The second to last day of the 2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open wrapped up on Tuesday night.
Phil Hui won the $300 HORSE event, which was the only trophy awarded, while the final three flights of the $150 no limit hold’em re-entry event wrapped up and the final table of the $3,500 Championship event reached its six-handed final table.
Ari Engel leads a stacked final table of the Championship event. They will restart on Wednesday at noon to play a televised final table. The final day will be a busy one with four events playing to a winner.
A closer look at Wednesday’s schedule will be posted in the morning.
2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Florida Event 15 $300 HORSE Entries: 53 Prize Pool: $13,515 November 28, 2017
$300 HORSE Champion Phil Hui
If there is a mixed games event at the Hard Rock, Phil Hui is usually in the field and favorite to take the whole thing down. In one of the last events of the 2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open, he did just that.
Hui defeated a 53-entry field to win the $300 HORSE event. In a four-way deal, Hui got nearly original first place money. What was scheduled to be a $5,000 first place payout was still $4,782 in the deal.
“I just ran pure when the levels were high,” said Hui. “Just stayed patient and not waste any bets and try to get it in good. And I ran good.”
Hui made his mark on the poker world when he broke through for a bracelet at the 2014 World Series of Poker in the $3,000 Omaha Hi-Lo event. Since then, he’s been regarded as one of the better mixed game players around.
Living in Florida, it can be tough to find a mixed game. Most of the games in the state are big bet games, but he still finds a way to stay sharp.
“If I want to play [mix], I’ll fly up to Philly and play cash at Parx,” said Hui. “Other than that, I just play these small tournaments during the series.”
Before becoming a full-time poker pro, Hui made his living as a professional golfer. Golfers tend to gamble quite a bit and it was on the tour where he got hooked on poker.
Unlike most pros his age, he didn’t get his start playing no limit hold’em.
“That’s how I learned how to play poker,” said Hui. “PLO8 was the first game I learned. And badugi before no limit hold’em.”
After getting a grasp of the game with his fellow golfers, he decided to leave the tour and play poker full time. He met a few other poker players who gave him some more in-depth strategy advice on no limit hold’em.
“In 2010, I met Rob Salaburu and some internet guys that taught me how to raise and three-bet,” joked Hui.
While he’s been a highly successful poker pro, the urge to get back out on the golf course and play on the PGA tour is in the back of his mind. A transition back to golf, would mean no time on the felt for Hui.
“It’s still up in the air,” said Hui. “I really do want to go back and give it one more shot. It would be 100% commitment to golf and no poker.”
While he never reached the PGA tour, he was quite successful on the tours just below it. If there wasn’t a change in the procedure, we might have seen Hui on television battling it out with the game’s best golfers instead of battling poker’s best players on the felt.
“I was pretty good,” said Hui about his time on the ‘mini tours.’ “I was top five on our money list. I almost got my card, but they changed the structure as to how you get your card, so it was a two-year process instead of one. So, I just decided to turn to poker.”
Results:
1st: Phil Hui – $4,782* 2nd: Carey Pickus – $2,300* 3rd: Georges Boyadjian – $2,000* 4th: Wally Maddah – $2,000* 5th: Harold Klein – $1,014 6th: Dennis O’Connor – $811 7th: Ricardo Quintero – $608
$3,500 RRPO Championship (Re-Entry) Championship Structure | Payouts Returning to Level 29: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante Players Remaining: 6 of 585
Ari Engel will return for the final day with the chip lead
Six players remain with a chance to win the RRPO Championship along with $374,240 for the title. Eight-time WSOP Circuit champ Ari Engel made a late move and will return tomorrow as the chip leader with Matas Cimbolas in second place.
Tom Marchese, Michael Newman, and SHRP team members Darryll Fish and Sheddy round out the tough final table to be played out in front of the Poker Night in America camera.
Seat 1: Darryll Fish – 2,385,000 (30 bb) Seat 2: Michael Newman – 3,360,000 (42 bb) Seat 3: Tom Marchese – 1,050,000 (13 bb) Seat 4: Matas Cimbolas – 3,680,000 (46 bb) Seat 5: Ari Engel – 4,495,000 (56 bb) Seat 6: Sheddy Siddiqui – 2,580,000 (32 bb)
After Klein’s fifth place elimination, the final four players agreed to a chop. With Phil Hui having such a massive chip lead, he takes credit for the win.
Carey Pickus, Wally Maddah, and Georges Boyadjian were also involved in the chop. Here are the details:
1st: Phil Hui – $4,782 2nd: Carey Pickus – $2,300 3rd: Georges Boyadjian – $2,000 4th: Wally Maddah – $2,000
$3,500 RRPO Championship (Re-Entry) Championship Structure | Payouts Level 29: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante Players Remaining: 6 of 585
Denis Cyr
Michael Newman limped from under the gun with Denis Cyr having a lot of his stack already in the big blind. Ari Engel raised to 375,000 from the cutoff and Cyr called all in for his last 125,000.
Newman called then checked the flop and Engel bet 400,000. Newman mucked and the cards were flipped up.
Cyr: Engel:
Engel was ahead with ace-high but Cyr added an open-ended straight draw on the turn. No save on the river and Cyr was eliminated in seventh place.
The clock was paused with 46 minutes and 14 seconds remaining in Level 29. The final six players will return tomorrow at noon to play for the Championship in front of the Poker Night in America cameras.
Ari Engel – 4,495,000 (56 bb) Denis Cyr – Eliminated in 7th place ($62,200)
2017 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Florida Event 12 $150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Entries: 1,027 Prize Pool: $123,240 November 27-29, 2017
$3,500 RRPO Championship (Re-Entry) Championship Structure | Payouts Level 29: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante Players Remaining: 7 of 585
Michael Newman used his verbal skills to win a hand against Matas Cimbolas. He opened to 180,000 and called a three-bet from Cimbolas to 550,000. They checked the flop and Newman bet 200,000 after the turn. Newman began talking while Cimbolas thought about it.
He eventually called and Newman quickly bet 400,000 after the river.
“Ace high is no good,” Newman said. “I’m telling you.”
Cimbolas waited a few minutes, smiled, and mucked his hand.
Newman flipped over king-high to get a round of applause from everyone, including Cimbolas.
flop and Engel bet 400,000. Newman mucked and the cards were flipped up.
turn. No save on the 
river and Cyr was eliminated in seventh place.
flop and Newman bet 200,000 after the 
turn. Newman began talking while Cimbolas thought about it.
river.
to get a round of applause from everyone, including Cimbolas.
.
on sixth and Klein hit the 
. Hui bricked his river, showing the