2022 Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 2
$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries:  176
Prize Pool:  $92,400
November 16, 2022

Wilmer Chavira has made five final tables in Seminole Hard Rock seniors events (both in Hollywood and Tampa) over the past three years, but he finally won his first Seniors trophy in a four-way deal on Wednesday, which was the first day of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open. (Players must be at least 50 years old to play in seniors events.)

Chavira felt he was in good position to win at a couple of those previous final tables, but he ran into bad beats and fell short.

“I kept getting close,” said Chavira, “and it feels good to finally win. That’s probably why I took the deal, to get it off my back.”

What does Chavira enjoy about playing seniors events?

“The camaraderie,” said Chavira. “Everybody’s pretty loose. And it’s very challenging, because there’s years of experience for all of the players, and you get hit from different angles. It’s not like playing GTO strategy against the young guys. You’ve got to be on your toes. Sometimes you’ve got to call the big bluff, sometimes you’ve just got to fold a hand you normally would not fold, even if you’ve got 10 big blinds or whatever.”

Chavira has won seven tournaments since 2020, mostly in Tampa, but this is the first time he’s won one of the iconic guitar-pick trophies. The $16,031 he earned for first place is the biggest cash of his career.

“I like the Seminole Hard Rock,” said Chavira. “The fields are big and the payouts are good, though I usually play at the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa. They run tournaments very well over there too, and it’s closer to me.”

Has a victory on Day 1 of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open changed Chavira’s plans?

“I’m playing tomorrow,” said Chavira, “and I’m going to try to qualify for the Championship. Now that I’ve won some money I’m going to play some more events.”

Final Results:

* Indicates a four-way deal.

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 176

The final four players returned from their break after Level 24 and quickly agreed to an ICM deal to split the remaining prizepool.

These were their official chip counts:

1.  Wilmer Chavira  –  1,250,000  (31 bb)
2.  Deonarine Itwaru  –  990,000  (25 bb)
3.  Steven Bennett  –  750,000  (19 bb)
4.  Darin Kaplan  –  530,000  (13 bb)

And these are the revised payouts that they agreed to:

1st:  Wilmer Chavira  –  $16,031 + RRPO trophy
2nd:  Deonarine Itwaru  –  $14,649
3rd:  Steven Bennett  –  $13,060
4th:  Darin Kaplan  –  $11,245

Congratulations to Wilmer Chavira!

Stay tuned for a recap from this event.

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 176

Lisa Levy got it all in for 385,000 with , and she needed to improve to stay alive against Wilmer Chavira’s .

The board came , and Levy flopped a gutshot straight draw, but improved no further. Chavira won the pot with a pair of aces to eliminate Levy in fifth place.

Wilmer Chavira  –  1,175,000  (39 bb)
Lisa Levy  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($4,445)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 880,000 (29 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $5,765 for fourth place.

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 176

Wilmer Chavira got it all in from the hijack for 380,000 with , and he needed it to hold to stay alive against the of David Ray, who was under the gun.

Ray called for a jack, and the flop came , giving both players a pair, with Chavira still in the lead.

Another player told Ray, “You needed to be more specific.”

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Chavira won the pot with a pair of kings to double up in chips.

Wilmer Chavira  –  835,000  (28 bb)
David Ray  –  50,000  (2 bb)

The next hand, Ray was forced all in, with 30,000 for the ante and 20,000 as his big blind. Everyone folded to Lisa Levy, who called from the small blind with .

Ray was dominated with , but flopped two pair on a board of to not-quite-double up in chips.

David Ray  –  70,000  (2 bb)
Lisa Levy  –  460,000  (15 bb)

The next hand, Deonarine Itwaru raised under the gun to 75,000, Ray called all in from the small blind, and Wilmer Chavira called from the big blind.

Chavira and Itwaru checked to the turn on a board of . Chavira checked, Itwaru bet 100,000, and Chavira folded. Itwaru took the side pot.

For the main pot, Ray showed for a pair of fives, but Itwaru turned over for a pair of kings. Ray was dominated, and he needed one of the two remaining fives to stay alive.

The river card was the , and Itwaru won the pot with trip kings to eliminate Ray in sixth place.

Deonarine Itwaru  –  1,350,000  (45 bb)
David Ray  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($3,690)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 705,000 (24 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $4,445 for fifth place.

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 176

Joseph Bourais raised under the gun to 60,000, Deonarine Itwaru thought for a while before reraising from the cutoff to 140,000, and Bourais called.

The flop came , Bourais checked, Itwaru bet 85,000, and Bourais called.

The turn card was the , Bourais moved all in for 380,000, and Itwaru snap-called all in for 360,000 with .

Bourais turned over , and Itwaru needed his aces to hold to stay alive.

The river card was the , and Itwaru won the pot with his pocket aces to double up in chips, knocking Boulais down to less than a big blind.

Deonarine Itwaru  –  1,235,000  (49 bb)
Joseph Bourais  –  20,000  (<1 bb)

The next hand, Bourais was forced all in for his last 20,000 for the big blind ante, and even if he won a seven-way hand, he would only win his ante back.

Steven Bennett moved all in from the cutoff for 185,000, and everyone else folded.

Bourais turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive against Bennett’s .

The board came , and the pocket eights held up for Bennett to win the pot and eliminate Bourais in seventh place.

Steven Bennett  –  220,000  (9 bb)
Joseph Boulais  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($3,185)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 585,000 (23 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $3,690 for sixth place.

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 176

Darin Kaplan raised under the gun to 60,000, Louis page moved all in from the button for 230,000, and Kaplan called with .

