$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
Level 6: 200/400 with a 50 ante
Flight A Entries: 415

We’re watching the number climb on the tournament information board and it crossed over 400 entries to keep it on a faster pace than last year’s flight. That one drew 500 entries so we have a good chance to top it.

Rafael Reis knows a little something about conquering huge-field events. Last year’s Ultimate Re-Entry set the record for biggest tournament field in Florida poker history with 4,075 entries and that record only held for ten months. It was surpassed by the opening event of the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open” in November.

That tournament drew 5,018 entries to create a prize pool over $1.5 million for a $360 buy-in tournament and putting up another big number. After six long days of grinding, Reis took home his second RRPO title in a five-way deal that saw him pocket more than $150,000. Another deep run and Reis will move over $500,000 in career earnings.

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
Level 5: 150/300 with a 25 ante
Flight A Entries: 387

Flight A players returned from their first break of the day as the number count clicks closer to 400 entries and the likelihood that last year’s 500-entry opening flight will be surpassed.

NYC’s Justin Kadet is the early leader after the first break but he’s followed closely by Hagai Stein, David Gelley, and Henri Azoulay. Players are moving a quick pace in the first flight with plenty of time to re-enter if they lose their stack.

Top stacks and notables:

Justin Kadet – 60,000 (200 bb)
Hagai Stein – 57,500 (192 bb)
David Gelley – 56,200 (187 bb)
Henri Azoulay – 55,000 (183 bb)
Conley Howard – 53,000 (177 bb)
Bryan Wellman – 51,200 (171 bb)
Tim Kegel – 30,250 (101 bb)
Zoltan Czinkota – 25,000 (83 bb)
Loni Harwood – 23,000 (77 bb)
Rafael Reis – 22,500 (75 bb)
Dimitry Agrachov – 17,850 (60 bb)
Marsha Wolak – 13,600 (45 bb)
Charlemagne Benjamin – 12,025 (40 bb)
Ido Ashkenazi – 11,900 (40 bb)
Evan Teitelbaum – 11,900 (40 bb)

The 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open is underway and the WPTDeepStacks Main Event is right around the corner. Last year’s tournament drew the biggest crowd in the tour’s history and we expect another big turnout this year.

The $1,100 buy-in tournament has a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool, three starting days with the first on January 19, and a live-streamed final table. We are running 18 satellites between now and then for those looking to get into the game for a discount. The satellites have 91 combined seats guaranteed with 49 of them split between four satellites on January 18. All but one satellite feature a $140 buy-in with 1-in-10 entrants earning a seat in the big game and the $250 buy-in satellite on January 18 has five seats guaranteed with 1-in-5 booking their way in.

Below you’ll find the complete list (with links to the structure sheets) for the 18 opportunities to join in the $1,000,000 Guarantee WPTDeepStacks event for a fraction of the buy-in.

Jan 12, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 13, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 14, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 15, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 16, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 17, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 18, 9am – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 18, 11am – $140 Main Event Satellite with 30 seats GTD
Jan 18, 3pm – $250 Main Event Satellite with 5 seats GTD
Jan 18, 6pm – $140 Main Event Satellite with 10 seats GTD
Jan 18, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 19, 9am – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 19, 3pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite w/ 10 seats GTD
Jan 19, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 20, 9am – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 20, 3pm – $140 Main Event Satellite with 10 seats GTD
Jan 20, 8pm – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD
Jan 21, 9am – $140 Main Event Turbo Satellite with 2 seats GTD

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
Level 4: 100/200
Flight A Entries: 309

The opening flight of the Ultimate Re-Entry continues to climb and they topped 300 entries before the end of Level 3. It’s an unofficial race to see if today’s field can top last year’s opening flight of 500 entries.

Charlemagne Benjamin is another regular back with us today and shooting for his second LHPO title (and third SHRP trophy). He topped the field last January in the $130 buy-in tournament, his second career title to go along with his 2014 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open” win. Benjamin went over the $100K mark in career earning in December when he finished in third place in Event 1 of the Fun in the Sun series.

