2019 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 25
$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha 
Entries:  84
Prize Pool:  $81,480
January 22, 2019

“I was long overdue for a trophy at the Hard Rock.”

After a couple of deep runs in previous tournaments here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, Matty Bretzfield overcame a field of 84 entries to win the final event of the Lucky Hearts Poker Open — $1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha.

From the Money Bubble to the end of the tournament, Bretzfield held the chip lead most of the way. The final five players agreed to a deal to split the remaining prizepool, and as chipleader, Bretzfield won the title, the trophy, and $15,323.

“It’s 4 am, that’s why I wanted to chop so bad — I’m really tired. But it feels really good, and I’m really happy. I chopped with good people.”

It was a long night for the players at the final table, as it took nearly three hours to drop from 12 players to eight.

Bretzfield has a few victories under his belt, but he really wanted a trophy from Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, especially after finishing 10th in last August’s SHRPO Championship (earning a career-best $62,415), and 11th yesterday in Event #21, $2,500 No Limit Hold’em.

“The trophy means a lot to me. It’s a sense of accomplishment. My mom just moved down here about two months ago, and she’s never seen me win a trophy. She’s just seen the ones I already have. So now I get to go home and bring it to her, and that means a lot to me.”

This is Bretzfield’s first trophy from the Seminole Hard Rock, but he doesn’t plan on it being his last.

“I just started tournament poker seriously back in August. Now I’m on the circuit grinding and it feels great. Living my dream, living in paradise.”

Final Results:

1st:  Matthew Bretzfield  –  $15,323 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  Sam Sweilem  –  $14,804
3rd:  Tom Guedj  –  $12,495
4th:  Robert Banks  –  $10,891
5th:  Joseph Rahman  –  $10,307
6th:  Joseph Irgon  –  $4,074
7th:  Mario Cohen  –  $3,381
8th:  Zachary Milchman  –  $2,852
9th:  Farid Dhanani  –  $2,628
10th:  Eitan Elbaz-Dahan  –  $2,444
11th:  Mathyeu Provost  –  $2,281

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 16: 6,000/12,000
Players Remaining: 5 of 84

When Level 15 came to an end, the final five players agreed to a deal to split up the remaining prizepool. These were the official chip counts:

1.  Matty Bretzfield  –  367,000  (31 bb)
2.  Sam Snead  –  339,000  (28 bb)
3.  Tom Guedj  –  232,000  (19 bb)
4.  Timothy Banks  –  171,000  (14 bb)
5.  Joseph Rahman  –  151,000  (13 bb)

And these were the payouts agreed to:

1st:  Matty Bretzfield  –  $15,323
2nd:  Sam Snead  –  $14,804
3rd:  Tom Guedj  –  $12,495
4th:  Timothy Banks  –  $10,891
5th:  Joseph Rahman  –  $10,307

Stay tuned for a recap from this event, which will be posted later tonight.

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 15: 5,000/10,000
Players Remaining: 5 of 84

Sam Snead raised under the gun to 10,000, Joseph Irgon moved all in from the hijack for 22,000, Matt Bretzfield called from the big blind, and Snead also called.

Bretzfield and Snead checked all the way down on a board of , and all three players turned over their cards.

Matt Bretzfield:    (two pair, jacks and sevens)
Sam Snead:    (pair of queens)
Joseph Irgon:    (pair of nines)

Bretzfield won the pot with his two pair to eliminate Irgon in sixth place.

Matt Bretzfield  –  468,000  (47 bb)
Joseph Irgon  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($4,074)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 252,000 (25 big blinds).

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 15: 5,000/10,000
Players Remaining: 6 of 84

Mario Cohen was all in preflop against Matt Bretsfield.

Matt Bretzfield:  
Mario Cohen:  

The board came , and Bretzfield won the pot with a pair of aces to eliminate Cohen in seventh place.

Matt Bretzfield  –  420,000  (42 bb)
Mario Cohen  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($3,381)

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 14: 4,000/8,000
Players Remaining: 7 of 84

Zack Milchman was all in preflop from the button for 37,000 against Sam Snead in the cutoff.

Zack Milchman:  
Sam Snead:  

The board came , and Snead won the pot with a flopped set of deuces to eliminate Milchman in eighth place.

Sam Snead  –  280,000  (35 bb)
Zack Milchman  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($2,852)

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 14: 4,000/8,000
Players Remaining: 8 of 84

Sam Snead limped under the gun for 8,000, Jordan Dhanani called from middle position, and Tom Guedj raised from the cutoff for 22,000. Snead called, and Dhanani moved all in for 24,000. Guedj and Snead both called.

Snead and Guedj both checked all the way down on a board of , and all three players turned over their cards:

Tom Guedj:    (two pair, kings and queens)
Sam Snead:    (nine high)
Jordan Dhanani:    (ace high)

Guedj won the pot with his pocket kings to eliminate Dhanani in ninth place.

Tom Guedj  –  350,000  (44 bb)
Jordan Dhanani  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($2,628)

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 13: 3,000/6,000
Players Remaining: 9 of 84

Eitan Elbaz-Dahan got it all in preflop for about 45,000 against Tom Guedj.

Tom Guedj:  
Eitan Elbaz-Dahan:  

The board came , and Guedj won the pot with a full house, kings full of tens, to eliminate Elbaz-Dahan in 10th place.

Tom Guedj  –  300,000  (50 bb)
Eitan Elbaz-Dahan  –  Eliminated in 10th Place  ($2,444)

With nine players remaining, the average chip stack is about 140,000 (23 big blinds).

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 12: 2,500/5,000
Players Remaining: 10 of 84

After about 50 minutes of hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble, one of the short stacks moved all in for 55,000, and Tom Guedj quickly called.

Short-Stacked Player:  
Tom Guedj:  

The board came — the short-stacked player flopped a gutshot straight draw, and turned an open-ended straight, but he had to avoid diamonds. The river card was a blank, and the pocket aces held up for Guedj to win the pot and eliminate his opponent in 12th place to burst the Money Bubble.

A few minutes later, Mathyeu Provost was eliminated in 11th place, and the final 10 players combined to the final table.

Mathyeu Provost  –  Eliminated in 11th Place  ($2,444)

These are the updated chip counts at the start of the final table:

Seat 1.  Zack Milchman  –  72,000  (14 bb)
Seat 2.  Jordan Dhanani  –  34,500  (7 bb)
Seat 3.  Timothy Banks  –  98,500  (20 bb)
Seat 4.  Joseph Irgon  –  107,500  (22 bb)
Seat 5.  Tom Guedj  –  281,500  (56 bb)
Seat 6.  Eitan Elbaz-Dahan  –  49,000  (10 bb)
Seat 7.  Mario Cohen  –  92,000  (18 bb)
Seat 8.  Joseph Rahman  –  98,500  (20 bb)
Seat 9.  Matt Bretzfield  –  281,000  (56 bb)
Seat 10.  Sam Snead  –  185,000  (37 bb)

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 11: 2,000/4,000
Players Remaining: 12 of 84

The $1,100 Big Stack PLO field has reached hand for hand play. With one more elimination the final eleven players will secure themselves $2,281.

$1,100 Big Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 9: 1,000/2,000
Players Remaining: 18 of 84

Matt Bretzfield leads the final eighteen players with 130,000. The final eleven will be guaranteed a pay day of at least $2,281.