2021 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 1
$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  3,730
Prize Pool:  $1,249,550
July 22-25, 2021

The opening event of the 2021 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open attracted 3,730 entries across six starting flights, and the large field meant the event didn’t even reach the final table by the time Day 2 hit the hard stop at 3:00 am late Sunday night.

So the final 12 players returned on Monday afternoon, and played nearly three hours before Joseph Rossi was declared the winner in a four-way deal.

“I jumped out fast with 12 players left,” said Rossi, “and when I got to the final table, I started out okay. I lost one or two hands, but I regrouped, and I won a monster at the end by eliminating two people by flopping the nuts.”

The key hand that Rossi referred to came with six players left, and Allan Maloney was all in preflop with a short stack against Rossi and Patrick Capozziello.

The flop came , Rossi shoved, and Capozziello snap-called with for a set of kings. But Rossi flipped over for an ace-high straight, and it held up to eliminate both players.

The final four players quickly agreed to an ICM deal at that point, and as chipleader, Rossi was awarded the title, the trophy, and the most money — $138,887.

“I hear people say all the time that it’s not about the money, it’s about winning,” said Rossi. “That really is the case.”

Rossi doesn’t actually play poker that often, saying he plays when he has time, between work and family.

“I come to the Seminole Hard Rock for the big series,” said Rossi. “I normally play one or two of the bigger events, to just take my few shots a year.”

So will he return to play in the $5,250 SHRPO Championship that begins on Friday, August 6th? “I’m supposed to be on vacation,” said Rossi, “but I’m really going to try to be here.”

* Indicates results of a four-way deal.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 3,730

After the double-elimination of Allan Maloney in sixth place and Patrick Capozziello in fifth place, the final four players counted up their chip stacks to discuss a possible ICM deal.

These were the official chip counts:

Seat 1.  Don Flynn  –  12,650,000  (32 bb)
Seat 2.  Robert Gregory  –  17,775,000  (44 bb)
Seat 3.  Pablo Ortiz  –  17,300,000  (43 bb)
Seat 4.  Joseph Rossi  –  26,875,000  (67 bb)

After running the numbers, they quickly agreed to an ICM deal. As chipleader, Rossi wins the title, the trophy, and the most money.

Joseph Rossi  –  $138,887
Robert Gregory  –  $123,193
Pablo Ortiz  –  $122,222
Don Flynn  –  $111,641

Stay tuned for a recap of this final table to come later tonight.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 3,730

Patrick Capozziello was all in from the cutoff for 4,750,000 with , and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive against the of Allan Maloney in the small blind with 5,750,000.

The board came , and Capozziello paired his jack on the flop, turned trips, and rivered a full house to win the pot and double up in chips.

Patrick Capozziello  –  10,300,000  (26 bb)
Allan Maloney  –  1,000,000  (3 bb)

A short while later, Capozziello raised from the cutoff to 1,200,000, and Maloney called all in from the small blind for 1,000,000. Joseph Rossi called the 1,200,000, creating a side pot of 400,000.

The flop came , and Rossi thought for a while before moving all in. Capozziello snap-called, and all three players turned over their cards.

Joseph Rossi:    (ace-high straight)
Patrick Capozziello:    (set of kings)
Allan Maloney:    (seven high)

Maloney was nearly drawing dead (unless the board brought an ace-high straight for a three-way chop), while Capozziello needed the board to pair to stay alive.

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and the ace-high straight held up for Rossi to win the entire pot, eliminating both Maloney and Capozziello from the tournament.

Joseph Rossi  –  26,875,000
Patrick Capozziello  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($56,270)
Allan Maloney  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($41,295)

With four players remaining from a field of 3,730, the average chip stack is about 18,650,000 (47 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $74,845.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 3,730

Jerry Robinson moved all in from the button for about 2.1 million, and Joseph Rossi called from the big blind with .

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

The board came , and Rossi won the pot with two pair, aces and kings, with his queen kicker to eliminate Robinson in seventh place.

Joseph Rossi  –  21,300,000  (53 bb)
Jerry Robinson  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($29,925)

With six players remaining from a field of 3,730, the average chip stack is about 12,425,000 (31 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $41,295.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 35:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 3,730

The final seven players return from break to begin Level 35, with increased blinds of 200,000-400,000 and a big blind ante of 400,000. With seven players remaining from a field of 3,730, the average chip stack is about 10,650,000 (27 big blinds).

Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Seat 1.  Don Flynn  –  11,450,000  (29 bb)
Seat 2.  Robert Gregory  –  12,375,000  (31 bb)
Seat 3.  Patrick Capozziello  –  4,950,000  (12 bb)
Seat 4.  Pablo Ortiz  –  18,100,000  (45 bb)
Seat 5.  Jerry Robinson  –  2,100,000  (5 bb)
Seat 6.  Allan Maloney  –  3,750,000  (9 bb)
Seat 7.  Joseph Rossi  –  17,750,000  (44 bb)

And here are the remaining payouts:

1st:  $192,850 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $131,630
3rd:  $96,620
4th:  $74,845
5th:  $56,270
6th:  $41,295
7th:  $29,925

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 3,730

Patrick Capozziello raised from middle position to 900,000, Yaroslav Nakonechnyy moved all in from the cutoff for 2,600,000, and Capozziello called with .

Nakonechnyy turned over , and need his hand to hold to stay alive.

But there was an eight in the window as the board came , and Capozziello flopped a full house, eights full of jacks, to win the pot and eliminate Nakonechnyy in eighth place.

Patrick Capozziello  –  6,600,000  (22 bb)
Yaroslav Nakonechnyy  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($23,765)

With seven players remaining from a field of 3,730, the average chip stack is about 10,650,000 (36 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $29,925.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 3,730

Joseph Lachkovich moved all in from the button for 1,975,000, and Robert Gregory called from the big blind with .

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

The board came — Lachkovich flopped an open-ended straight draw, but improved no further. Gregory won the pot with his pocket fives to eliminate Lachkovich in ninth place.

Robert Gregory  –  14,100,000  (47 bb)
Joseph Lachkovich  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($17,845)

With eight players remaining from a field of 3,730, the average chip stack is about 9,325,000 (31 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $23,765.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 33:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 3,730

After the elimination of Curtis King in 10th place, the final nine players redraw for random seats at the final table. Here is the lineup, along with their approximate chip counts.

Seat 1.  Joseph Lachkovich  –  3,250,000  (13 bb)
Seat 2.  Don Flynn  –  8,200,000  (33 bb)
Seat 3.  Robert Gregory  –  17,000,000  (68 bb)
Seat 4.  Patrick Capozziello  –  4,200,000  (17 bb)
Seat 5.  Pablo Ortiz  –  9,200,000  (37 bb)
Seat 6.  Yaroslav Nakonechnyy  –  4,200,000  (17 bb)
Seat 7.  Jerry Robinson  –  5,900,000  (24 bb)
Seat 8.  Allan Maloney  –  3,200,000  (13 bb)
Seat 9.  Joseph Rossi  –  20,600,000  (82 bb)

With nine players remaining from a field of 3,730, the average chip stack is about 8,300,000 (33 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $17,845.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 33:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 3,730

Curtis King was all in from the hijack for 2,625,000 with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Joseph Rossi in the small blind.

The board came , and Rossi flopped a set of aces and turned a full house to win the pot and eliminate King in 10th place.

Joseph Rossi  –  20,600,000  (82 bb)
Curtis King  –  Eliminated in 10th Place  ($17,845)

With nine players remaining from a field of 3,730, the average chip stack is about 8,300,000 (33 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $17,845.

$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 33:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining:  10 of 3,730

Patrick Capozziello was all in from the button for 2,600,000 with , and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive against the of Brad Speight, who had 2,675,000 in the cutoff.

The board came — Speight flopped a gutshot straight draw, but improved no further. Capozziello won the pot with his pocket kings to double up in chips, knocking Speight down to just 75K.

Patrick Capozziello  –  5,825,000  (23 bb)
Brad Speight  –  75,000  (1/3 bb)

The next hand, Speight called all in under the gun for 75,000, and everyone folded to Yaroslav Nakonechnyy in the big blind, who already had the bet covered with his blind.

Speight turned over , and he needed it to hold to stay alive against the Nakonechnyy’s .

The board came , and Speight won the pot with his king to more than sextuple up in chips.

Brad Speight  –  475,000  (2 bb)

The next hand, Speight was forced all in from the big blind (250K to the ante, and 225K to the big blind), and Nakonechnyy called from the small blind with . Speight turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Speight won the pot with two pair, nines and sixes, to double up yet again.

Brad Speight  –  700,000  (3 bb)

A short while later, Yaroslav Nakonechnyy raised under the gun to 650,000, and Speight called all in from the cutoff for 575,000 with . Nakonechnyy turned over , and once again, Speight needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Speight spiked an eight on the river to win the pot and double up once more.

Brad Speight  –  1,775,000  (7 bb)

The next hand, Speight moved all in under the gun for 1,775,000, and Robert Gregory moved all in over the top from the small blind with . Speight turned over , and he needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and the potential comeback of Speight came to an end as Gregory’s pocket queens held up to win the pot. Speight was eliminated in 11th place.

Robert Gregory  –  15,000,000  (60 bb)
Brad Speight  –  Eliminated in 11th Place  ($12,585)

With 10 players remaining from a field of 3,730, the average chip stack is about 7,450,000 (30 big blinds). The remaining players are all guaranteed at least $17,845.