$1,650 No-Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty (Re-Entry) 
Upcoming Level 17: 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining 15 of 129
Average Stack: 103,000 (34 bb)

Table 7
Seat 1: Joseph Zelnick – 138,500 (46 bb)
Seat 2: Larry Baxter – 121,000 (40 bb)
Seat 3: –empty–
Seat 4: Stanley Lee – 91,000 (30 bb)
Seat 5: Mike Comisso – 52,500 (17 bb)
Seat 6: Stewart Newman – 124,500 (41 bb)
Seat 7: –empty–
Seat 8: Jeff Manders – 91,500 (30 bb)
Seat 9: Richard Rice – 31,000 (10 bb)

Table 8
Seat 1: Gilbert Diaz – 59,000 (19 bb)
Seat 2: Joey Weissman – 273,000 (91 bb)
Seat 3: Griffin Abel – 102,000 (34 bb)
Seat 4: Igor Merda – 122,000 (40 bb)
Seat 5: Dmitry Savelyev – 141,000 (47 bb)
Seat 6: Erik Christensen – 71,000 (23 bb)
Seat 7: Frank Silverstein – 42,500 (14 bb)
Seat 8: –empty–
Seat 9: Jack Duong – 77,500 (25 bb)

1st: $39,294
2nd: $23,035
3rd: $13,550
4th: $10,840
5th: $8,130
6th: $6,775
7th: $5,420
8th: $4,065
9th: $3,049
10th-12th: $2,710
13th-15th: $2,371
16th: Craig Feldman – $2,033
17th: Barry Pevner – $2,033
18th: Joshua Cranfill – $2,033

$1,650 No-Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty (Re-Entry) 
Upcoming Level 17: 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining 15 of 129
Average Stack: 103,000 (34 bb)

1st: $39,294
2nd: $23,035
3rd: $13,550
4th: $10,840
5th: $8,130
6th: $6,775
7th: $5,420
8th: $4,065
9th: $3,049
10th-12th: $2,710
13th-15th: $2,371
16th: Craig Feldman – $2,033
17th: Barry Pevner – $2,033
18th: Joshua Cranfill – $2,033

2017 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, FL 
Event 11
$300 Omaha Hi-Lo
Entries: 73 
Prizepool: $18,615
January 23, 2017 

Ronnie Morone earned his first career Hard Rock trophy on Monday night in the $300 Omaha Hi-Lo event. Morone topped a field of 73 players to win $5,584, but the win was sweeter for him because of who he had to beat to win.

Phillip Hui was the man that stood between Morone and a title. Hui won the $3,000 Omaha Hi-Lo event at the 2014 World Series of Poker and is a fixture in the high-stakes mixed events. Morone and Hui started off the heads-up battle dead-even in chips, but it was Morone who ended up victorious.

“It feels real good,” said Morone of the win. “Especially going against Phil heads-up. It’s pretty cool to beat him because he is an Omaha eight [or][better] wizard, you know?”

Morone doesn’t have the same type of resume that a seasoned professional like Hui has, but Morone has cashes dating all the way back to 2007 in mixed games on both coasts.

“I don’t get to play as much as Phil does, but I used to deal, so I know Phil from around the way and on the Circuit,” said Morone about his relationship with Hui. “It’s pretty special to beat him though because he just won an O8 ring, like what? Two years ago?”

Hui was the proverbial end boss that Morone had to get through, but the final table had plenty of other poker talent that didn’t make it easy on Morone. David Prociak was looking for his second title of the series, Jordan Chizick has won this event in an earlier series, and Robert Campbell made his second straight Omaha Hi-Lo final table after making this final table at the Rock n’ Roll Poker Open last November.

Morone wasn’t intimidated by the talent surrounding him and played solid poker en route to the victory. When asked about his play, he was humble in his response.

“I’m confident in my play,” said Morone. “But it was all in the cards for me. I got the hands and they were holding up, especially heads-up.”

Morone used to travel the tournament Circuit dealing, but has moved down to the South Florida area and continued his dealing career in the Sunshine State.

He’s continued dealing, but Monday’s performance shows he has plenty of skills on the other side of the table as well.

Here is a look at the results:

1st: Ronnie Morone – $5,584
2nd: Phillip Hui – $3,909
3rd: Leonard Germain – $2,513
4th: Jordan Chizick – $1,862
5th: David Prociak – $1,396
6th: Hoyt Verner – $1,117
7th: Robert Campbell – $931
8th: Lazaro Rodriguez – $745
9th: Al Green – $558

$2,500 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
Upcoming Level 23: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 150
Average Stack: 1,500,000 (75 bb)

After a few minutes of discussion, Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member Mukul Pahuja and Ryan Rogers agreed to a deal. Here were the chip counts and the agreed upon numbers:

Mukul Pahuja – 1,578,000 (79 bb) – $79,544
Ryan Rogers – 1,423,000 (71 bb) – $77,429

We’ll have a recap of the event later tonight.

$2,500 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
Level 22: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 150

On the last hand of the level, Jake Bazeley raised to 35,000 from the button, Mukul Pahuja three-bet to 100,000 from the small blind, Bazeley four-bet shoved for about 670,000, and Pahuja called.

Bazeley:
Pahuja:

The board came down , no help to Bazeley, ending his tournament in third place.

Jake Bazeley – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($34,125)

$2,500 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
Level 22: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 150
Average Stack: 1,000,000 (62 bb)

Ryan Rogers raised to 33,000 from the button, Paul Balzano three-bet shoved from the small blind for 134,000, and Rogers called with , leading Balzano’s .

The board rolled out , giving Rogers kings full of tens to eliminate Balzano in fourth place.

Ryan Rogers – 1,420,000 (88 bb)
Paul Balzano – Eliminated in 4th Place ($27,300)

$2,500 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
Level 22: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 150
Average Stack: 750,000 (62 bb)

Mukul Pahuja – 1,130,000 (70 bb)
Ryan Rogers – 1,120,000 (70 bb)
Jake Bazeley – 500,000 (31 bb)
Paul Balzano – 250,000 (15 bb)

$2,500 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
Level 21: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 150
Average Stack: 750,000 (62 bb)

In a battle of Seminole Hard Rock Poker team members, Faraz Jaka (pictured, right) raised from the cutoff and Mukul Pahuja called from the big blind.

The flop fell and Pahuja checked to Jaka who continued for 30,000. Pahuja check-raised all in with the bigger stack and Jaka called all in for about 140,000.

Jaka:
Pahuja:

The turn kept Jaka ahead, but the river was the to give Pahuja a pair of aces to eliminate Jaka in fifth place.

Mukul Pahuja – 1,080,000 (91 bb)
Faraz Jaka – Eliminated in 5th Place ($20,475)

$2,500 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
Level 21: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 150
Average Stack: 600,000 (50 bb)

Mukul Pahuja limped from the small blind, Ryan Rogers raised to 31,000 from the big blind, and Pahuja called.

The flop fell and Pahuja check-called a bet from Rogers to see the turn, which both players checked. The river was the and Pahuja bet 135,000. Rogers called.

Pahuja tabled for a flush, Rogers mucked, and Pahuja won the pot.

Mukul Pahuja – 900,000 (75 bb)
Ryan Rogers – 1,030,000 (85 bb)