to 800,000 on the button. L’Hommedieu called and the flop came KcQsTh.

L’Hommedieu moved all in and Iosub snap-called. L’Hommedieu shook his head and tabled 4h3h. He was drawing to running hearts against Iosub’s QhQc.

The turn was the Kd, giving Iosub a full house, and left L’Hommedieu drawing dead to the Qd river.

Iosub rivered quads and eliminated L’Hommedieu in fourth place for $27,030.

Dragos Iosub – 10,000,000
Lawrence L’Hommedieu – Elimnated 

Event 8: Gavin O’Rourke – 5th Place ($21,863)

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 795

Gavin O’Rourke

Gavin O’Rourke moved all in on the button for about 500,000 and Dennis Cyr called out of the small blind.

O’Rourke tabled KxQx and was up against Cyr’s 4s4h.

The board ran out AcTd6cTc2s and O’Rourke was out in fifth for $21,863.

Dennis Cyr – 4,400,000
Gavin O’Rourke – Eliminated 

Event 8: Richard Leger – 6th Place ($17,888)

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 795

Richard Leger

Dragos Iosub raised on the button to 275,000 and Richard Leger moved all in out of the big blind for 1,050,000. Iosub called.

It was a race with Iosub’s 4h4d against Leger’s Ah8d. The flop was 8c6d3d and Leger took the lead. The turn was the 5c, giving Iosup an open-ended straight draw, which he hit on the river when the 2s peeled off.

Iosub won the pot and eliminated Leger in sixth place for $17,888. He also takes over the chip lead, and has about a third of the chips in play.

Dragos Iosub – 5,600,000
Richard Leger – Eliminated 

 

Event 8: Mathieu Selides Doubles Through Dennis Cyr

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 795

Dennis Cyr raised from under the gun and Mathieu Selides moved all in on the button for 1,525,000. Action folded back to Cyr, who called.

It was a flip with Cyr’s QcQh against Selides’ AcKs. The flop was KcTs5c and Selides took the lead.

The turn was the 8h and the river was the 6c. Selides won the pot with top pair and doubled up. Cyr loses the chip lead for the first time at the final table.

Mathieu Selides – 3,300,000
Dennis Cyr – 2,900,000

Event 8: Ben Dobson – 7th Place ($14,310)

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 795

Ben Dobson

Ben Dobson moved all in on the button for 900,000 and Dragos Iosub called out of the big blind.

Dobson showed Ad4c and is dominated by Iosub’s As7c.

The flop was 8h7d2s, giving Iosub second pair and leaving Dobson dead to runners.

“It’s going to be tough for me to win this one,” said Dobson as he got up from his chair after the flop.

The turn was the 3h and he picked up some hope with a straight draw, but the river was the Kd and Iosub won the pot, eliminating the WSOP bracelet winner in seventh place for $14,310.

Dragos Iosub – 3,400,000
Ben Dobson – Eliminated 

Event 8: David Rivera – 8th place ($10,931)

$570 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 28: 50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 795

David Rivera

Action folded around to Mathieu Selides in the small blind, who moved all in. David Rivera called and was the player at risk for his last 700,000.

It was a flip with Selides’ Ac7h against Rivera’s 3d3h.

The board ran out QsJh2dJdQc and Rivera’s pair was counterfeited, sending the pot to Selides with ace-high.

Rivera earned the first five-figure payout of the event.

Mathieu Selides – 1,600,000
David Rivera – Eliminated