2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 1
Ultimate Re-Entry
$360 No Limit Hold’em
Entries: 3,570
Total Prize Pool: $1,071,000
Multi-Stack Payouts: 38 @ $2,500 = $95,000
Day 2 Prize Pool: $976,000
November 15-20, 2017

The opening event of the 2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood was a big one and required an extra day of play to find a champion. There were 3,570 entries in the Ultimate Re-Entry event and South Florida amateur player Francois Zayas walked away with the title plus more than $100,000.

The Ultimate Re-Entry tournament ran eight starting flights over four days to put up huge numbers into the field. The event had a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool that was easily surpassed and they combined to create a prize pool worth more than $1 million.

The unique event also featured a twist that allowed players to enter as many flights as they wished and they could advance multiple stacks forward to Day 2. If players were able to survive more than one flight, they would play their biggest stack on Day 2 and receive a $2,500 Multi-stack award for their other stacks.

Nicholas Cookendorfer was the big winner in the Multi-stack award category after he was able to survive in four of the eight flights to cash out $7,500 before playing on Day 2.

The 314 players who made it through the opening flights returned for Day 2 on Sunday and they were already in the money. That meant the action was fast from the restart and the field was cut in half before the first break.

Only 55 players remained when they went on dinner break and they continued shrinking the field until the clock was paused at 3am. There were still 13 players alive and they were set to return on Monday for a bonus day of poker with Daniel Taylor leading the pack.

Three quick eliminations on Day 3 sent the Ultimate Re-Entry down to the final table with Taylor and Zayas neck-and-neck for the chip lead. Zayas took command early and pulled the lead directly from Taylor.

Tracy Potter was the shortest at the final table and hit the exit in tenth place followed by 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open $1,100 Big 4 champ Ruslan Dykshteyn. Sam Wynder was eliminated in eighth place and the seven remaining players decided to work out a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool.

Zayas was declared the champion courtesy of his chip lead and he officially took home $107,973 for his efforts with Taylor, Song O, Benjamin Miner, Brandon Ageloff, Richard Treppenssee, and Pasquale Caiazza rounding out the top seven spots.

Zayas made the most of his chances and took the title with only a single entry in the tournament. His one shot came Saturday afternoon and he was able to bag a top twenty stack for his Day 2 return.

“It was awesome,” Zayas commented when asked about his tournament. “I ran good since Day 1 and today I ran like a god.”

Zayas also had a little family good luck on his side. When he jumped in his car to return for the final day, there was a secret good luck note waiting for him from his children.

“It was the cutest thing,” Zayas beamed. “They snuck it in the car and it said ‘good luck, have a good game, I hope you do great, win the trophy’ and I didn’t know until I got in the car. That was great.”

It was another successful running of the Ultimate Re-Entry format, bringing in huge numbers, and paying out another seven-digit prize pool. Congratulations to Francois and everyone else who made some money.

Final table results:

1st: Francois Zayas – $107,973 + Trophy*
2nd: Daniel Taylor – $85,481*
3rd: Song O – $85,146*
4th: Benjamin Miner – $75,070*
5th: Brandon Ageloff – $70,133*
6th: Richard Treppenssee – $57,735*
7th: Pasquale Caiazza – $52,661*
8th: Sam Wynder – $15,818
9th: Ruslan Dykshteyn – $11,205
10th: Tracy Potter – $7,250
* – denotes results of a seven-way deal

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 29: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 3,570

After Sam Wynder was eliminated, the seven remaining players decided to work out a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool. The numbers were crunched based on the chip counts below.

Francois Zayas was crowned the champion courtesy of his big chip lead and walked away with more than $100,000.

Seat 1: Pasquale Caiazza – 3,770,000 (25 bb)
Seat 2: — Empty —
Seat 3: — Empty —
Seat 4: Song O – 8,630,000 (58 bb)
Seat 5: Brandon Ageloff – 4,445,000 (30 bb)
Seat 6: Daniel Taylor – 8,895,000 (59 bb)
Seat 7: Benjamin Miner – 6,995,000 (47 bb)
Seat 8: Francois Zayas – 13,935,000 (93 bb)
Seat 9: Richard Trippensee – 4,320,000 (29 bb)

Final deal payouts:

1st: Francois Zayas – $107,973 + Trophy
2nd: Daniel Taylor – $85,481
3rd: Song O – $85,146
4th: Benjamin Miner – $75,070
5th: Brandon Ageloff – $70,133
6th: Richard Treppenssee – $57,735
7th: Pasquale Caiazza – $52,661

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 29: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 3,570

Benjamin Miner stayed hot and called an all in shove from Sam Wynder. He was in the big blind again with a nice hand to put Wynder at risk.

Miner:
Wynder:

Wynder had a race to stay alive but bricked out as the dealer spread the board to send him out in eighth place.

