2018 Rock N’ Roll Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event 3
$360 HORSE 
Entries: 98
Prize Pool: $24,400 
November 15, 2018 

Sebastien Soares doesn’t get the opportunity to play mixed games very often. Living in Montreal for most of the year, they mostly spread no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha.

He got a chance to play a few different games on Thursday and in the early hours of Friday morning, he shipped his first Hard Rock trophy in the $360 HORSE. He defeated Barry Levy heads-up to best the 98-entry field and earned $8,965 for his first victory in South Florida.

“I slipped one of these tournaments in the past,” said Soares. “I got second place. I felt good today, so I wanted to win.”

Soares owns two restaurants in Montreal and lives there most of the year. He has a second home in South Florida, which allowed him to get away from the cold, and the big bet games, and get into Thursday’s mixed event.

“Back in Montreal, we don’t have these mixed games tournaments often,” said Soares.

The Canadian was cruising for most of the tournament. He had the chip lead with two tables left, just outside of the money and never lost it from there.

He came into the final table with the chip lead, continued to chip up and started heads-up play with a 3-to-1 chip lead over Levy, a native of New York.

“I was playing good, but I was obviously getting good cards and good flops. I just kept going,” said Soares about his performance.

Soares won the majority of the pots, and all of the key ones, heads-up before putting Levy away in limit hold’em when they got all in preflop with Soares’ ace-five against Levy’s pocket eights. Soares flopped the wheel and Levy picked up $5,513 for his runner-up finish.

The 98-entry field paid out the top 13 spots. Carey Pickus, who finished runner-up to Phil Hui in this event last year, finished one spot worse this year. She finished third for $3,381.

Hard Rock mixed regulars Joel Harwood and John Holley also made the final table. Harwood, father of poker pro Loni, finished fifth for $1,720, and Holley busted in seventh for $1,169. Poker reporter Mickey Doft finished just shy of the final table. He took home $809 for his 11th place finish. He now has a mixed game cash every year over the last four years of his budding poker career.

Here is a look at the full results:

1st: Sebastien Soares – $8,965
2nd: Barry Levy – $5,513
3rd: Carey Pickus – $3,381
4th: Michael Barry – $2,205
5th: Joel Harwood – $1,720
6th: Antonio Pezzi – $1,374
7th: John Holley – $1,169
8th: Mark Hurst – $1,014
9th: Kevin Nettle – $897
10th: Mihails Morozovs – $809
11th: Mickey Doft – $809
12th: James Juvanic – $809
13th: Michael Sopko – $735

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23: 25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 1 of 98

Limit Hold’em 

Sebastien Soares raised on the button and Barry Levy made it three bets out of the big blind. Soares raised to force Levy all in for the extra 5,000.

Soares showed and needed help against Levy’s .

“Good luck,” said Levy.

The flop came and Soares flopped the wheel to leave Levy drawing to runners.

“Not that much luck,” said Levy with a chuckle.

The turn was the and the river was the . Levy was eliminated and Soares won the tournament. Levy earned $5,513 for his runner-up finish and Soares took home the trophy and $8,965 for his victory.

Sebastien Soares – $360 HORSE Champion
Barry Levy – Eliminated 

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23: 25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 2 of 98

Omaha Hi-Lo 

Carey Pickus raised on the button and Sebastien Soares made it three bets out of the small blind. Pickus capped it and Soares called.

The flop was and Soares bet. Pickus called and was all in for her last 15,000.

Soares showed and was in the lead against Pickus’ .

The turn was the and the river was the . Soares scooped the whole pot with a pair of fives and Pickus was out in third for $3,381. Soares goes heads-up against Barry Levy for the trophy with about 75% of the chips in play.

Sebastien Soares – 840,000
Carey Pickus – Eliminated 

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22: 20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 3 of 98

Stud Hi 

Michael Barry: / /
Barry Levy: / /

Michael Barry got his last 44,000 into the middle on third street against Barry Levy. Levy started with buried sixes and was in the lead.

Neither improved as the boards ran out like they did above and Levy won the pot with a pair of sixes to eliminate Barry in fourth for $2,205.

Barry Levy – 475,000
Michael Barry – Eliminated 

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22: 20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 4 of 98

Stud Hi

Carey Pickus: / /
Michael Barry: / /

Carey Pickus got all in on third street for about 60,000 against Michael Barry. Barry spiked an ace on fourth street to take the lead against Pickus’ buried queens, but she rivered two pair to stay alive, leaving Barry as the short stack.

Carey Pickus – 120,000
Michael Barry – 44,000

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 15,000/30,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 4 of 98

Omaha Hi-Lo 

Joel Harwood was getting up from his seat and Barry Levy was scooping the pot.

The completed board read and Levy had tabled , good for the second nut straight. Harwood showed and was eliminated in fifth place for $1,720.

Barry Levy – 400,000
Joel Harwood – Eliminated 

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21: 15,000/30,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 5 of 98

Hold’em 

Sebastien Soares limped in from the small blind and Antonio Pezzi checked his option in the big blind. The flop is and Soares bet.

Pezzi called and the turn was the . Soares bet again and Pezzi called, leaving himself with just 9,000. The river was the and Soares bet the river. Pezzi folded.

On the next hand, Soares raised on the button and Pezzi committed the last of his chips from the small blind. Barry Levy defended his big blind and created a side pot between himself and Soares.

The flop was . Levy checked and Soares bet. Levy called. The turn was the and Levy checked again. Soares bet and Levy called.

The river was the and both players check. Soares shows , Levy showed and Pezzi tabled .

Soares won the pot and Pezzi hit the rail in sixth place for $1,374.

Sebastien Soares – 420,000
Barry Levy – 187,000
Antonio Pezzi – Eliminated 

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20: 12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 6 of 98

Stud Hi-Lo

John Holley: / /
Sebastien Soares: / /

Sebastien Soares was the bring-in and John Holley completed. Soares defended.

Holley bet the last of his chips on fourth and Soares called. Holley showed four to a flush and was up against three low cards and a pair of sevens.

Over the course of the runout, Holley could only improve to a pair of threes and Soares never improved. Soares won the pot with a pair of sevens and Holley was eliminated in seventh.

Sebastien Soares – 315,000
John Holley – Eliminated

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 7 of 98

Stud Hi 

Carey Pickus: [x][x] / / [x]
John Holley: [x][x] / / [x]

Carey Pickus completed on third and John Holley raised. On fourth, Pickus checked and Holley bet. Pickus called.

On fifth, both players checked. Pickus led out on sixth and seventh. Holley called both bets.

Pickus showed in the hole, good for two pair, and Holley mucked his hand.

Carey Pickus – 265,000
John Holley – 25,000

$360 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining: 7 of 98

Omaha Hi-Lo

On the turn with the board reading , Sebastien Soares led out from the small blind. Antonio Pezzi folded from the big blind and Mark Hurst thought for a minute before moving all in for 35,000. Soares quickly called.

“I’ve got the boat,” said Soares.

Soares had half the pot locked up with and needed to fade a low card to scoop against Hurst’s .

The river was the and Soares scooped the pot to eliminate Hurst in eighth place for $1,014.

Sebastien Soares – 385,000
Mark Hurst – Eliminated