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
Level 3: 75/150
Flight A Entries: 261

Some of our regular SHRP players are here early and mixing it up with more than 260 in the game so far. We found two alongside each other at the front of the room after Larry Klur and Daren Stabsinski drew neighboring seats.

Klur has over $500,000 in career tournament earnings including a tenth place finish in the 2013 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship and a fourth place result at a Foxwoods WPT televised final table.

Stabinski has eight career tournament victories with seven of them coming here. He owns a LHPO trophy from 2013 and his most recent title came with an Event 5 win during the 2016 Fun in the Sun series to close out his 2016 in style.

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
Level 2: 50/100
Flight A Entries: 223

We were taking a quick walk through the field, only looking for notables at the start but caught one of them making a big hand.

Ory Hen, the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year, was all-in on the river for 9,725 with the board reading . His opponent called off to see Hen’s turned straight, good enough to beat a rivered set.

“Any other river card and I don’t pay off,” his opponent said as he tabled . The case ace sent enough chips over to Hen to pile his stack up to 27,000.

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
Level 1: 25/50
Flight A Entries: 143

After the first reading of the rules, Tournament Director Tony Burns issues the “shuffle up and deal” command to get the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open.

This is the first of eight starting flights in the Ultimate Re-Entry event and had 110 entries at the start, an increase from the start of the first flight last year.

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
Level 1: 25/50

The New Year’s break is over and it’s time to kick off the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open. And it will be huge.

It’s the second year for the Ultimate Re-Entry tournament which set a record last year for the biggest tournament field in Florida poker history. Last year’s inaugural run of the event drew 4,075 entries to set the mark with Thai Ha outlasting them all to take the title for more than $230,000. A very nice payday for a small buy-in.

That record has since been broken when the Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open” Event 1 field topped 5,000 entries.

The Ultimate Re-Entry structure has a unique format that allows players to enter as many flights as they wish, even if they move on to Day 2 in a previous flight. If players manage to move another stack forward, they will receive a $2,500 payout for the smallest bag(s) and play the biggest on Day 2.

Each of the eight starting flights will play down to 10% of the starting field and everyone advancing to Day 2 will already be in the money. Two flights will run over the next four days and everyone who survives will return on Monday for Day 2 and try to ladder their way up to the top prize.

The $360 buy-in tournament has a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool which should be reached early in the event. Players sit down to 15,000 starting stacks with late registration and unlimited re-entries available until the start of Level 13 at 5:45pm. They will continue to play until the flight makes the money and those with chips are guaranteed some money on Day 2.

Cards go in the air at 11am for the first flight and we will be tracking this big opening tournament from start to finish.

• $500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 15,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 13
• Day 1 will end when 10% of starting field remain
• Players may enter any/all starting flights
• Multiple Day 2 stacks will be paid per Structure Sheet
• See Event 1 Structure Sheet for more details

Main Event Schedule

11AM: Event 1 Day 1A – $360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em

• $500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 15,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 13
• Day 1 will end when 10% of starting field remain
• Players may enter any/all starting flights
• Multiple Day 2 stacks will be paid per Structure Sheet
• See Event 1 Structure Sheet for more details

5PM: Event 1 Day 1B – $360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em

• $500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 15,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 13
• Day 1 will end when 10% of starting field remain
• Players may enter any/all starting flights
• Multiple Day 2 stacks will be paid per Structure Sheet
• See Event 1 Structure Sheet for more details

Secondary and Satellite Schedule

9AM: Event 17 – $90 Mega Turbo Satellite to Event 1 (1-in-5)

• 2 seats guaranteed into the $500,000 Guarantee Event 1
• Players begin with 6,000 in chips and 15-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 8
• Satellite will be held in The Poker Room
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Event 17 Structure Sheet

8PM: Event 18 – $140 Turbo Satellite to Main Event (1-in-10)

• 2 seats guaranteed to $1 Million WPTDeepStacks Main Event
• Players begin with 7,500 in chips and 15-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 8
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Event 18 Structure Sheet