2018 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 6
$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
Entries: 122
Prize Pool: $122,000
Bounty Prize Pool: $61,000
January 15, 2018

Keith Morrow has made plans to win at least 10 poker tournaments this year. It’s a lofty goal, but he’s already setting a good pace toward it.

Morrow just won the $1,650 Purple Chip Bounty, collecting the trophy and the top prize of $35,378. He also notched 11 bounties worth another $500 apiece.

The 28-year-old Morrow is a professional player from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He comes from a cash game background, but he’s recently been transitioning into tournament poker.

It’s going well so far. Morrow has earned well over $300,000 over the last three years, including a six-figure score in a WPT event in 2016.

“I’ve had a few [cashes] that were bigger than this,” he said, “but this is my first win.” Indeed, it is his first live tournament victory on record.

An eager Morrow began the final table with the most chips, and he ended it with all of them.

It took about six hours of play to settle the issue on Day 2, with Morrow finding himself heads-up with a big lead against Veerab Zakarian for the trophy. The duel was over within a few hands.

This victory represents a new beginning for Morrow. “I took some time off over the last couple months to work on myself,” he said. “I wanted to start the year fresh.”

He spent the holiday season reading, relaxing, and “taking things in,” as he put it. “Basically slowing my life down a little bit,” he said. “I wanted to see where that leads.”

Tonight, it’s led him into the winner’s circle at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

Final table results:

1st: Keith Morrow – $35,378
2nd: Veerab Zakarian – $20,960
3rd: Harjinder Chawla – $13,115
4th: Lukas Pribyl – $8,235
5th: Manny Tarich – $6,100
6th: Jacob Snider – $5,246
7th: Novica Miskovic – $4,545
8th: Gavin O’Rourke – $4,026
9th: Doyle Scott Elliott – $3,538

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 21: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 122

Heads-up play lasted just a few hands.

In one of the early pots, Veerab Zakarian opened the button with a raise, and Keith Morrow three-bet to 100,000 in the big blind. Zakarian shoved for around 400,000 total, and Morrow called to put him at risk.

Zakarian:
Morrow:

The flop was a good sweat, giving Morrow a flush draw with two cards to come. The on the turn filled that draw, but Zakarian picked up outs to a full house or better. He needed the board to pair to extend the match. The river was the , though, the final card of the day.

Morrow took the pot with the nut flush, winning Event 6 for $35,378. He also collected 11 bounties worth $500 apiece along the way. More about his victory will be published later this evening.

Zakarian was forced to settle for the runner-up consolation prize of $21,960.

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 21: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 122

In a family pot, the three players saw the flop come . Harjinder Chawla checked from the small blind, and Keith Morrow bet 27,000. Veerab Zakarian called on the button, and Chawla check-raised all in for just over 300,000 total. Morrow re-shoved with the big stack, and Zakarian folded out of the way.

Chawla was at risk, and he was drawing.

Chawla: (flush draw)
Morrow: (two pair)

The turn and completed the board with blanks, and Morrow won the pot with aces up.

Chawla was eliminated in third place, leaving the other two heads-up for the trophy in Event 6.

Keith Morrow – 1,045,000 (13 bb)
Veerab Zakarian – 420,000 (53 bb)
Harjinder Chawla – Eliminated

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 21: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 122

Action folded around to the blinds where Lukas Pribyl moved all in for about 150,000 in the small. Harjinder Chawla called in the big, putting Pribyl at risk.

Pribyl:
Chawla:

The flop was a miss for Chawla, and the turn was even worse than a miss. That card gave Pribyl a flush draw, removing two of his opponent’s outs. It didn’t matter, though. The river was the , and Chawla rivered the knockout with kings up.

Pribyl was eliminated in fourth place.

Harjinder Chawla – 515,000 (64 bb)
Lukas Pribyl – Eliminated

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 20: 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 122

Manny Tarich moved all in for about 200,000 in the cutoff, and Keith Morrow called to put him at risk on the button.

Tarich:
Morrow:

The race was on, and Morrow’s horse was too fast. The board ran out . He won the pot with aces up, eliminating Tarich in the process.

Keith Morrow – 510,000 (85 bb)
Manny Tarich – Eliminated

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 20: 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 122

Lukas Pribyl moves all in for 87,000 on the button, and Manny Tarich calls to put him at risk from the big blind.

Pribyl:
Tarich:

“Can I fade it, or am I on a downward trend?” Tarich asked.

He was on a downward trend. The board ran out , and Pribyl won the race to double up with aces up.

Lukas Pribyl – 182,000 (30 bb)
Manny Tarich – 240,000 (40 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 2,500/5,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 122

Jacob Snider got his last 10 big blinds into the middle preflop on a coin flip against his neighbor, Veerab Zakarian.

Snider:
Zakarian:

The board ran out , and Zakarian won the pot with a set of nines.

Snider was eliminated in sixth place.

Veerab Zakarian – 340,000 (68 bb)
Jacob Snider – Eliminated

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 19: 2,500/5,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 122

Harjinder Chawla moved all in for 88,000 from the cutoff, and Jacob Snider called to put him at risk from the big blind.

Chawla:
Snider:

The board ran out , and Chawla doubled up with a pair of queens.

Harjinder Chawla – 181,500 (36 bb)
Jacob Snider – 50,000 (10 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 18: 2,000/4,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 122

Keith Morrow opened with an under-the-gun raise, and Lukas Pribyl three-bet shoved for 78,500 on the button. Morrow called to put him at risk.

Morrow:
Pribyl:

The board ran out , and Pribyl doubled up with aces up.

Lukas Pribyl – 166,000 (42 bb)
Keith Morrow – 305,000 (76 bb)

$1,650 Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 18: 2,000/4,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 122

Jacob Snider opened to 9,000 under the gun, and Veerab Zakarian three-bet to 26,000 next to act. From the cutoff, Novica Miskovic four-bet shoved for 82,000 total. Snider quickly folded, Zakarian quickly called, and Miskovic was at risk.

Zakarian:
Miskovic:

The board ran out , and Zakarian’s aces held to earn him the pot.

Miskovic was eliminated in seventh place.

Veerab Zakarian – 235,000 (59 bb)
Novica Miskovic – Eliminated