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Event 5 Recap

Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ’N’ Roll” Poker Open
Event 5: $1,100 Six Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$75,000 Guaranteed

November 16-18, 2014

Total Entries:  93
Total Prize Pool:  $93,000

Angel Vu, Event 5 Champions
Angel Vu
Event 5 Champions

Recap:
The fifth event of the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open” was a smaller field, bigger buy-in tournament which drew some of the best players from the area. It was scheduled to run two days but it took an extra session before Angel Vu (South Daytona, FL) was the final player with chips, earning $30,671 for the title and adding to her already great year.

The event drew past champions, WSOP bracelet winners, and plenty of Seminole Hard Rock poker regulars. The short-handed format would generally create a lot of action but it was balanced out by a great structure giving players a chance to use all their creativity.

They played 10 one-hour levels on Day 1 and Brazilian David Dayan finished the day with a healthy lead. Only 17 of the starting 93 players were around at the end of the night but they still had work to make the money.

It took nearly three hours of action to get down from 17 players to the money bubble but it burst quickly. While tournament staff were preparing to go hand-for-hand between the tables, Harrison Gimbel (Jupiter, FL) was already all-in versus Vu and drawing nearly dead.

Gimbel’s exit in 10th place put the rest of the field in the money and the first person to get paid was former leader Dayan. Day 2 was not good for the Brazilian but he was able to hang on to get a paying spot. The exit of Torrey Korsog (Osprey, FL) set up the long final table battle.

Five and a half hours later the tournament was still three-handed between Vu, Antonio Colon (Princeton, FL) , and Daren Stabinski (Weston, FL). Those three would play some crazy hands including a big three-way all-in pot which kept Colon alive and another to keep Vu in the game.

That second huge pot knocked Colon out of the game and set up a long heads up match. While pots during the final table were controlled, Vu and Stabinski had some big swings once it was just the two of them. As 3am rolled around, the two bagged up their chips to return the next day with Vu holding a slight lead.

Their return for the bonus Day 3 was quick and neat. Vu took a huge lead shortly into the match with flush-over-flush and finished Stabinski off a few hands later with Ah5h over As2h. The match was over in just 16 minutes with the results moving both players over $200,000 in career tournament earnings.

Vu was already a big fan of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL but the love continues to grow. She is the reigning Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year and cashed five times during the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open to lock up her title.

“I love this place!” Vu said happily. “It feels like home to me. It’s so comfortable and friendly, everyone here is so nice to me.”

When she’s not winning tournaments or entertaining others at the table, Vu has two favorite spots to feed her internal systems.

I love The Bōl, I’m Asian so I have to go there all the time. It’s so good.” Vu laughed. “But sometimes I like to get a big steak at the Hard Rock Cafe. I’m so tiny I can’t eat it all but I love it.”

“I will always play at Seminole Hard Rock,” she finished up. “It’s my home.”

Event 5 Results:
1st – Angel Vu (South Daytona, FL) $30,671
2nd – Daren Stabinski (Weston, FL) $17,952
3rd – Antonio Colon (Princeton, FL) $11,727
4th – Marc Sacheli (Miami Beach, FL) $8,570
5th – Scott Zakheim Davie, FL) $6,405
6th – Jeffrey Trudeau (Orlando, FL) $4,962
7th – Luke Brereton (Prestbury, UK) $3,969
8th – Torrey Korsog (Osprey, FL) $3,248
9th – David Dayan (Sao Paulo, BR) $2,706

Event 5: Stabinski Coolered; Vu Wins Another

$1,100 Six Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 22: Blinds 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante

After the long 12-hour grind yesterday, it took just 16 minutes to settle the matter today. Despite the near equal stacks, Angel Vu grabbed a big lead against Daren Stabinski just as the new blind levels kicked in.

The critical hand saw Stabinki raise to 25,000 from the button and Vu came along to the AdJs5d flop. They both checked the flop and Vu bet 25,000 after the 3s turn. Stabinski called the bet to see the As river.

Vu bet out 75,000 and Stabinski pulled the raised to 200,000 total. She took her time to consider her options before calling the bet. Stabinskin rolled over 8s6s for the flush but Vu was just a little better with Ts9s.

