2022 Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 37
$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  85
Prize Pool: $2,099,500
November 28-29, 2022

There were 85 entries in the $25,500 High Roller, more than doubling the $1 million guarantee to create a prizepool worth $2,099,500. The final 12 players finished in the money, and the final three agreed to a deal to end the tournament, with chipleader Sergio Aido winning the title, the trophy, and $500,000.

The key pot for Aido came with seven players remaining.

“I doubled up pretty early,” said Aido, “with nines against ace-queen.” (Click here for details of the hand.) That pot propelled Aido to the chip lead, and he stayed near the top of the leaderboard the rest of the way.

“That pot changed things for me,” said Aido, “because I had been in the middle of the standings. Once I was in the top three, I could make some more moves and gain some chips.”

Toward the end of the final table, Aido knocked out Stan Jablonski in fifth place and Gytis Lazauninkas in fourth, and those pots gave Aido the chip lead when the final three made their deal.

This is Aido’s second high-profile victory here, as he won the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship this past August, outlasting a massive field of 1,110 entries to earn $900,100. Today’s victory takes Aido up over $14.7 million in career tournament earnings.

Aido appreciates that all of the high buy-in events that he likes to play are scheduled close together near the end of these series.

“I can come for only five or six days,” said Aido, “and since I am living in Mexico now, it’s a convenient three-hour flight.

Final Results:

* Indicates a three-way deal.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 85

After the elimination of Gytis Lazauninkas in fourth place, the final three players discussed a deal. These were their official chip counts:

1.  Sergio Aido  –  4,100,000  (68 bb)
2.  Scott Margereson  –  2,290,000  (38 bb)
3.  Justin Saliba  –  2,115,000  (35 bb)

It took them a little while to come to an agreement, but they finally agreed to the following payouts:

1st:  Sergio Aido  –  $500,000 + RRPO trophy
2nd:  Scott Margereson  –  $413,746
3rd:  Justin Saliba  –  $402,634

As chipleader, Sergio Aido was declared the champion, receiving the title and the trophy.

Stay tuned for a recap from this event, which will be posted later this evening.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 85

Sergio Aido raised from UTG/cutoff to 120,000, Gytis Lazauninkas moved all in from the small blind for 1,310,000, and Aido asked for a count and thought for a bit before he called with .

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

The board came , and Aido paired his ace on the flop and his jack on the river to win the pot with two pair, eliminating Lazauninkas in fourth place.

Gytis Lazauninkas  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($186,855)

And here are the official chip counts for the final three players:

Seat 1.  Justin Saliba  –  2,115,000  (35 bb)
Seat 2.  Sergio Aido  –  4,100,000  (68 bb)
Seat 3.  Scott Margereson  –  2,290,000  (38 bb)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2,835,000 (47 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $272,935.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 85

Scott Margereson moved all in from UTG/cutoff for 630,000, Gytis Lazauninkas called from the button, and Sergio Aido moved all in over the top. Lazauninkas folded.

Margereson turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive against Aido’s .

The board came , and Margereson paired his ace on the flop to win the pot and triple up in chips.

Scott Margereson  –  1,980,000  (33 bb)
Sergio Aido  –  2,040,000  (34 bb)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2,125,000 (35 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $186,855.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 85

In the small blind, Stan Jablonski is forced all in for his last 25,000, Justin Saliba raised from the cutoff to 1,000,000, and Sergio Aido moved all in over the top from the button for 1,320,000.

Saliba called, and all three players turned over their cards.

Justin Saliba:  
Sergio Aido:  
Stan Jablonski:  

The board came — Jablonski flopped the highest flush draw and Saliba paired his six on the turn, but Aido paired his ace on the river to win the pot, doubling thru Saliba and knocking out Jablonski in fifth place.

Sergio Aido  –  2,785,000  (46 bb)
Justin Saliba  –  3,050,000  (51 bb)
Stan Jablonski  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($123,870)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 2,125,000 (35 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $186,855.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 85

Scott Margereson raised under the gun to 145,000, Stan Jablonski moved all in from the big blind for 370,000, and Margereson called all in for 345,000 with .

Jablonski turned over , and Margereson needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Margereson rivered a heart flush to win the pot and double up in chips, knocking Jablonski down to less than a single small blind.

Scott Margereson  –  780,000  (13 bb)
Stan Jablonski  –  25,000  (<1 sb)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 1,700,000 (28 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $123,870.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 85

Joe McKeehen moved all in from the small blind for about 430,000, and Gytis Lazauninkas called from the big blind with .

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

The board came , and McKeehen paired his nine on the flop, but Lazauninkas rivered a ten-high flush to win the pot and eliminate McKeehen in sixth place.

Gytis Lazauninkas  –  2,035,000  (34 bb)
Joe McKeehen  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($92,380)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 1,700,000 (28 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $123,870.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 85

The players have returned from break to begin Level 21, with increased blinds of 30,000-60,000 with a 60,000 ante.

Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Seat 1.  Gytis Lazauninkas  –  1,620,000  (27 bb)
Seat 2.  Justin Saliba  –  2,040,000  (34 bb)
Seat 3.  Sergio Aido  –  2,570,000  (43 bb)
Seat 4.  Stan Jablonski  –  610,000  (10 bb)
Seat 5.  Scott Margereson  –  825,000  (14 bb)
Seat 6.  Joe McKeehen  –  840,000  (14 bb)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 1,415,000 (24 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $92,380.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 85

Joe McKeehen raised from the cutoff to 250,000, Sergio Aido moved all in from the big blind, and McKeehen called all in for 320,000 with .

Aido turned over , and McKeehen needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and McKeehen turned a spade flush to win the pot and double up in chips.

Joe McKeehen  –  715,000  (14 bb)
Sergio Aido  –  2,620,000  (52 bb)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 1,415,000 (28 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $92,380.

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 85

Alex Livingston raised UTG+1 to 110,000, Justin Saliba moved all in from the button for about 1,140,000, and Livingston thought for a while before he called all in for about 920,000 with .

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

Livingston looked at the ace-queen against pocket tens and said, “Justin is very good at these.”

The board came , and Saliba paired his queen on the flop to win the pot and eliminate Livingston in seventh place.

Justin Saliba  –  2,185,000  (44 bb)
Alex Livingston  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($75,580)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 1,415,000 (28 big blinds), and the next player to be eliminated will earn $92,380.