2023 Escalator Series

Escalator VII Series Review

Event 1:  Steven Bennett  ($150 NLH – $100K GTD)  –  $25,055
Event 2:  Ernesto Alvarez ($250 NLH – $200K GTD)  –  $30,673
Event 3:  Alejandro Arana ($400 NLH – $300K GTD)  –  $73,775
Event 4:  Brett Bader ($600 NLH – $400K GTD)  –  $80,000
Event 5:  Aaron Stefansky ($1,700 NLH – $500K GTD)  –  $135,733

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Escalator VII Series!

The next tournament series at the Seminole Hard Rock is the 2023 Poker Showdown. The action begins on April 13th and series details can be found here.

Aaron Stefansky Wins Event 5 of the Escalator VII Series In Heads-Up Deal for $135,733

Escalator VII Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 5
$1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guarantee
Entries:  559
Prize Pool:  $838,500
March 9-13, 2023

2023 Escalator VII Event 5 Champion Aaron Stefansky

Event 5 of the Escalator VII Series was a multi-flight $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry). Across three starting flights, a field of 559 entries generated a prize pool of $838,500, easily besting the $500,000 guarantee.

A heads-up deal was reached at the final table, and as the chip leader it was Aaron Stefansky who was the official Event 5 champion for $135,733.

There were 175 players who returned on Day 2 and Stefansky was sixth in chips. He consistently stayed near the top of the leader board and once the field was in the money at 70 players, Stefansky vaulted to the top of the counts, and it wasn’t particularly close. From about seven tables down, Stefansky was running away with the chip lead as no player was within 25 big blinds of his lead.

When the final table was reached, Stefansky sat comfortably with 30% of the chips in play. He scored two eliminations to add to his lead and a third day of the tournament was needed as the final four players reached a hard stop. When play resumed, Stefansky picked up where he left off and had the lead entering heads-up play. Things tightened up from there and when eventual runner-up Dmitry Savelyev proposed a deal, Stefansky agreed and was the official Event 5 champion.

Stefansky mainly plays cash games and recently moved to South Florida from Chicago with his wife. This was amazingly Stefansky’s first live tournament played and it was one for the ages, finishing with a victory and a six-figure score.

PlaceFirst NameLast NamePrize Amount
1AaronStefansky$135,733*
2DmitrySavelyev$134,347*
3ScottHeiligman$72,400
4MichaelJagroo$51,200
5VincentCafone$39,300
6StevenCohen$32,400
7ArthurPeacock$26,800
8RaminderSingh$21,400
9DennisAltman$16,075
10LoniHui$16,075
11MichaelRoseingrave$13,275
12DavidMoore$13,275
13GaryGelman$10,625
14FredDabus$10,625
15NickYunis$10,625
16AlejandroFunes$8,855
17AltonMendleson$8,855
18BrandonNavarrete$8,855
19QuanPhui$7,480
20ClaudioPiedrabuena$7,480
21AnthonyValiente$7,480
22JohnMcDonald$6,215
23BrettBader$6,215
24MikeChiappetta$6,215
25ArmandoRomero$5,315
26ErnestoCastellano$5,315
27DanBlackburn$5,315
28RobertJonsson$4,440
29AaronRosenthal$4,440
30JoelGola$4,440
31JayKlitzner$4,440
32GilGuadalpi$4,440
33GregLevine$4,440
34BrianPowell$4,440
35ValeryLitvak$4,440
36MikeVela$4,440
37SteveYagudaev$3,850
38GuyNaimi$3,850
39RafaelFernandez$3,850
40AlejandroArana Torres$3,850
41PeterFellows$3,850
42EduardoSubirats$3,850
43ColbertDa Silva$3,850
44LazaroRojas$3,850
45VictorFigueroa$3,850
46NorisBarcimanto$3,360
47DavidPoces$3,360
48EitanAloush$3,360
49ScottDrobes$3,360
50ArielMantel$3,360
51DavidChase$3,360
52MaxGoliger$3,360
53JackSumner Jr$3,360
54FernandoHalac$3,360
55AntonioSalorio$3,000
56ArtilioLabrador Guerrero$3,000
57ScottLevitt$3,000
58TrentSmith$3,000
59MichaelWetcher$3,000
60MicheleIacovone$3,000
61VitalijsZavorotnijs$3,000
62OscarMarques$3,000
63NadyaMagnus$3,000
64ScottBaumstein$2,700
65MosheTarich$2,700
66IrwinBlock$2,700
67SergioGiha$2,700
68PaulDomb$2,700
69KevinDavis$2,700
70MichaelMerisier$2,700

*denotes heads-up deal

Event 5: We Have a Deal!