The hand pushed Vu into a commanding lead and Stabinski took a shot a few minutes later with As2h and Vu called with Ah5h.

The hand ended quickly when the dealer slid out the Th9h7h flop to lock the tournament up.

It was a great run for Stabinski after battling back from a short-stack at the final table to take the lead at several points late. It took a heads-up cooler to knock him down.

This is the second tournament victory for Vu and she managed today’s victory with just one entry into the tournament.

Daren Stabinski (Miami, FL)
Daren Stabinski (Miami, FL)
Angel Vu (South Daytona, FL)
Angel Vu (South Daytona, FL)

Event 5: Bonus Day; Crowning a Champ

$1,100 Six Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 21: Blinds 5,000/10,000/1000 ante

The big buy-in Six-Max event was scheduled to play down from the returning 17 players to a winner but it didn’t happen.

The incredibly deep structure allowed players to make whatever moves they had in their bag and the blinds levels never really pushed the action. In the early morning hours, Angel Vu and Daren Stabinski bagged up their chips in a near dead heat for the title.

Vu is the reigning Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year after a win during Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open, a handful of final tables, and five cashes during the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open. Stabinski will go over $200,000 in career earnings regardless of his finish today including a Six-Max title during WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open here in 2013.

They are about to get back in action and will continue playing until someone wins the trophy.

Chip Counts:
Angel Vu – 586,000
Daren Stabinski – 530,000

Payouts:
1st – $30,671
2nd – $17,952

Event 5: Crackin Aces

$1,100 Six Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 19: Blinds 3,000/6,000/1,000 ante

Not content with just cracking the Kings of Antonio Colon, Angel Vu tried a different path just a few hands later.

Daren Stabinski raised from the button with Colon and Vu coming along to the QsQc5h flop. Colon tossed out a 20,000 bet and was called by Vu before Stabinski let his hand go. Colon fired out on the 3h turn to get another call and he repeated it with a 45,000 bet on 8s river.

This time Vu didn’t just call, she pushed all-in and it was Colon’s turn to call.

“Full house,” Vu said quietly, rolling over Qd8c for the flopped trips and rivered boat.

Colon tabled AhAd to show the pain. Vu is still “short” in relation to the table, not the blinds, but sitting behind 230,000.

Event 7: Flight B Chip Counts

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Flight B of the $150,000 guaranteed Event 7 drew 236 entrants with 24 surviving to make Day 2 on Wednesday.

FIRST NAMELAST NAMECITYSTCHIP COUNTSEAT
ANDREWDONOVANMANTEONC186,000
BRANDONPRICEMURRELLS INLETSC177,000
ALEXANDERBILBAOMIAMIFL176,500
WILLIEWIGGINSMIRAMARFL170,000
MOHAMEDMAGHRAOUIBRANDONFL161,500
TATIANAPERLAMEDILLA156,500
LOUOJEDAMIAMIFL155,000
CESARFUENTESDEERFIELD BCHFL140,000
KEITHWAGNERDAVIEFL134,000
DEBORAHMITCHELLSUMMERFIELDFL122,500
LEONARDZAPCZYISTERLING HEIGHTSMI121,000
RALPHCAMPBELL IIIPLANTATIONFL120,000
STEVENFRANKELHOLLYWOODFL115,000
SYEDSHAHDELRAY BEACHFL109,000
PEDROORTIZHIALEAHFL108,500
GERARDOGONZALEZMIAMIFL107,500
SHRAVANKULSHRESTHAWEST PALM BEAFL105,500
HAROLDWILLLSLUMBERTONTX97,500
JEFFREYGROBEFITCHBURGWI86,000
FRANKGILKENDALLFL69,000
GREGGSILVERSTEINDAVIEFL61,000
DOUGLASCLAYBROOKVIDORTX45,500
JEFFREYROBBINSHOLLYWOODFL33,000
JOSEPHPATALANOWELLINGTONFL22,000

Event 7: Flight A Chip Counts

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Flight A of the $150,000 guaranteed Event 7 drew 205 entrants with 29 surviving to make Day 2 on Wednesday.