Benjamin Miner – 6,995,000 (47 bb)
Sam Wynder – Eliminated in 8th place ($15,818)

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 29: 75,000/150,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 3,570

Action folded to Ruslan Dykshteyn on the button and opened to 375,000.

“Don’t do anything crazy,” Dykshteyn said to big blind Song O.

“Good luck,” Oh said in response before announcing all in.

“What?” Dykshteyn asked.

Dykshteyn thought it over and called for near 2,500,000.

Song O:
Dykshteyn:

Dykshteyn was ahead for the double up and faded the board to the turn but O hit the river to send the 2016 SHRPO Big 4 winner out in ninth place.

Song O – 8,300,000 (55 bb)
Ruslan Dykshteyn – Eliminated in 9th place ($11,205)

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 28: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 3,570

Francois Zayas kicked it off with a raise to 410,000 from early position. It folded to Sam Wynder in late position and he called. Brandon Ageloff and Daniel Taylor came along from the blinds and they were four-handed to the flop. The big action had a pot of over 2,000,000 built before anyone saw a community card.

Flop:

Ageloff checked and Taylor promptly lead for 505,000. It was on Zayas and he raised to 1,100,000 total. Wynder and Ageloff folded. Action was back on Taylor and he called. The pot then topped 4,000,000 as they headed to the turn.

Turn:

Both players checked.

River:

Both players checked again.

Zayas tabled for an overpair and took the pot. In addition, Zayas took the chip lead crossing the 15,000,000 mark.

Francois Zayas – 15,600,000 (130 bb)
Daniel Taylor – 10,650,000 (88 bb)

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 28: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 3,570

Tracy Potter was down to a few big blinds and moved all in for 515,000 from late position. It folded around to Benjamin Miner in the big blind and he called.

Miner:
Potter:

“Two live cards!” he said.

Potter’s had a shot to double but the board ran to send him out.

“It kept getting better,” Pasquale Caiazza told him.

“Not good enough,” Potter said as he picked up his payout ticket.

Benjamin Miner – 4,700,000 (39 bb)
Terry Potter – Eliminated in 10th place ($7,250)

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 28: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 3,570

Players are in their seats and the Ultimate Re-Entry final table is underway. Daniel Taylor continues to lead but Francois Zayas is not far behind.

Seat 1: Pasquale Caiazza – 3,580,000 (30 bb)
Seat 2: Ruslan Dykshteyn – 3,550,000 (30 bb)
Seat 3: Sam Wynder – 2,400,000 (20 bb)
Seat 4: Tracy Potter – 835,000 (7 bb)
Seat 5: Song O – 5,240,000 (44 bb)
Seat 6: Brandon Ageloff – 5,500,000 (46 bb)
Seat 7: Daniel Taylor – 11,750,000 (98 bb)
Seat 8: Benjamin Miner – 4,185,000 (35 bb)
Seat 9: Francois Zayas – 11,385,000 (95 bb)
Seat 10: Richard Trippensee – 2,600,000 (22 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: – $204,320 + Trophy
2nd: – $125,229
3rd: – $65,910
4th: – $51,410
5th: – $37,239
6th: – $28,341
7th: – $21,750
8th: – $15,818
9th: – $11,205
10th – $7,250

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 28: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 3,570

With the board reading , Dustin Schaller bet 360,000 in the small blind and Daniel Taylor raised to 960,000 from the big. After several minutes of consideration, Schaller announced all in and Taylor quickly called the 2,100,000 bet.

Schaller:
Taylor:

Schaller was drawing dead to Taylor’s flopped straight and he was sent out in 11th place.

Tournament staff paused the clock and they are redrawing for seats at the final table.

Daniel Taylor – 10,100,000 (84 bb)
Dustin Schaller – Eliminated in 11th place ($7,250)

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 28: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 11 of 3,570

Ruslan Dykshteyn was the next to take a shot with his short stack and Emile Schiff called to put the former SHRPO champ at risk.

Dykshteyn:
Schiff:

Dykshteyn hit one of his live cards on the flop and made two pair on the turn. Schiff had a diamond draw but the river sent a huge double up to Dykshteyn while leaving Schiff as the short stack.

He got all in a few hands later and Francois Fayas’ kings caught a set to send him out in 11th place.

Ruslan Dykshteyn – 3,300,000 (28 bb)
Emile Schiff – Eliminated in 12th place ($7,250)

$360 Ultimate Re-Entry No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 28: 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 12 of 3,570

Daniel Taylor opened to 325,000 from early position and Richard Whitebrook called in the small blind to see the flop. He checked-raised all in for 2,600,000 and Taylor quickly called to put him at risk.

Whitebrook:
Taylor:

Whitebrook’s flopped top pair/top kicker was cooler by Taylor’s big pair and he couldn’t find a save on the turn or river to exit in 13th place.

Daniel Taylor – 7,200,000 (60 bb)
Richard Whitebrook – Eliminated in 13th place ($5,932)