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

The board came , and Kaplan paired his ace on the flop to win the pot and eliminate Page in eighth place.

Darin Kaplan  –  640,000  (32 bb)
Louis Page  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($2,790)

With seven players remaining, the average chip stack is about 505,000 (25 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $3,185 for seventh place.

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 176

Stacey Manning raised UTG+1 to 45,000, David Ray moved all in from the cutoff for about 210,000, and Manning called all in for about 150,000 with .

But Ray turned over , and Manning was dominated as he faced elimination.

The board came , and Ray paired his ace on the flop and rivered a king-high diamond flush to win the pot and eliminate Manning in ninth place.

After the flop, Lisa Levy told everyone she folded pocket threes, which of course would have rivered quads to win the entire pot.

David Ray  –  400,000  (27 bb)
Stacey Manning  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($2,425)

With eight players remaining, the average chip stack is about 440,000 (29 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $2,790 for eighth place.

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 176

After the elimination of Rado Boltryk in 10th place, the final nine players drew for random seats at the final table. Here are the updated seating assignments and chip counts:

Seat 1.  Deonarine Itwaru  –  725,000  (60 bb)
Seat 2.  Steven Bennett  –  364,000  (30 bb)
Seat 3.  Stacey Manning  –  324,000  (27 bb)
Seat 4.  Darin Kaplan  –  281,000  (23 bb)
Seat 5.  Lisa Levy  –  260,000  (22 bb)
Seat 6.  Joseph Boulais  –  550,000  (46 bb)
Seat 7.  David Ray  –  360,000  (30 bb)
Seat 8.  Wilmer Chavira  –  340,000  (28 bb)
Seat 9.  Louis Page  –  315,000  (26 bb)

Here are the remaining payouts:

1st:  $23,740 + RRPO trophy
2nd:  $16,005
3rd:  $9,475
4th:  $5,765
5th:  $4,445
6th:  $3,690
7th:  $3,185
8th:  $2,790
9th:  $2,425

And here are the players who have finished in the money so far:

10th:  Rado Boltryk  –  $2,425
11th:  Arturas Astraukas  –  $2,070
12th:  Matthew Kaplan  –  $2,070
13th:  Robert Klafter  –  $1,750
14th:  Jon Bowman  –  $1,750
15th:  Oniel McCalla  –  $1,750
16th:  Neil Blumenfield  –  $1,455
17th:  Michael Preston  –  $1,455
18th:  Gil Aboodi  –  $1,455
19th:  Harvey Freedman  –  $1,175
20th:  Lawrence Bass  –  $1,175
21st:  Raphael Bloom  –  $1,175
22nd:  Frank Dibacco  –  $1,175

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining:  16 of 176

The final 16 players returned form break to begin Level 17, with increased blinds of 3,000-6,000 with a 6,000 ante.

Here are the updated chip counts and seating positions from the break:

TABLE 1
Seat 1.  Deonarine Itwaru  –  310,000  (52 bb)
Seat 2.  Robert Klafter  –  134,000  (22 bb)
Seat 3.  
Seat 4.  Jon Bowman  –  102,000  (17 bb)
Seat 5.  Steven Bennett  –  143,000  (24 bb)
Seat 6.  Neil Blumenfield  –  53,000  (9 bb)
Seat 7.  Rado Boltryk  –  80,000  (13 bb)
Seat 8.  Matt Kaplan  –  95,000  (16 bb)
Seat 9.  Arturas Astraukas  –  221,000  (37 bb)

TABLE 2
Seat 1.  Louis Page  –  156,000  (26 bb)
Seat 2.  Stacey Manning  –  382,000  (64 bb)
Seat 3.  Lisa Levy  –  132,000  (22 bb)
Seat 4.  Wilmer Chavira  –  449,000  (75 bb)
Seat 5.  Darin Kaplan  –  629,000  (105 bb)
Seat 6.  
Seat 7.  David Ray  –  198,000  (33 bb)
Seat 8.  Oniel McCalla  –  137,000  (23 bb)
Seat 9.  Joseph Boulais  –  298,000  (50 bb)

With 16 players remaining from a field of 176, the average chip stack is around 220,000 (37 big blinds). Here are the remaining payouts, followed by the players who have already finished inside the money:

1st:  $23,740 + RRPO trophy
2nd:  $16,005
3rd:  $9,475
4th:  $5,765
5th:  $4,445
6th:  $3,690
7th:  $3,185
8th:  $2,790
9th-10th:  $2,425
11th-12th:  $2,070
13th-15th:  $1,750
16th:  $1,455

17th:  Michael Preston  –  $1,455
18th:  Gil Aboodi  –  $1,455
19th:  Harvey Freedman  –  $1,175
20th:  Lawrence Bass  –  $1,175
21st:  Raphael Bloom  –  $1,175
22nd:  Frank Dibacco  –  $1,175

$600 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 13:  1,500/2,500 with a 2,500 ante
Players Remaining:  37 of 176

The players returned from dinner to begin Level 13, with increased blinds of 1,500-2,500 with a 2,500 ante.

A scan of the field during the break turned up five players with at least 175K in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Darin Kaplan  –  286,500  (115 bb)
2.  Wilmer Chavira  –  247,500  (99 bb)
3.  David Ray  –  199,500  (80 bb)
4.  Stacey Manning  –  194,000  (78 bb)
5.  Raphael Bloom  –  183,500  (73 bb)

With 37 players remaining from a field of 176, the average chip stack is around 95,000 (38 big blinds). The final 22 players will finish in the money, guaranteed at least $1,175 each.