2022 Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 14
$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  405
Prize Pool:  $210,600
November 20-22, 2022

Winning tournaments on back-to-back days is a rare feat, and on Tuesday night, John Holley accomplished it for the second time in his career.

On Sunday, Holley played the first flight of Event #14 ($600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha) and bagged up 74 big blinds worth of chips as he advanced to Day 2, which would be on Tuesday.

On Monday, he played Event #16 ($400 Omaha 8/Stud 8), which was a one-day event. Holley won that event outright to earn his fifth trophy here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. (As a bonus, it was his daughter’s 17th birthday.)

On Tuesday, it was back to Event #14 for Holley as he sat down on Day 2 with 51 other players to play to a winner. Ten hours later, Holley had the chip lead when the final four players agreed to a deal, giving Holley another title, another trophy, and $30,191.

“It feels fantastic,” said Holley after his victory.

Holley also won trophies on back-to-back days back in August of 2013 at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open. He has won six titles here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood over the course of his career.

When he was younger, Holley used to be a competitive fisherman, and he probably has more fishing trophies than poker trophies.

“I always knew from a young age that fishing was my God-given talent,” said Holley. “Everywhere I’d go where there’s a fish, I could catch it. But fishing is hard on your body, especially tournament fishing. It got so hard to do as I got older, so I started to play poker. I still get to compete, and it’s easier on your body. Poker keeps my mind sharp.”

And Holley’s favorite place to play is right here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

“They have every buy-in from $150 to $50,000, and they have satellites if you can’t afford it,” said Holley. “This is the best place to play tournaments in the whole country.”

Final Results:

* Indicates a four-way deal.

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 405

When the final four players returned from break, they agreed to a deal to split up the remaining prizepool.

These were the official chip counts at the time of the deal:

1.  John Holley  –  2,870,000  (96 bb)
2.  Alexander Hoff  –  2,720,000  (91 bb)
3.  Eric Kolodny  –  1,545,000  (52 bb)
4.  Joel Harwood  –  965,000  (32 bb)

And these are the adjusted payouts they agreed to:

1st:  John Holley  –  $30,191 + RRPO Trophy
2nd:  Alexander Hoff  –  $29,678
3rd:  Eric Kolodny  –  $24,413
4th:  Joel Harwood  –  $20,608

As chipleader, John Holley was declared the champion, receiving the title, the trophy, and the most money. Holley won his fifth Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood trophy last night, so this one makes it his sixth.

Congratulations to John Holley!

Stay tuned for a recap, which will be posted later tonight.

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 405

Level 23 came to an end, and the players took a 15-minute break. When they return, Level 24 will begin with increased blinds of 15,000-30,000 with a 30,000 ante.

Here are the official chip counts from the break.

Seat 1.  Alexander Hoff  –  2,720,000  (91 bb)
Seat 2.  John Holley  –  2,870,000  (96 bb)
Seat 3.  Joel Harwood  –  965,000  (32 bb)
Seat 4.  Eric Kolodny  –  1,545,000  (52 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $42,425 + RRPO Trophy
2nd:  $30,100
3rd:  $19,400
4th:  $12,965

5th:  Pao Lee  –  $9,975
6th:  Ilias Liapis  –  $8,300
7th:  Alexander Stewart  –  $6,950
8th:  Tom Guedj  –  $5,625
9th:  Neil Zonenashvili  –  $4,310

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is around 2,025,000 (68 big blinds).

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 405

Alexander Hoff raised to 60,000 from the cutoff, Pao Lee called on the button, John Holley called from the small blind, and Joel Harwood called in the big blind.

The flop was , Holley bet 225,000, Harwood folded, Hoff folded, and Lee raised all in for 315,000.

Lee, however, exposed his hand and showed for a set of sevens.

“Well, I was bluffing,” said Holley. “Need runner-runner or a queen.”

Holley called with for queens and backdoor outs.

The turn was the , giving Holley a set of queens to take the lead.

The river was the , no help to Lee, ending his tournament in fifth place.

John Holley  –  3,000,000  (120 bb)
Pao Lee  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($9,975)

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 405

John Holley raised under the gun to 50,000, Alexander Hoff called from the small blind, and Pao Lee called from the big blind.

