$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 13:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 126 of 490

On the turn with the board reading , Nick Schwarmann was in the hijack and heads-up against Alex Foxen in the cutoff.

Schwarmann checked and Foxen bet 18,500. Schwarmann called. There was about 75,000 in the middle heading to the river.

Schwarmann checked again and Foxen bet 23,000. Schwarmann mulled over his decision for quite some time before tossing in a single 25,000-denomination chip, indicating a call.

Foxen turned over and Schwarmann mucked.

Alex Foxen – 165,000
Nick Schwarmann – 175,000

$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
End of Level 12:  1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Players Remaining: 144 of 490

Players are taking their final 15-minute break of the night. When they return, they will play two more 40-minute levels before bagging and tagging chips.

$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 12:  1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Players Remaining: 144 of 490

Jawuz Akcay limped in from early position and Joe Serock raised on the button to 6,000. Akcay was the only caller.

“I have to get rid of you and then I can play normal,” said Akcay with a laugh.

“But I don’t even play many hands,” said Serock.

The flop was and Akcay led out for 1,500.

“Now you can raise me,” said Akcay.

Serock didn’t respond, but did exactly as Akcay asked and made it 9,000. Akcay called and then bet 1,500 in the dark.

The turn was the and Serock thought for a while before tossing in a 5,000 denomination chip as a call.

“Did he make it 5,000?” asked Akcay before the dealer informed him that it was just a call.

The river was the and Akcay bet 1,500 one more time.

“I don’t want to make too much from him,” joked Akcay after the chips hit the felt and before Serock began reaching for enough chips to put in a raise. “Don’t do it,” added Akcay.

Serock raised to 18,500, which sent Akcay into the tank temporarily, but got distracted by a new player who sat at the table and began a second conversation with him.

“This guy is friends with everyone,” joked another player at the table.

“Okay, how much do I have to pay him?” asked Akcay before calling.

Serock showed , good for top pair, but Akcay turned over and won the pot with two pair.

“I called him with nothing and made two pair!” exclaimed Akcay. “I had to call you because I had a diamond. I needed to play.”

Akcay dragged the pot and is among the chip leaders heading into the night’s final break. He then paid for drinks for any tablemate that wanted one.

“Whoever wins, wins,” he said. “But we must have fun.”

Jawuz Akcay – 250,000
Joe Serock – 55,000

2021 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 35
$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 490
Prize Pool:  $1,188,250
August 8-10, 2021

Registration closed for the $2,650 no-limit hold’em at the start of level 10 after players returned from dinner. The field drew 490 entries, which generated a prize pool of $1.18 million, easily surpassing the $1 million guarantee.

The top 62 spots will finish in the money for at least a min-cash of $4,255, while the eventual winner will take home $229,555. A detailed payout structure can be found below.

1st: $229,555
2nd: $163,670
3rd: $102,245
4th: $72,650
5th: $55,765
6th: $46,485
7th: $38,740
8th: $31,015
9th-10th: $23,335
11th-12th: $19,300
13th-15th: $15,315
16th-18th: $12,895
19th-21st: $10,875
22nd-24th: $9,100
25th-27th: $7,845
28th-36th: $6,775
37th-45th: $5,820
46th-54th: $4,930
55th-62nd: $4,255

$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 11:  500/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Players Remaining: 189 of 490

A player in early position raised to 5,000 and Philipe Pizzari Pinto three-bet to 12,500 from the hijack.

Aditya Prasetyo was in the small blind and moved all in for 47,000. The original raiser called all in for about 15,000 and Pinto went into the tank before eventually calling.

All three hands were tabled with Prasetyo showing , the early position player tabling and Pinto turning up .

The flop was , which moved Prasetyo in a commanding position to scoop both the main and side pots, needing only to fade four outs between both players.

The turn was the , giving Pinto more outs with a straight draw, but the came on the river and Prasetyo more than doubled up.

Aditya Prasetyo – 109,500
Philipe Pizzari Pinto – 135,000

$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 11:  500/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Players Remaining: 207 of 490

A player in early position limped in and Jon Borenstein raised to 4,000 from middle position. Jim Collopy was on his direct left and moved all in for about 35,000.

Action folded to Igor Pinheiro in the small blind, who jammed all in for about 60,000. The limper agonized over his decision and eventually folded, claiming he was letting go of a “big hand,” which he would later say was pocket queens. Borenstein quickly folded.

Pinheiro showed and was in great shape against Collopy’s .

The board ran out and Pinheiro’s hand held up to eliminate Collopy and move cross the six-figure chip mark.

Igor Pinheiro – 110,000
Jim Collopy – Eliminated

$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10:  500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 250 of 490

On a flop of , the player in the small blind checked, as did the player in the cutoff. Aram Zobian, who finished sixth in the 2018 World Series of Poker main event for $1.8 million, bet 2,000 on the button.

The small blind called and the cutoff check-raised to 8,500. Zobian called and the small blind folded.

They were heads-up to the turn and the cutoff checked. Zobian bet 6,000 and the cutoff called.

The river was the and the cutoff led out for 8,000. Zobian didn’t waste a ton of time before jamming all in for about 30,000. The cutoff mulled it over for a little bit, but eventually relinquished his hand.

Zobian mucked his hand and collected the pot.

Aram Zobian – 70,000

$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
End of Level 9:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Entries: 465

The players are taking a 90-minute dinner break. Play will resume at 10:00 p.m. and will go on for another five, 40-minute levels.

$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 9:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Entries: 463

While Philipe Pizzari Pinto holds the chip lead, four-time World Poker Tour champion Darren Elias sits second on the leaderboard. Here are a look at the top five chip counts as level 9 comes to a close:

Philipe Pizzari Pinto – 210,000
Darren Elias – 165,000
Paul Snead – 155,000
Femi Fashakin – 145,000
Lily Kiletto – 140,000

Here are assorted chip counts from throughout the tournament area:

Joe Serock – 105,000
Brock Wilson – 105,000
Angelina Rich – 100,000
Ray Qartomy – 95,000
Tony Sinishtaj – 90,000
James Mackey – 64,000
Viet Vo – 57,000
Mike Beasley – 55,000
Vinny Pahuja – 48,000
Alex Foxen – 48,000
Shannon Shorr – 46,000
Tony Miles – 45,000
Christian Harder – 43,000
Ankush Mandavia – 39,000
Anthony Zinno – 33,000
Ali Imsirovic – 28,000
Faraz Jaka – 25,000
Dylan Linde – 18,000
TK Miles – 15,000

$2,650 No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 9:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Entries: 454

The player in the cutoff raised to 2,000 and the button three-bet to 5,200. Philipe Pizzari Pinto called out of the big blind and the cutoff called as well.

The flop was and Pinto checked. The cutoff checked and the button moved all in for about 20,000. Pinto called and the original raiser folded.

Pinto flopped the nuts with and was in the lead against the button’s .

The turn was the and the river was the . Pinto dragged the pot, eliminated a player, and became the first person to cross the 200,000-chip mark. He leads the field as dinner break nears.

Philip Pizzari Pinto – 205,000