2021 Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 1
$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  6,196
Prize Pool:  $2,044,680
November 17 – 21, 2021

The 2021 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open kicked off the series with a $400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament and our players turned it into the biggest field in Florida poker history. It began with 6,196 entries and ended with Michael Laufer holding the biggest stack to win the title along with $160,734 in a six-way final table deal.

That entry number was created over eight starting flights and the turnout topped the previous record that was set in this tournament five years ago. The 2016 RRPO put 5,018 entries into its opening tournament and it was unbeaten until this weekend.

The tournament featured a hefty $1,000,000 guarantee and the 6,196 entries more than doubled the prize pool up to $2,044,680. Another record.

The tournament saw 622 players return for Day 2 already in money and Laufer was firmly above average with 272,000. There were a lot of players in the hunt but Laufer spent a long day accumulating chips and came back for Day 3 among the leaders with only 12 players remaining.

“Day 2 was pretty good,” Laufer said.” “It’s a marathon and had to duck a lot of landmines.”

Three opponents were quickly eliminated after the restart to set the final table. Laufer was in the middle of the pack but that changed after he sent Courtney Rowe out in eighth place. His pocket kings were best against pocket eights for a huge pot the vaulted him into the lead.

“The cards fell the right way,” Lauger said. “I picked the right spots, the right steps.”

After Steven Miller was eliminated in seventh place, the six remaining players quickly came to an agreement to chop up the nearly $875,000 remaining in the prize pool.

Laufer earned $160,734 and the title with his chip lead followed by Alex Petrovic ($155,302), Amed de la Torre ($147,218), Isai Coelle ($139,973), Mali Cagatay ($138,561), and Aaron Valencia ($131,729).

The New Jersey-to-Florida transplant owns a recruiting company and enjoying his time playing our games. He plans to play the Championship next weekend after spending some time with his family.

“It’s the best place I know,” Laufer said of our events. “I don’t even have to go to Vegas. Hard Rock poker, great weather, great people.”

Congratulations Michael and good luck with the rest of the series. All the thanks to our players for your support and for making this tournament a massive success.

Final table results:

1st: Michael Laufer – $160,734 *
2nd: Aleks Petrovic – $155,302 *
3rd: Amed de la Torre – $147,218 *
4th: Isai Coello – $139,973 *
5th: Mali Cagatay – $138,561 *
6th: Aaron Valencia – $131,729 *
7th: Steven Miller – $47,027
8th: Courtney Rowe – $33,737
9th: Victor Carrera – $22,491
* – Denotes results of six-way deal

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 6,196

After Steven Miller was eliminated in seventh place, the six remaining players decided to take a short break to discuss a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool. There was nearly $875,000 still left to pay out and it did not take long to come to an agreement.

Michael Laufer had the chip lead at the time of the deal and earned $160,734 as the champion of the biggest tournament in state history.

Adjusted payouts:

1st: Michael Laufer – $160,734
2nd: Aleks Petrovic – $155,302
3rd: Amed de la Torre – $147,218
4th: Isai Coello – $139,693
5th: Mali Cagatay – $138,561
6th: Aaron Valencia – $131,731

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 6,196

Steven Miller min-raised UTG+1 to 1.2 million, Isai Coello moved all in from the small blind for 8.5 million, and Miller called with .

Coello turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket nines held up for Coello to win the pot and double up in chips.

Isai Coello  –  18,200,000  (30 bb)
Steven Miller  –  1,600,000  (3 bb)

The next hand, Miller moved all in under the gun for 1.6 million, Aaron Valencia called from the hijack, and Mahliyo Cagatay called from the big blind. Any further betting would create a side pot between Cagatay and Valencia.

Both players checked to the river on a board of , and all three players turn over their cards.

Aaron Valencia:    (ace high)
Mahliyo Cagatay:    (pair of kings)
Steven Miller:    (pair of nines)

Cagatay wins the pot with her pair of kings to eliminate Miller in seventh place.

Mahliyo Cagatay  –  19,800,000  (33 bb)
Aaron Valencia  –  16,800,000  (28 bb)
Steven Miller  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($47,027)

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 6,196

Michael Laufer opened to 1,700,000 from under the gun and picked up calls from Aleks Petrovic on the button and Courtney Rowe in the big blind. The flop came and Rowe moved all in for 3,900,000 and Laufer asked for a count. Before the dealer finished, Laufer announced “call” and Petrovic folded.

