2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 5
$360 Black Chip Bounty No-Limit Hold’em Turbo 
Entries: 174 
Prize Pool: $52,200 ($34,800 + $17,400 in Bounties)
November 19, 2017 

Roberto Bendeck planned on running deep in a tournament at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood on Sunday, but he just didn’t plan on the right tournament.

Bendeck bested a 174-entry field to win $7,747 and the trophy in the $360 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Black Chip Bounty event. He had Sunday off on his calendar because he expected to be playing Day 2 of the $360 Not Limit Hold’em Ultimate Re-Entry event.

He bricked out on that event, but is certainly happy to recoup some cash in a win in this one.

“I busted that one a few times actually,” said Bendeck while pointing to the adjacent ultimate re-entry field. “I gave it a good try. Something like six or seven bullets. So, this will help that. The plan was to put six bullets in, but I was supposed to cash them all.”

Bendeck won the trophy as a part of an ICM chop with his heads-up opponent Nicholas Egarhos. There were some talks about a three-handed chop, but Bendeck never really seemed eager to make a deal until heads-up play began. Egarhos earned $7,629 for his runner-up finish.

Since the Miami native already had the date blocked off for poker, Bendeck decided to come to the Hard Rock and hop in some cash games. When he got to the poker room and saw there was a bounty tournament, he decided to take another shot at a tournament score.

It was partially the bounty aspect that convinced him to leave the cash game area.

“I like it because people don’t know how to play bounties,” said the 32-year-old conference manager. “Myself included, but I know a little bit more than the rest of the guys, the average populations. I get some extra equity outside of the rake that’s paid, so that’s good too.”

Bendeck came to the final table in the middle of the pack, but was able to chip up quickly and ride that momentum to victory.

“We were all pretty short,” said Bendeck about the start of the final table chip depths. “I just got lucky to run queens into hands that would double me up and then it was smooth sailing from there. Just held through.”

The 32-year-old battled through one of the tougher final tables of the young series. He defeated a final table that featured a couple tough pros including Justin Harvell, Trung Pham and Peter Vitantonio.

Here are the final table results:

1st: Roberto Bendeck – $7,747*
2nd: Nicholas Egarhos – $7,629*
3rd: Chris Koulouvaris – $3,610
4th: Peter Vitantonio – $2,196
5th: Trung Pham – $1,695
6th: Alan Rosenbaum – $1,404
7th: Justin Harvell – $1,214
8th: Philippe Goureau – $1,063
9th: Thomas Millward – $925
10th: Robert Jansson – $788

*Denotes figures part of an ICM deal

• Download: Final Results (PDF)