2021 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 29
$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Entries:  168
Prize Pool:  $336,000
April 27-28, 2021

When Anthony Zinno entered the final event of the 2021 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, he knew that if he made Day 2, he’d have to postpone a trip to visit his family in Rhode Island for the first time since before the pandemic. So if he made it to Day 2, he’d have to make the most of it.

And that’s exactly what he did, winning the title, the trophy, and $68,732 in a heads-up deal with Haim Or Krief.

“Winning my first Seminole Hard Rock trophy feels pretty awesome,” said Zinno, “because it’s not easy in such big fields. Record-breaking fields.”

This $2,200 Deep Stack PLO event was the latest in a string of record-breaking field sizes, with the 168 entries nearly 50% higher than the previous Seminole Hard Rock record for this event.

And it wasn’t just a large field, but an experienced one as well, with some tough PLO players making the final table with Zinno, particularly Leif Force and Dylan Wilkerson.

But while Force was seated on Zinno’s direct right, Wilkerson had position on him, two seats to his left.

The key pot for Zinno was getting it all in with against a short-stacked Wilkerson, who had . The case king fell on the flop to give Zinno the pot and knock out Wilkerson in sixth place.

“Dylan [Wilkerson] was my most formidable opponent,” said Zinno. “Knocking him out was huge for my chances of winning, because instead of doubling him up and having a fierce opponent to my left, he was out and I had more chips. So that was a big momentum shift for me personally at the final table.”

This is Zinno’s fourth Omaha title since 2015, including two WSOP bracelets.

“Omaha is my favorite variant of poker, whether it be four-card PLO high, or five-card PLO, or PLO-8,” said Zinno. “I love all the HORSE games, and I love no-limit hold’em, but Omaha reigns supreme.”

And now Zinno wants to spread his love of the game to more players looking to transition to PLO.

“I’ve been thinking about doing some one-on-one PLO coaching,” said Zinno, “particularly for people who haven’t played much PLO, and want to learn. And this victory is motivation for me to pursue that.”

Final Results:

* Indicates results of a heads-up deal.

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  40,000/80,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 168

Not too long after Anthony Zinno doubled thru Haim Or Krief, they agreed to a deal to split the remaining prizepool.

1st:  Anthony Zinno  –  $68,732 + Trophy
2nd:  Haim Or Krief  –  $66,733

3rd:  Zeevy Malik  –  $38,965
4th:  Leif Force  –  $28,555
5th:  Kevin Ruscitti  –  $21,335
6th:  Dylan Wilkerson  –  $16,255
7th:  Ivaylo Sivinov  –  $12,640
8th:  Thomas Cannuli  –  $9,080

Stay tuned for a recap from this, the final event to finish of the 2021 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown.

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  40,000/80,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 168

Haim Or Krief raised to 175,000, Anthony Zinno pot-raised to 525,000 (with only 155K behind), and Or Krief called, thinking Zinno was already all in.

Zinno moved all in dark for 155,000, and the flop came , and Or Krief called.

Haim Or Krief:    (flush draw)
Anthony Zinno:    (ace high)

Zinno was actually ahead at the moment with ace-king high, though he was vulnerable with no draws.

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Zinno caught a runner-runner ace-high straight to win the pot and double up in chips.

Anthony Zinno  –  1,360,000  (17 bb)
Haim Or Krief  –  2,000,000  (25 bb)

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  30,000/60,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 168

Haim Or Krief raised to 120,000, and Anthony Zinno called.

Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Zinno bet 100,000, Or Krief raised to 280,000, and Zinno tanked for a while before he called.

The river card was the , Zinno bet 400,000, and Or Krief moved all in for 925,000, and Zinno went into the tank for a long, long, very long time.

Eventually, Zinno tapped on the plexiglass divider to get Or Krief’s attention and asked, “Will you show me if I fold?”

Or Krief said, “After the tournament.”

A short while later, Zinno folded face up. On the turn, he had two flush draws, an open-ended straight draw, and a pair of sevens. And he finished with a seven-high flush, that he folded.

Or Krief took the pot without showing his cards.

Haim Or Krief  –  2,125,000  (35 bb)
Anthony Zinno  –  1,235,000  (21 bb)

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  25,000/50,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 168

About 30 minutes after the break, Haim Or Krief raised to 150,000, and Anthony Zinno called.