FIRST NAMELAST NAMECITYSTCHIP COUNT
BRANDONBERKENFELDDELRAY BEACHFL111,000
PAULOBERTHOLDOcuritba- PR84,500
RUSSELLBEYERPARKLANDFL70,000
BRENDABLACKBURNTORONTOON16,500
HUGHCALLAHAN JR.COCOAFL89,500
KARINCRESPI POWSNERFORT LAUDERDALEFL45,100
MATTHEW STEWARTDANZINGERSTONY POINTNY125,500
BASSELEISSAPALM BEACH GARDENSFL189,000
AYCAERAKBASHALLANDALEFL57,000
ROSSFISCHERDAVIEFL67,000
AARONFRIEDMANBOCA RATONFL66,000
JULIANGAONA GRANADABogotaColumbia55,500
PATRICKHUGHESgalway160,000
EBONYJOHNSONMIAMIFL52,300
SYDNEYJONESHOLLYWOODFL67,000
ADLAYLAGOMIAMIFL101,000
JORGEMONTOYAHOLLYWOODFL50,500
RONALDMORONEHENDERSONNV74,500
DAVIDNOWLINGFORT LAUDERDALEFL49,500
JOSHUAPALMERDAPHNEAL162,000
ERICPIDERITWESTONFL68,000
VISHNUREDDYWASHINGTONDC95,500
TOMASSCHLESINGERSAN FRANCISCOCA196,000
JACQUELYNSCOTTFORT LAUDERDALEFL76,500
LEONIDSHTEYNHOUSTONTX55,000
NELLISHTEYNHOUSTONTX53,500
LEONARDST-GERMAINSOUTHWEST RANCHESFL63,500
MICHAELTUFAROFORT MYERSFL129,000
JARRETTVAUGHNNORTH MIAMI BEACHFL24,500

Event 5: Marc Sacheli Eliminated in 4th Place ($8,570)

$1,100 Six Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 18: Blinds 2,500/5,000/500 ante

Angel Vu did most of the dirty work and Daren Stabinski finished it off.

After being crippled, Marc Sacheli decided to make take a stand shortly after losing a big hand to Vu but picked the wrong time to do it.

Sacheli: Kd3c
Stabinski: AdJh

The news got even worse for Sacheli as Stabinski flopped the nut straight. Sacheli could not catch up and his run in this Six Max Event 5 is over. He’ll be headed to the cage to pick his 4th place prize of $8,570.

Three remain with Angel Vu holding around half the chips in play vs. Stabinski and Antonio Colon.

Mark Sacheli
Mark Sacheli

Event 7: Another Checkup

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: Blinds 400/800/100

Now that one final table is in the bags, literally, we can take a peak at the big numbers for the third and final Monday flight for Event 7.

The $150,000 guaranteed tournament drew 436 players through 7A and 7B before pulling in another 302 for 7C.

There are 90 players still in action with a chance to join the 53 players who have already bagged up their chips to return for the final day on Wednesday.

Event 5: Scott Zakheim – 5th Place ($6,405)

$1,100 Six Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 17: Blinds 2,000/4,000/500 ante

One short stack elimination begat another just a few hands later. Scott Zakheim earned a much needed double at the expense of Trudeau then outlasted him by one payout spot.

He was heads up with Antonio Colon to see a Kh6h3c flop. Zakheim moved all-in and Colon quickly called with AdAs, good enough to beat Kc8d. There were no miracles for Zakheim on the turn over river and he was the next gone, hitting the rail in 5th place for $6,405.

Scott Zakheim
Scott Zakheim

Event 5: Jeffrey Trudeau – 6th Place ($4,962)

$1,100 Six Max No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 17: Blinds 2,000/4,000/500 ante

As one of the few players at the final table with big results in short-handed tournaments, Jeffrey Trudeau had to be one of the favorites. The Orlando, FL resident finished in runner-up position in the $2,200 Six-Max event during the 2014 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown in April for nearly $40,000.

But Trudeau’s time at the final table was cut short after he doubled up Scott Zakheim last level to leave him as the shortest stack. His final play was an open-shove from the button and Angel Vu apologetically called with AdKs.

The chip leader was ahead of Trudeau’s As5s and stayed that way on the Qs9h6h flop before putting it away on the Kh turn. Trudeau picked up $4,962 for his 6th place finish while Vu moved closer to 500,000.

Jeffrey Trudeau
Jeffrey Trudeau