Laufer:
Rowe:

Rowe ran his eights into a monster pair of kings and could not find a two-out save on the turn or river to exit in eighth place.

Michael Laufer – 25,000,000 (42 bb)
Aleks Petrovic – 25,300,000 (42 bb)
Courtney Rowe – Eliminated in 8th Place ($33,737)

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 6,196

Victor Carrera completed the small blind to 600,000, Mahliyo Cagatay moved all in from the big blind, and Carrera called all in with a very short stack and showed .

Cagatay turned over , and Carrera needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Cagatay paired her king on the turn to win the pot and eliminate Carrera in ninth place.

Mahliyo Cagatay  –  13,200,000  (22 bb)
Victor Carrera  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($22,491)

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 6,196

After the elimination of Mustafa Salim in 10th place, the final nine players redraw for random seats at the final table.

Here is the updated lineup with our estimated chip counts:

Seat 1.  Isai Coello  –  11,775,000  (24 bb)
Seat 2.  Amed de la Torre  –  19,625,000  (39 bb)
Seat 3.  Victor Carrera  –  2,925,000  (6 bb)
Seat 4.  Mahliyo Cagatay  –  11,850,000  (24 bb)
Seat 5.  Steven Miller  –  11,700,000  (23 bb)
Seat 6.  Aleks Petrovic  –  27,050,000  (54 bb)
Seat 7.  Aaron Valencia  –  20,300,000  (41 bb)
Seat 8.  Courtney Rowe  –  4,975,000  (10 bb)
Seat 9.  Michael Laufer  –  13,800,000  (28 bb)

And here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $288,462 + RRPO trophy
2nd:  $179,931
3rd:  $132,904
4th:  $111,435
5th:  $90,988
6th:  $69,519
7th:  $47,027
8th:  $33,737
9th:  $22,491

They will be playing down to a winner this afternoon.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 6,196

After a flop of with about 5.6 million already in the pot, Steven Miller bet 2,000,000 from the small blind. Aleks Petrovic moved all in from the big blind for about 10,700,000, and Mustafa Salim called all in from under the gun for 8,750,000.

Miller thought for a while before he folded.

Salim turned over for an open-ended straight draw, and he needed to improve to stay alive against Petrovic’s (set of tens).

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Petrovic won the pot with a full house, tens full of nines, to eliminate Salim in 10th place.

Aleks Petrovic  –  27,050,000  (54 bb)
Steven Miller  –  11,700,000  (23 bb)
Mustafa Salim  –  Eliminated in 10th Place  ($22,491)

With nine players remaining from a field of 6,196, the average chip stack is worth about 13,775,000 (28 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $22,491 each, and the next pay jump will be $33,737 for 8th place.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  10 of 6,196

Teddy Conner moved all in from the button for 2,925,000, and Amed de la Torre called from the big blind with .

Conner turned over , and was in a dominant position to double up.

But the board came , and de la Torre paired his king on the flop and his queen on the turn to win the pot with two pair, eliminating Conner in 11th place.

Amed de la Torre  –  22,000,000  (44 bb)
Teddy Conner  –  Eliminated in 11th Place  ($15,335)

With 10 players remaining from a field of 6,196, the average chip stack is worth about 11,275,000 (23 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $22,491 each, and the next pay jump will be $33,737 for 8th place.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  11 of 6,196

Tony Ruberto moved all in from the cutoff for about 4.4 million, and Aaron Valencia moved all in over the top from the button with .

Ruberto turned over , and needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Valencia paired his ace on the turn to win the pot and eliminate Ruberto in 12th place.

Aaron Valencia  –  19,500,000  (39 bb)
Tony Ruberto  –  Eliminated in 12th Place  ($15,335)

With 11 players remaining from a field of 6,196, the average chip stack is worth about 11,275,000 (23 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $15,335 each, and the next pay jump will be $22,491 for 10th place.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  12 of 6,196

The final 12 players have retaken their seats, and ready to play down to a winner this afternoon.

It’s time to shuffle up and deal!