Escalator VII Series Event 5
$1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 33:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 559

Aaron Stefansky

After taking a 15-minute break following the end of Level 32, the players returned and quickly agreed to a deal.

Here were the chip counts at the time:

Aaron Stefansky  –  11,475,000  (46 bb)
Dmitry Savelyev  –  10,875,000  (44 bb)

Here were the resulting payouts:

Aaron Stefansky  –  $135,733
Dmitry Savelyev  –  $134,347

As the chip leader, Aaron Stefansky was the official Event 5 champion of the Escalator VII Series.

A tournament recap will be posted later today.

Dmitry Savelyev

Event 5: Big River Bet from Dmitry Savelyev

Escalator VII Series Event 5
$1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 559

Aaron Stefansky raised to 600,000 from the button and Dmitry Savelyev called in the big blind.

The flop was AsQdTd and Savelyev check-called 600,000 from Stefansky.

The turn was the 9h and both checked.

The river was the 8h, Savelyev bet 2,000,000 and Stefansky thought for a bit before he folded.

Dmitry Savelyev  –  10,875,000  (54 bb)
Aaron Stefansky  –  11,475,000  (57 bb)

Event 5: All Square

Escalator VII Series Event 5
$1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 559

Dmitry Savelyev raised to 525,000 from the button and Aaron Stefansky called in the big blind.

They checked to the turn of a 7c4h3sKh board where Stefansky check-called a bet from Savelyev.

The river was the 8h, Stefansky checked, Savelyev bet 2,500,000 and Stefansky called.

Savelyev tabled KdTc for a pair of kings, but Stefansky showed 8d7h for eights and sevens to win the pot and retake a slight lead.

Aaron Stefansky  –  11,350,000  (57 bb)
Dmitry Savelyev  –  11,000,000  (55 bb)

Event 5: Dmitry Savelyev Takes the Lead With Quads

Escalator VII Series Event 5
$1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 559

Dmitry Savelyev

Aaron Stefansky raised to 500,000 from the button and Dmitry Savelyev called in the big blind.

The flop was Jh7c6h, Savelyev checked, Stefansky bet 450,000, Savelyev raised to 1,150,000 and Stefansky called.

The turn was the Qd, Savelyev bet 1,500,000 and Stefansky called.

The river was the 6c, Savelyev bet 2,700,000 and Stefansky called.

Savelyev tabled 6d6s for quad sixes, Stefansky mucked and Savelyev took the chip lead.

Dmitry Savelyev  –  15,000,000  (75 bb)
Aaron Stefansky  –  7,350,000  (37 bb)

 

Event 5: Aaron Stefansky Shows Air Again

Escalator VII Series Event 5
$1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  75,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 559

Dmitry Savelyev limped for 150,000 from the button and Aaron Stefansky checked his option in the big blind.

They checked to the turn of a 3h6dTcQd board where Stefansky bet 250,000. Savelyev raised to 775,000 and Stefansky called.

The river was the 3c, Stefansky bet 1,575,000 and Savelyev folded.

Stefansky showed Js9c as he collected the pot.

Aaron Stefansky  –  13,500,000  (90 bb)
Dmitry Savelyev  –  8,550,000  (59 bb)

Event 5: Five-Bet Jam from Dmitry Savelyev

Escalator VII Series Event 5
$1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  75,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 559

Aaron Stefansky raised to 375,000 from the button, Dmitry Savelyev three-bet to 1,000,000 from the big blind, Stefansky four-bet to about 2,600,000, Savelyev five-bet all in for about 7,500,000 and Stefansky folded.

Dmitry Savelyev  –  10,300,000  (69 bb)
Aaron Stefansky  –  12,050,000  (81 bb)

Event 5: Scott Heiligman – 3rd Place ($72,400)

Escalator VII Series Event 5
$1,700 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 559

Scott Heiligman

Scott Heiligman raised to 300,000 from the button, Dmitry Savelyev three-bet to 1,100,000 from the big blind, Heiligman four-bet all in for about 3,800,000 and Savelyev called.

Heiligman:  AcKs
Savelyev:  KdKc

The board ran out 2sTd4cJd6d, no help to Heiligman, ending his run in third place for $72,400.

Scott Heiligman  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($72,400)