The flop came , Zinno bet 300,000, and Or Krief called all in for 260,000.

Anthony Zinno:    (pair of eights, flush draw, gutshot straight draw)
Haim Or Krief:    (two pair, eights and kings, gutshot straight draw)

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Or Krief won the pot with a full house, kings full of eights, to double up in chips.

Haim Or Krief  –  820,000  (16 bb)
Anthony Zinno  –  2,540,000  (51 bb)

Haim then won the next six pots (not counting a chopped pot) to narrow the gap even further.

Haim Or Krief  –  1,350,000  (27 bb)
Anthony Zinno  –  2,010,000  (40 bb)

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  25,000/50,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 168

After 40 minutes of heads-up play, the players take their scheduled 15-minute break. Here are the official chip counts, followed by the payouts they’re playing for:

Anthony Zinno  –  2,025,000  (41 bb)
Haim Or Krief  –  1,335,000  (27 bb)

1st:  $81,280 + Trophy
2nd:  $54,185

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  15,000/30,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 168

Anthony Zinno raised from the button to 60,000, Zeevy Malik reraised from the small blind to 170,000, and Zinno tanked for a while before he called.

The flop came , Malik bet 300,000, Zinno raised to 800,000, and Malik moved all in for 900,000. Zinno called, and they turned over their cards.

Anthony Zinno:    (pair of eights, flush draw)
Zeevy Malik:    (pair of kings)

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Zinno turned an ace-high flush to win the pot and eliminate Malik in third place.

Zeevy Malik  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($38,965)

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

Anthony Zinno  –  2,355,000  (79 bb)
Haim Or Krief  –  1,005,000  (34 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $81,280 + Trophy
2nd:  $54,185
3rd:  Zeevy Malik  –  $38,965
4th:  Leif Force  –  $28,555
5th:  Kevin Ruscitti  –  $21,335
6th:  Dylan Wilkerson  –  $16,255
7th:  Ivaylo Sivinov  –  $12,640
8th:  Thomas Cannuli  –  $9,080

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  15,000/30,000
Players Remaining:  3 of 168

After a flop of , Leif Force got it all in from the big blind for 270,000 against Haim Or Krief in the big blind.

Haim Or Krief:    (two pair, queens and sevens, gutshot straight draw)
Leif Force:    (pair of queens, gutshot straight draw)

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Or Krief won the pot with his higher two pair to eliminate Force in fourth place.

Haim Or Krief  –  1,350,000  (45 bb)
Leif Force  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($28,555)

With three players remaining from a field of 168, the average chip stack is about 1.12 million (37 big blinds). The next player to bust will earn $38,965.

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000
Players Remaining:  4 of 168

Leif Force pot-raised from UTG/cutoff to 70,000, Anthony Zinno pot-reraised from the button to 240,000, and Zeevy Malik pot-reraised from the small blind to 410,000.

Force folded, Zinno moved all in for 550,000, and Malik called.

Zeevy Malik:  
Anthony Zinno:  

When Force saw Zinno’s pocket kings, he said, “That’s what I folded.” That’s not what Zinno wanted to hear, needing to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Zinno paired his three on the flop and rivered trips to win the pot and double up in chips.

Anthony Zinno  –  1,190,000  (60 bb)
Zeevy Malik  –  1,250,000  (63 bb)

The next hand, Zinno and Malik clashed again, this time over a board of .

Zinno checked the cutoff, Malik bet 200,000 from the button, and Zinno check-pot-raised, putting out a stack of 500,000.

Malik thought for a while before he folded face up (ten-high straight), and Zinno took the pot — and the chip lead.

Anthony Zinno  –  1,450,000  (73 bb)
Zeevy Malik  –  950,000  (48 bb)

With four players remaining from a field of 168, the average chip stack is about 840,000 (42 big blinds). The next player to bust will earn $28,555.

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000
Players Remaining:  4 of 168

The final four players return from break to begin Level 19, with increased blinds of 10,000-20,000. Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Seat 1.  Zeevy Malik  –  1,645,000  (82 bb)
Seat 2.  Haim Or Krief  –  725,000  (36 bb)
Seat 3.  Leif Force  –  210,000  (11 bb)
Seat 4.  Anthony Zinno  –  780,000  (39 bb)

With four players remaining from a field of 168, the average chip stack is about 840,000 (42 big blinds). The next player to bust will earn $28,555.