2021 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 15
$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  556
Prize Pool:  $539,320
January 20, 2021

Event 15 was a one-day event, starting at noon (coinciding with the Presidential Inauguration), and it ended just a few moments before 5:00 am. Eventual winner Chad Eveslage assumed it was a two-day event, and he didn’t learn the truth until after midnight.

But Eveslage didn’t let the misunderstanding affect his play, even as the tournament continued for another four hours, with the payouts increasing to five figures, and for the winner, six figures — $101,572.

It was the third-highest live cash of Eveslage’s career, coming in just behind his 66th-place finish in the 2014 WSOP Main Event. But when the tournament ended, Eveslage seemed more excited about the trophy than the money.

“I think this is my first trophy,” said Eveslage. “I’ve won a tournament, but it only had like 20 people in it, so I didn’t get a trophy or anything.”

“I just got lucky,” said Eveslage. “I didn’t have any really tough decisions, and everything seemed to work out my way. There were a couple of really tough players, and everyone was pretty good. Whoever runs the best is going to win, and this time, it was me.”

Eveslage lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is a regular in the Seminole Hard Rock’s tournaments. What keeps him coming back?

“Big fields and big prizepools,” said Eveslage. “I love this room. I almost wish I didn’t live around here, because I would travel here every time. I’ve never even stayed at the hotel, but it looks sweet.”

Final Results:

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 556

Chad Eveslage raised to 300,000, Nick Pupillo reraised to 900,000, and Eveslage moved all in.

Pupillo called with , but Eveslage turned over a dominating . Pupillo needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came — Eveslage paired his ace on the flop and Pupillo turned a gutshot straight draw, but the river card was a blank. Eveslage won the pot — along with the trophy and $101,572 — with a pair of aces.

Nick Pupillo finished as the runner-up, earning $67,735. Stay tuned for a recap from this event to be posted soon.

Final Table Results:

1st:  Chad Eveslage  –  $101,572 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  Nick Pupillo  –  $67,735
3rd:  David Berman  –  $49,885
4th:  William Watson  –  $37,165
5th:  Igor Pinheiro  –  $28,005
6th:  Scott Stewart  –  $21,350
7th:  Andriy Kovalchuk  –  $14,664

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 556

With the board showing on the turn, Chad Eveslage checked, Nick Pupillo bet 900,000, and Eveslage thought for a while before he called.

The river card was the , Eveslage checked, Pupillo bet 1,400,000, and Eveslage quickly called.

Pupillo showed for a pair of queens, but Eveslage turned over to win the pot — and take the chip lead — with a flopped eight-high straight.

Chad Eveslage  –  7.0 million  (70 bb)
Nick Pupillo  –  4.0 million  (40 bb)

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 556

David Berman got it all in from the big blind for about 1.6 million with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Nick Pupillo on the button.

The board came — Berman briefly thought he won the pot when he turned a spade flush, but then he realized that Pupillo had flopped a set of eights and turned a full house.

Pupillo won the pot with his full house to eliminate Berman in third place.

David Berman  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($49,885)

Here are the approximate chip counts for the start of heads-up play:

Nick Pupillo  –  7.7 million  (77 bb)
Chad Eveslage  –  3.4 million  (34 bb)

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 556

William Watson got it all in from the big blind for about 1.3 million with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Chad Eveslage in the small blind.

The board came , and Eveslage paired his four on the flop and rivered trips to win the pot and eliminate Watson in fourth place.

Chad Eveslage  –  3,250,000  (33 bb)
William Watson  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($37,165)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 3.7 million (37 big blinds), and they are all guaranteed at least $49,885 each.

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 556

Nick Pupillo raised under the gun to 200,000, Chad Eveslage called from the button, and David Berman moved all in from the big blind for 900,000.

Pupillo folded, and Eveslage asked for an exact count before he called with . Berman turned over , and needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came — Eveslage turned an open-ended straight draw, but improved no further. Berman won the pot with his pocket sevens to double up in chips.

David Berman  –  2,150,000  (22 bb)
Chad Eveslage  –  1,625,000  (16 bb)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2.78 million (28 big blinds), and they are all guaranteed at least $37,165 each.

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 556

David Berman got it all in from the small blind for 525,000 with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of William Watson on the button.

The board came , and Berman won the pot with a flopped pair of tens to double up in chips.

David Berman  –  1,250,000  (13 bb)
William Watson  –  2,100,000  (21 bb)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2.78 million (28 big blinds), and they are all guaranteed at least $37,165 each.

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 556

With the final board showing , Nick Pupillo moved all in for 1,150,000, and William Watson called with for trip eights.

But Pupillo turned over to win the pot with a ten-high straight and double up in chips.

Nick Pupillo  –  3,700,000  (49 bb)
William Watson  –  3,025,000  (40 bb)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2.78 million (37 big blinds), and they are all guaranteed at least $37,165 each.

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 556

In the last hand before the break, William Watson raised under the gun to 150,000, Nick Pupillo reraised from the small blind to 480,000, and Watson called.

The flop came , Pupillo bet 500,000, and Watson thought for a while before he called. The turn card was the , and both players checked.

The river card was the , Pupillo checked, Watson bet 600,000, and Pupillo tanked for a very long time (this hand went nearly four minutes into the break) before he folded. Watson took the pot.

The players went on their break, and these are the official chip counts from the table:

Seat 1.  Chad Eveslage  –  2,450,000  (33 bb)
Seat 2.  William Watson  –  5,125,000  (68 bb)
Seat 3.  David Berman  –  1,375,000  (18 bb)
Seat 4.  Nick Pupillo  –  2,175,000  (29 bb)

And the payouts still up for grabs:

1st:  $101,572 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $67,735
3rd:  $49,885
4th:  $37,165

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2.78 million (37 big blinds), and they are all guaranteed at least $00000 each.

$1,100 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 556

William Watson raised from the button to 150,000, Igor Pinheiro moved all in from the small blind for 1,105,000, and Watson asked for an exact count before he called with .

Pinheiro turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket fives held up for Watson to win the pot and eliminate Pinheiro in fifth place.

William Watson  –  5,240,000  (87 bb)
Igor Pinheiro  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($28,005)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2.78 million (46 big blinds), and they are all guaranteed at least $37,165 each.