Event 2: John Binns Earns Omaha 8 or Better Title

2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 2

$300 Omaha 8 or Better (Re-Entry)
Entries: 74
Prize Pool: $18,870
November 15, 2017

John Binns

John Binns took home the first trophy of the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open on Wednesday night. He topped a 74-entry field in the $300 Omaha 8-or-Better event, earning $6,605 in the process.

It’s Binns’ first trophy from the Seminole Hard Rock, but he’s won several other events from around the country and is no stranger to poker.

The Cape Coral resident travels around the country playing poker full-time after retiring from his business career. He’s been playing poker for longer than most people have been alive and built his foundation for this game in his early days of playing.

“Years and years ago back in the ’70s when we played this, we used to play a game called ‘Manny, Mo and Jack,'” said Binns after the win. “You could use one, two or three cards in your hand. Yeah, I’ve played this game since the ’70s.

When the field redrew to the unofficial final table with 10 players remaining, Binns was one of the shortest stacks at the table. With blinds of 3,000/5,000 and 5,000/10,000 limits, Binns only had just a tad over three big bets with 32,000.

By the time, there were five players remaining, however, Binns held a massive chip lead that he never let go. He eliminated Jason Lopesilvero in third and defeated Stephen Reid heads-up to earn the title.

“I got on a real good run,” said Binns. “I got some real good cards and I got some action. I just doubled up and I doubled up and I doubled up again.”

Final Results:

1st: John Binns – $6,605
2nd: Stephen Reid – $3,585
3rd: Jason Lopesilvero – $2,264
4th: Michael Moed – $1,698
5th: David Carvara – $1,321
6th: MIchael Guardino – $1,132
7th: Perry Werber – $944
8th: John Reese – $755
9th: Marty Raschkovan – $566

Event 2: John Binns vs. Stephen Reid for the Trophy

$360 Omaha 8 or Better 
Level 19: 5,000/15,000 Blinds, 15,000/30,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 2 of 74

John Binns vs. Stephen Reib

After the start of the new level, Jason Lopesilvero was eliminated in third place by John Binns. Lopesilvero earned $2,264 and Binns begins heads-up play against Stephen Reid with a massive chip lead.

The runner-up will earn $3,585, but the winner takes home $6,605 and the trophy.

Here are the approximate chip counts at the start of heads-up play:

John Binns – 600,000
Stephen Reid – 110,000

Event 2: Jason Lopesilvero Doubles Through John Binns

$360 Omaha 8 or Better 
Level 18: 5,000/10,000 Blinds, 10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 3 of 74

Over the course of the first 20 minutes of the level, David Carvara and Michael Moed were eliminated in fifth and fourth, respectively. Carvara took home $1,321 and Moed earned $1,698, while Binns added on to his chip lead.

With three players remaining, Jason Lopesilvero got his last 50,000 into the middle preflop on the button against Binns in the small blind.

Lopesilvero showed AcAd2c5d and is up against Binns’ As4d5hTc. The board runs out JhTc9c6sJs and Lopesilvero doubles up with aces up just before the end of the level.

Jason Lopesilvero – 110,000
John Binns – 500,000

Event 2: John Binns Leads With Five Remaining

$360 Omaha 8 or Better 
Level 18: 5,000/10,000 Blinds, 10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 5 of 74

John Binns

In just a couple levels, the final table participants have been cut in half and one of the smaller stacks became the chip leader.

The money bubble burst when Steven Pollack hit the rail 10th place, leaving the final nine players in the money. John Binns, who came into the redraw with just 32,000 in chips, roughly three big bets, is now the chip leader. He’s ran his stack up to 380,000 over the last few levels.

Here are the payouts up to this point:

6th: Michael Guardino – $1,132
7th: Perry Werber – $944
8th: John Reese – $755
9th: Marty Raschkovan – $566

Event 2: Stephen Reid Leads Final 10

$300 Omaha 8 or Better
Level 15: 3,000/5,000 blinds, 5,000/10,000 limits
Players Remaining: 10 of 74

The $300 Omaha 8 or better event is down to the last table. The final 10 players have redrawn for seats at the unofficial final table of 10. With one more elimination, the final nine players will be in the money and also credited with making a final table.

Here is a look at the seating arrangement and chip counts for the final 10 players:

Seat 1: Michael Guardino – 60,000
Seat 2: Jason Lopesilvero – 42,000
Seat 3: Marty Raschkovan – 29,000
Seat 4: Perry Webber – 140,000
Seat 5: John Reese – 45,000
Seat 6: Michael Moed – 79,000
Seat 7: John Binns – 32,000
Seat 8: Steve Pollack – 55,000
Seat 9: David Carvara – 59,000
Seat 10: Stephen Reid – 183,000

Here is a look at the payouts for the final nine who make the money:

1st: $6,605
2nd: $3,585
3rd: $2,264
4th: $1,698
5th: $1,321
6th: $1,132
7th: $944
8th: $755
9th: $566

Event 2: Prize Pool Released with $6,605 Up Top

$300 Omaha 8 or Better
Payouts
Level 9: 1,000/2,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 32 of 74

Registration closed for the Omaha/8 tournament with officially 74 entries creating a prize pool worth $18,870. The final table nine will each take home some money with a min-cash earning $566 and the Event 2 champion banking $6,605 along with the trophy.

Event 2 payouts:

1st: $6,605
2nd: $3,585
3rd: $2,264
4th: $1,698
5th: $1,321
6th: $1,132
7th: $944
8th: $755
9th: $566

Event 2: Omaha Talent

$300 Omaha 8 or Better
Structure
Level 6: 500/1,000 Limits
Entrants: 63

Phil Hui

We promised a talented group of players in the smaller Omaha/8 event and we found some tough ones mixing it up after the first break.

Phil Hui decided to skip the first flights of the Ultimate Re-Entry to take a shot at the split-pot game. He has $1.35 million in career earnings including one WSOP bracelet and four WSOP Circuit rings. Hui earned his bracelet in the 2014 WSOP $3,000 Omaha/8 event so he’s comfortable in the meeting room.

Joel Harwood is the father of two-time WSOP bracelet winner (and SHRP team member) Loni Harwood but he has plenty of results of his own. He has $168,000 in career earnings but went 25 years between tournaments victories. Harwood won a Gold Coast tournament in 1991 and picked up his second with a win during last year’s Everglades Poker Open. While it was a while between titles, he still banked plenty of cash with big runs including four SHRP Omaha runner-up finishes.

Finally, Michael Moed is making his return to SHRP tournaments and he has the skill to earn the title. He moved over $200,000 in 2015 and owns six SHRP trophies with five of them coming in Omaha/8 games.

We have the makings of a tough final table later this evening.

Joel Harwood
Michael Moed

Event 2: Munley Flies South

$300 Omaha 8 or Better
Structure
Level 2: 150/300 Limits
Entrants: 38

Bill Munley

We are keeping one eye on the Omaha/8 event running in the meeting room, checking for notable players and those with a chance to take home the first title of the series.

Bill “Bumpereno” Munley began his day at a short-handed table that quickly filled after the start. He’s an east coast pro down here in the Sunshine State looking for his first SHRP cash. Munley is no stranger to the non-hold’em games and owns four trophies from a career with nearly $175,000 in earnings. Those four titles all came in Stud games but he had a near miss with a second place finish in a Borgata Spring Poker Open Omaha/8 event.