2022 Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 5
$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Entries:  78
Prize Pool:  $40,950
November 17, 2022

Event 5 of the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open was a $600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry). A field of 78 entries generated a prize pool of $40,950, and taking it down outright was A.J. Kelsall for $13,625.

For Kelsall, this marked his third SHRP major series trophy. He previously won a $360 H.O.R.S.E. at the 2017 SHRPO, and his second came in a $2,200 Six-Max NLHE Turbo at the 2019 RRPO.

One of the most well-rounded players in the game, Kelsall now has more than $2.13 million in career live tournament winnings according to the Hendon Mob poker database.

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  1 of 78

Omaha 8

Chris Tryba raised to 50,000 on the button and A.J. Kelsall called in the big blind.

The flop was , Kelsall checked, Tryba bet 25,000, Kelsall raised to 50,000, Tryba reraised all in for a little bit more and Kelsall called with for a six-high straight and six-five low.

Tryba was in dire straits with and was officially drawing dead with the turn. The river was an inconsequential and Kelsall secured the outright victory for $13,625.

Tryba finished runner-up for $7,985.

A recap of the event will be posted later tonight.

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 78

During a round of Stud near the end of Level 22 (limits of 20,000-40,000), Chris Tryba had the bring-in of 6,000 with the showing, and David Thurston completed to 20,000. A.J. Kelsall called, and Tryba folded.

A.J. Kelsall:  ()  
David Thurston:  (  

4th Street:  Kelsall bets 20,000, and Thurston calls.

5th Street:  Thurston bets 40,000, and Kelsall calls.

6th Street:  Thurston bets 40,000 in the dark before the cards are dealt, and Kelsall waits for his card before he calls.

7th Street:  Thurston moves all in dark for 21,000, and Kelsall calls all in dark before the final card is dealt.

A.J. Kelsall:  ()    ()
David Thurston:  ()    ()

Kelsall made a nine-high heart flush on sixth street, while Thurston had two pair, jacks and threes, with a jack-high flush draw.

Thurston needed a jack, a three, or a club to stay alive, but his final card was the , giving him a worthless third pair. Kelsall won the pot to eliminate Thurston in third place.

David Thurston  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($5,000)

A.J. Kelsall had a roughly 3-to-1 lead over Chris Tryba, and they played just a few hands before Level 22 came to an end and the players took a 10-minute break.

With the limits increasing to 25,000-50,000, here are the official heads-up chip counts from the break, followed by the prizepool:

A.J. Kelsall  –  876,000  (18 BB)
Chris Tryba  –  294,000  (6 BB)

1st:  $13,625 + RRPO trophy
2nd:  $7,985

3rd:  David Thurston  –  $5,000
4th:  Eugene Brown  –  $3,375
5th:  Mark Dickstein  –  $2,560
6th:  Steven Pollack  –  $2,050
7th:  Steve Bell  –  $1,845
8th:  Joey Gargiulo  –  $1,640
9th:  Ricardo Velasco  –  $1,435
10th:  Donny Rubinstein  –  $1,435

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  15,000/30,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  3 of 78

Stud

David Thurston:  /
Eugene Brown:  /

Picking up the action on fifth street, David Thurston bet 30,000 and Eugene Brown called. Thurston bet again on sixth street and Brown called all in.

David Thurston:  /
Eugene Brown:  /

Thurston had a pair of fives with a straight draw, while Brown had a flush draw and his own straight draw.

Thurston pealed the on seventh street, finishing with just a pair of fives. Brown, however, failed to improve with the , busting in fourth place.

Chris Tryba  –  410,000  (14 BB)
AJ Kelsall  –  390,000  (13 BB)
David Thurston  –  370,000  (12 BB)
Eugene Brown  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($3,375)

1st:  $13,625 + RRPO trophy
2nd:  $7,985
3rd:  $5,000

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  4 of 78

Razz

Mark Dickstein got the last of his chips in during Razz and made a ten-seven, but Eugene Brown made a seven perfect to eliminate Dickstein in fifth place.

Eugene Brown  –  160,000  (7 BB)
Mark Dickstein  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($2,560)

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 78

Razz

A short-stacked Steven Pollack was all in for his last few thousand against AJ Kelsall.

Pollack:  /
Kelsall:  /

Here were the rest of their runouts:

Pollack:  / /
Kelsall:  / /

Kelsall had it locked up on fifth street with an eight-seven, further improving to a seven-six, eliminating Pollack in sixth place.

AJ Kelsall  –  395,000  (16 BB)
Steven Pollack  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($2,050)

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  6 of 78

Omaha 8

Steve Bellipario raised to 20,000 from the hijack, and AJ Kelsall called in the big blind.

The flop was , Kelsall led for 10,000, and Bellipario called.

The turn was the , Kelsall checked, Bellipario bet his remaining 11,000, and Kelsall called.

Bellipario: 
Kelsall: 

Bellipario had aces and fours with a live low draw, while Kelsall had straight and flush outs.

The river was the , giving Kelsall a flush to eliminate Bell in seventh place.

AJ Kelsall  –   430,000  (22 BB)
Steve Bellipario –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($1,845)

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  7 of 78

During a round of hold’em, after a flop of , both blinds checked, and Joey Gargiulo bet 10,000 from under the gun. Chris Tryba quickly check-raised from the small blind to 20,000, and Steve Bell folded in the big blind.

The turn card was the , Tryba bet 20,000, and Gargiulo thought for a bit before moving all in for a little less than 40,000.

Tryba quickly called with for two pair, jacks and tens, and Gargiulo turned over for a pair of kings. Gargiulo needed a king or a four on the river to stay alive.

The river card was the , and Tryba won the pot with his two pair to eliminate Gargiulo in eighth place.

Chris Tryba  –  360,000  (18 BB)
Joey Gargiulo  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($1,640)

With seven players remaining from a field of 78, the average chip stack is around 167,000 (8 Big Bets). The next player to be eliminated will earn $1,845.

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  6,000/12,000 Limits
Player Remaining:  8 of 78

Razz

A short-stacked Ricardo Velasco got his remaining chips in during razz, but made three pairs (in addition to running into Steve Bell’s six-five) to bust in ninth place.

Steve Bell  –  165,000  (14 BB)
Ricardo Velasco  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($1,435)

$600 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  6,000/12,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  9 of 78

After the elimination of Donny Rubinstein in 10th place, the final nine players have drawn for random seats at the final table.

With nine players remaining from a field of 78, the average chip stack is around 130,000 (11 Big Bets). Here is the lineup, along with their approximate chip counts:

Seat 1.  Ricardo Velasco  –  60,000  (5 BB)
Seat 2.  Chris Tryba  –  145,000  (12 BB)
Seat 3.  Steve Bellipario  –  76,000  (6 BB)
Seat 4.  Joey Gargiulo  –  238,000  (20 BB)
Seat 5.  Mark Dickstein  –  110,000  (9 BB)
Seat 6.  Steven Pollack  –  80,000  (7 BB)
Seat 7.  David Thurston  –  188,000  (16 BB)
Seat 8.  A.J. Kelsall  –  170,000  (14 BB)
Seat 9.  Eugene Brown  –  70,000  (6 BB)

And here is the prizepool they’re playing for:

1st:  $13,625 + RRPO trophy
2nd:  $7,985
3rd:  $5,000
4th:  $3,375
5th:  $2,560
6th:  $2,050
7th:  $1,845
8th:  $1,640
9th:  $1,435
10th:  Donny Rubinstein  –  $1,435