The flop came , and it checked to Holley, who bet 50,000. Hoff folded, and Pao thought for a bit before he folded, leaving himself with just 150,000. Holley took the pot.

John Holley  –  2,700,000  (108 bb)
Pao Lee  –  150,000  (6 bb)

The next hand, Joel Harwood limped under the gun for 25,000, and Alexander Hoff raised from the button to 80,000. Pao Lee moved all in from the small blind for 150,000, Harwood folded, and Hoff called.

Alexander Hoff:  
Pao Lee:  

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

“You’re not supposed to wake up with aces there,” said Eric Kolodny. Lee simply smiled as he stacked the pot.

Pao Lee  –  375,000  (15 bb)
Alexander Hoff  –  2,750,000  (110 bb)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is around 1,620,000 (65 big blinds). The next player to be eliminated will earn $9,975.

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 405

Ilias Liapis raised to 75,000 from the hijack, Alexander Stewart called from the button, Alexander Hoff three-bet the pot to 350,000 from the small blind, Liapis called, and Stewart called all in for 130,000.

The flop was , Hoff potted for 905,000, Liapis raised all in for about 1,000,000, and Hoff called.

Liapis:    (wrap)
Stewart:    (pair of kings)
Hoff:    (pair of aces)

The turn and river completed the board, keeping Hoff’s aces out front to score the double elimination.

Alexander Hoff  –  2,900,000  (116 bb)
Ilias Liapis  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($8,300)
Alexander Stewart  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($6,950)

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 405

Ilias Liapis raised UTG+1 to 75,000, Alexander Stewart called from the cutoff, and Pao Lee called from the small blind.

The flop came , Lee checked, and Liapis bet 125,000. Stewart called all in for 5,000, and Lee thought for a while before he folded.

Ilias Liapis:    (ace-high flush draw)
Alexander Stewart:    (two pair, kings and fives)

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Stewart won the pot with two pair, aces and kings, to triple up in chips.

Alexander Stewart  –  285,000  (11 bb)
Ilias Liapis  –  1,550,000  (62 bb)

With seven players remaining, the average chip stack is around 1,155,000 (46 big blinds). The next player to be eliminated will earn $6,950.

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 405

Alexander Hoff raised under the gun to 60,000, John Holley called from the hijack, Ilias Liapis called from the button, and Alexander Stewart reraised from the big blind to 315,000.

Hoff folded, Holley called, and Liapis thought for a while before he folded.

The flop came , Stewart pot-bet 765,000, and Holley called all in for 720,000.

Alexander Stewart:    (pair of aces, gutshot straight draw)
John Holley:    (pair of nines, flush draw, gutshot straight draw)

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Holley won the pot with an ace-high flush to double up in chips.

John Holley  –  2,230,000  (89 bb)
Alexander Stewart  –  105,000  (4 bb)

With seven players remaining, the average chip stack is around 1,155,000 (46 big blinds). The next player to be eliminated will earn $6,950.

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 405

With the final board showing , Tom Guedj bet 100,000 from the small blind, Joel Harwood raised from middle position to 325,000, and Guedj called all in.

Joel Harwood:    (queens full of jacks)
Tom Guedj:    (queens full of fives)

Harwood won the pot with a higher full house to eliminate Guedj in eighth place.

Joel Harwood  –  1,185,000  (59 bb)
Tom Guedj  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($5,625)

With seven players remaining, the average chip stack is around 1,155,000 (58 big blinds). The next player to be eliminated will earn $6,950.

$600 Deep Stack Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 405

Alexander Hoff raised to 50,000 from middle position and Neil Zonenashvili called in the small blind.

The flop was , Zonanashvili potted for 140,000, Hoff raised, and Zonenashvili called all in for about 280,000.

Hoff: 
Zonanashvili: 

Zonanashvili had a pair of nines with straight draws, while Hoff had a flush draw and wheel draw.

The turn gave Hoff the lead with a pair of jacks, while the river completed the board, which was safe for Hoff to eliminate Zonenashvili in ninth place.

Alexander Hoff  –  1,200,000  (60 bb)
Neil Zonenashvili  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($4,310)