2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 17
$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries:  137
Prize Pool:  $132,890
August 1 – 2, 2022

The 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open series put two Seniors 50+ Events on the schedule and the $1,100 buy-in edition drew 137 entries for a huge turnout. Neil Blumenfield entered Day 2 with the chip lead and never let it go, finishing the tournament at the top spot and earning $31,670 after a heads-up deal.

“I just got hit by the deck,” Blumenfield said of his run. “I can’t believe how many big pairs I had in the first four hours and they all held.”

The players created a prize pool worth $32,890 with the last 18 players getting paid. They extended play at the end of Day 1 to burst the money to make sure everyone returning for Day 2 was in the money.

Blumenfield chipped up early in the tournament and came in the last day with the chip lead. Players dropped around him throughout Day 2, some with his assistance, until former WSOP Ladies Champ was eliminated in 10th place to send the remaining players to the final table.

Blumenfield rolled through the final table, with only one minor blip, and never relinquished the lead. When Mark Dickstein was eliminated in third place, Blumenfield and Emerson Ward quickly agreed to divide the remaining prize pool.

Ward earned $28,390 for his runner-up finish while Blumenfield took home $31,670 and his very first Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood trophy.

“I’ve been playing at the Hard Rock non-stop for seven years,” Blumenfield said. “And this is my first trophy. That’s pretty cool.”

“It’s the coolest win I’ve ever had. Not the coolest poker experience I’ve ever had though,” he laughed and the former WSOP November Niner did not have to explain.

“This place is home. It’s nice to win here,” Blumenfield said later. “This is the best place to play tournament poker, four big series a year and a ton of stuff in between. I love it.”

Results:

* – denotes results of a heads-up deal

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 ante

After Mark Dickstein was eliminated in third place, Neil Blumenfield offered Emerson Ward an extra $5K on top of second place money and the two had a deal to end the tournament.

Ward earned $28,390 for second place while Blumenfield cashed out for $31,670 and the SHRPO trophy.

Neil Blumenfield – 1,979,000 (124 bb)
Emerson Ward – 761,000 (48 bb)

1st: Neil Blumenfield – $31,670 + SHRPO trophy
2nd: Emerson Ward – $28,390

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 137

With the board out to the turn and reading , Mark Dickstein was all in for 575,000 and Neil Blumenfield called to put him at risk. Not long after Dickstein bet Blumenfield off a hand with a shove.

Dickstein confidently tabled for two pair tens and fives but deflated when Blumenfield flipped up for trip fives. Dickstein needed to catch one of the last two tens in the deck but missed the river to exit in third place.

Neil Blumenfield – 1,979,000 (124 bb)
Mark Dickstein – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($13,885)

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 137

John Famularo laddered up a spot, found a good place to get his ~95,000 in the middle, and was racing against Mark Dickstein.

Dickstein:
Famularo:

Famularo took the lead when he paired his ace on the flop. Dickstein picked up the first half of a backdoor flush draw on the turn and it got there on the river. Dickstein made a heart flush and Famularo was eliminated in fourth place.

Mark Dickstein – 510,000 (32 bb)
John Famularo – Eliminated in 4th Place ($8,375)

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 137

Michael Woloshin dropped down to 75,000 and put those in the middle from the small blind. Neil Blumenfield checked his cards in the big and called.

Blumenfield:
Woloshin:

Woloshin was ahead for the double but Blumenfield paired his eight on the flop. Woloshin could not find a save on the turn or river and was sent out in fifth place.

Neil Blumenfield – 1,225,000 (77 bb)
Michael Woloshin – Eliminated in 5th Place ($6,515)

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 137

Neil Blumenfield opened to 35,000 from the button, Mark Dickstein moved all in for 238,000 from the big blind and Blumenfield called.

Blumenfield:
Dickstein:

Dickstein was behind but drawing live for a double up. He took the lead when he paired his queen on the and it held as the turn and river finished the board.

Mark Dickstein – 491,000 (31 bb)
Neil Blumenfield – 1,125,000 (70 bb)

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 137

The five remaining players were sent on another break. They return to blinds at 8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 ante and the average stack is about 548,000 (34 bb).

Seat 2: Emerson Ward – 801,000 (50 bb)
Seat 3: Mark Dickstein – 254,000 (16 bb)
Seat 4: John Famularo – 103,000 (6 bb)
Seat 7: Michael Woloshin – 219,000 (14 bb)
Seat 8: Neil Blumenfield – 1,363,000 (85 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $36,670 + SHRPO trophy
2nd: $23,390
3rd: $13,885
4th: $8,375
5th: $6,515

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 137

Mark Threadgill open-ripped for about 120,000 from the button and Neil Blumenfield checked his cards in the big blind.

“I think I’m supposed to call with this,” Blumenfield said before he did.

“Good,” was the response from Threadgill.

Threadgill:
Blumenfield:

“Fair fight,” Threadgill continued.

The board ran out and Threadgill missed it all as Blumenfield made a nine-high straight flush.

“High hand Table 5!” Blumenfield joked.

Neil Blumenfield – 1,250,000 (104 bb)
Mark Threadgill – Eliminated in 6th Place ($5,450)

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 137

Emerson Ward and Jeff Silverstein were heads up to a flop. Silverstein checked from the small blind, Ward bet 50,000 and Silverstein moved all in for about 150,000 to get a snap-call from Ward.

Ward:
Silverstein:

Silverstein was ahead preflop with his eights but Ward moved out front when he paired his jack. The board finished with the turn and river and Silverstein was eliminated in seventh place after a tough battle all day.

Emerson Ward – 360,000 (30 bb)
Jeff Silverstein – Eliminated in 7th Place ($4,720)

$1,100 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 137

Carlo Sciannameo and Emerson Ward got all their chips in the middle with similar stacks and Sciannameo was the one at risk.

Ward:
Sciannameo:

Sciannameo was behind but took the lead when he paired his ten on the flop. The turn was a blank but Ward celebrated his two-out river to scoop the pot while sending Sciannameo out in eighth place.

Emerson Ward – 210,000 (18 bb)
Carlo Sciannameo – Eliminated in 8th Place ($4,195)