2018 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 1
$360 Deep Stack (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guarantee
Entries: 4,558
Prize Pool: $1,367,400
November 14-19, 2018

The 2018 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open” schedule began the two-week series with a huge $1,000,000 Guarantee opening event. The tournament turned into one of the biggest fields in Florida poker history and it drew players from around the country. Trung Pham made his way to town from Texas and will leave with the Event 1 trophy along with $123,364.

After eight starting flights over four days plus a long Day 2, the tournament was down to the last seven players when they agreed to a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool. Pham made big moves late and held the chip lead to take the title with the biggest share of the prize pool.

“I ran really great in the tournament,” Pham said of his run. “I won with jacks against kings (flopped a set), and had a big run.”

Pham made his way to South Florida when he saw the upcoming $2,000,000 WPT RRPO Championship and decided to fire the big opening event as well.

“It’s a $360 tournament with a big guarantee,” he said. “I think the field is tougher than Choctaw but it was a great tournament.”

Speaking of the Oklahoma poker room, Pham picked up his second WSOP Circuit ring two weeks ago and is on a nice heater.

“I’m doing pretty good,” Pham laughed.

The $360 buy-in tournament drew a combined 4,558 entries over the eight starting flights to push the prize pool up to $1,367,400. It produced the third biggest tournament field in state history and Flight G’s 1,014 entries created the second biggest single day (after Day 1 of the 2017 WPT Showdown Champions with 1,207).

Of those 4,558 entries, 676 players advanced to Day 2 with 450 of them set to earn some money. The action was fast and Event 1 was in money well before the first break of Day 2. There was a double elimination on the money bubble with Roberto Alberro and James Gavin splitting a min-cash.

From there, Day 2 came to an end at 3am with 16 players still remaining. Devond Marshall returned for the extra day with the chip lead and stayed among the leaders as the final table formed with ten players.

Several players took their turn at the top but Pham stormed ahead late when he knocked David Maslowski out in eighth place. He held on through James Lloyd’s elimination when the last seven players made the agreement to divide the remaining prize pool giving him the big win.

Congratulations to Pham for the title after a long week of poker and thank you to all of our players for a great start to the series.

Event 1 final table results:

1st: Trung Pham – $123,364 *
2nd: Devond Marshall – $109,854 *
3rd: Kharlin Sued – $106,611 *
4th: Carlos Loving – $102,888 *
5th: David Laufer – $101,146 *
6th: Pavlos Kasselouris – $72,443 *
7th: Lorell Pascual – $68,787 *
8th: James Lloyd – $25,927
9th: David Maslowski – $15,725
10th: Rick Boyle – $10,563
* – denotes results of seven-way deal

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 38: 400,000/800,000 with a 800,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 4,558

With seven remaining players, they decided to pause the clock and discuss a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool. They ran the ICM numbers and quickly agreed to a deal based on the following chip counts:

Trung Pham – 21,475,000
Devond Marshall – 16,150,000
Kharlin Sued – 15,025,000
Carlos Loving – 13,800,000
David Laufer – 13,250,000
Pavlos Kasselouris – 6,050,000
Lorell Pascual – 5,350,000

Trung Pham held the lead at the time and was declared the champions. He earned $123,364 for the win along with the RRPO trophy and custom-framed winner’s photo courtesy of IMPDI.

1st: Trung Pham – $123,364
2nd: Devond Marshall – $109,854
3rd: Kharlin Sued – $106,611
4th: Carlos Loving – $102,888
5th: David Laufer – $101,146
6th: Pavlos Kasselouris – $72,443
7th: Lorell Pascual – $68,787

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 38: 400,000/800,000 with a 800,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 4,558

Trung Pham opened to 2,000,000 from under the gun and David Laufer moved all in next to act for 7,325,000. The rest of the table folded and Pham called.

Laufer:
Pham:

Pham was in position to knock out another player and faded the flop. The turn made no different but Laufer spiked the river to double up.

David Laufer – 16,650,000
Trung Pham – 16,900,000

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 38: 400,000/800,000 with a 800,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 4,558

Action folded to Pavlos Kasselouris and open-shoved his short stack. James Lloyd called all in for less and the rest of the table folded.

Lloyd:
Kasselouris:

Lloyd was in great shape for the double but Kasselouris picked up an open-ended straight draw on the flop that got there on the turn. The river finished and Lloyd was elimnated.

Pavlos Kasselouris – 8,100,000
James Lloyd – Eliminated in 8th place ($25,927)

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 37: 300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 4,558

Trung Pham opened to 1,500,000 from early position and it folded to David Maslowski. He made a move with a shove and James Lloyd folded his big blind. Pham called to create a massive pot.

Maslowsi:
Pham:

Maslowski needed to catch but could not catch on the board to drop down to two big blinds.

A few hands later, Devond Marshall opened to 1,700,000 from the hijack and Maslowski called all in for less. Carlos Loving called the 1,700,000 from the big blind and both live players checked down the board.

Loving:
Marshall:
Maslowski:

Marshall was best with aces up and Maslowski was sent off the final table in ninth place.

Devond Marshall – 18,250,000 (30 bb)
Trung Pham – 23,900,000 (40 bb)
David Maslowski – Eliminated in 9th place ($15,725)

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 37: 300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 4,558

After a bit of a lull, action heated back up when the blinds increased. Pavlos Kasselouris made another move and open-shoved for 3,750,000. It folded to Trung Pham and he called from the button. Kharlin Sued thought for a few minutes in the big blind but released.

Kasselouris:
Pham:

Kasselouris had brief scare when the was in the window but it was followed by the on the flop to get a big sigh from him. The turn and river completed the board to give him another double.

Pavlos Kasselouris – 7,500,000 (13 bb)
Trung Pham – 10,500,000 (18 bb)

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36: 250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 4,558

On the next hand after Trung Pham doubled, short stacked Pavlos Kasselouris open shoved from early position for 3,275,000 and David Laufer put him at risk from the button.

Kasselouris:
Laufer:

Kasselouris was ahead and needed to dodge Laufer’s suited ace and improved to a set on the flop. The turn locked up his hand to the river for his double.

Pavlos Kasselouris – 7,800,000 (16 bb)
David Laufer – 8,775,000 (18 bb)

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36: 250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 4,558

Action folded around to Trung Pham on the button, he looked at his cards, and moved all in. David Laufer was in the small blind and asked for a count. After hearing 7,100,000, he moved all in as well to get a fold from Kharlin Sued in the big.

Pham:
Laufer:

It was another race and the dealer kept the board all low to give Pham the big double.

Trung Pham – 15,200,000 (30 bb)
David Laufer – 12,050,000 (24 bb)

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36: 250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 4,558

In a battle of the blinds, Pavlos Kasselouris was in the small and put David Maslowski all in from the big. Maslowski called at risk and it was a flip.

Maslowski:
Kasselouris:

Kasselouris missed the flop but added a gutshot draw to his over cards. The turn was a blank and Maslowski made an overkill set on the river to double up.

Pavlos Kasselouris – 1,200,000 (2 bb)
David Maslowski – 11,700,000 (23 bb)

$360 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36: 250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 4,558

David Laufer opened to 1,000,000 from middle position and Rick Boyle defended in the big blind to the flop. Both players checked, the turn came and Boyle checked again.

Laufer bet 900,000 and Boyle moved all in for 4,375,000 after a short think. Laufer confirmed the count and called.

Laufer:
Boyle:

Laufer was ahead with the bigger pair and Boyle was eliminated in tenth place after the river.

David Laufer – 19,100,000 (38 bb)
Rick Boyle – Eliminated in 10th place ($10,563)