2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 43
$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  111
Prize Pool:  $1,065,600
August 9, 2022

Event 43 of the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open was the $10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry). The perennial SHRPO big buy-in closing event drew 111 entries, generating a prize pool of $1,065,600, more than doubling the guarantee.

Emerging victorious was Ed Sebesta, winning outright for $311,915.

“My best result before recently had been for $47,000,” said Sebesta afterward. “Then two months ago I won a high roller at the Aria for $120,000, and now this. I’m definitely on a heater.”

Sebesta was quick to mention how well he ran, but also how making some bold plays were necessary.

“Mostly, I got lucky,” admitted Sebesta, “but I pulled a few plays that most of these guys probably didn’t expect I would make. It was a combination of both. Then when I got heads up, I was on a roll. I had a big stack, applied pressure, and it worked out.”

Sebesta resides in Richmond, Texas, is retired, and plays poker as a hobby. He gives all of his winnings to The Congregation of Holy Cross in honor of his son, who went to the University of Notre Dame and became a Priest, before tragically passing away after a long battle with a brain tumor.

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 111

Brandon Lulov limped from the button and Ed Sebesta checked his option in the big blind.

The flop was , Sebesta checked, Lulov bet 30,000, Sebesta check-raised to 100,000, and Lulov called.

The turn was the , Sebesta bet 100,000, and Lulov called.

The river was the , Sebesta moved all in, and Lulov thought for about 20 seconds before he called all in for roughly 500,000.

Sebesta showed for quads fours, Lulov’s hand wasn’t shown, and Sebesta won Event 43 outright for $311,915. Lulov finished runner-up for $201,100.

A recap of the event will be posted later this morning.

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 111

Brandon Lulov raised all in from the small blind for effectively 315,000 and Sean Ragozzini thought for a bit before he called all in.

Lulov: 
Ragozzini: 

The board ran out , giving Lulov jacks and sevens on the turn to eliminate Ragozzini in third place.

Brandon Lulov  –  1,050,000  (35 bb)
Ed Sebesta  –  1,215,000  (41 bb)
Sean Ragozzini  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($118,280)

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 111

Ed Sebesta moved all in from the small blind for about 430,000, and Filipp Khavin thought for a bit before calling all in from the big blind for about 150,000 with .

Sebesta turned over , and Khavin needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Sebesta won the pot with a pair of jacks to eliminate Khavin in fourth place.

Ed Sebesta  –  605,000  (24 bb)
Filipp Khavin  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($77,250)

The final three players are guaranteed at least $118,280 each.

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 111

In the first hand after the break, with the blinds increased to 15,000-25,000, Stephen Song completed the small blind to 25,000, Brandon Lulov raised from the big blind to 80,000, and Song thought for a bit before moving all in for about 500,000.

Lulov called with , but Song turned over . Song needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Lulov paired his ace on the flop to win the pot and eliminate Song in fifth place.

Brandon Lulov  –  1,460,000  (58 bb)
Stephen Song  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($59,675)

The final four players are guaranteed at least $77,250 each.

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 111

Brandon Lulov  –  965,000  (39 bb)
Stephen Song  –  490,000  (20 bb)
Sean Ragozzini  –  345,000  (14 bb)
Ed Sebesta  –  265,000  (11 bb)
Filipp Khavin  –  160,000  (6 bb)

1st:  $311,915 + SHRPO trophy
2nd:  $201,100
3rd:  $118,280
4th:  $77,250
5th:  $59,675

6th:  Ren Lin  –  $49,025
7th:  Elio Fox  –  $41,555
8th:  Darren Elias  –  $36,230
9th:  Ash Chehata  –  $32,000

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 111

Brandon Lulov opened to 40,000 in the cutoff, Ren Lin three-bet all n for about 290,000 in the big blind, and Lulov called.

Lulov: 
Lin: 

The board ran out , no help to Lin, ending his second final table of the day in sixth place.

Bradon Lulov  –  740,000  (37 bb)
Ren Lin  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($49,025)

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 111

Ed Sebesta raised to 30,000 from under the gun, Elio Fox three-bet all in for about 140,000 from the hijack, and Sebesta called with , flipping with Fox’s .

The board ran out , no help to Fox, ending his tournament in seventh place.

Ed Sebesta  –  460,000  (31 bb)
Elio Fox  – Eliminated in 7th Place  ($41,555)

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 111

Darren Elias was all in from the big blind for roughly 110,000 against Brandon Lulov on the button.

Elias: 
Lulov: 

The board ran out , further improving Lulov to a five-high straight to eliminate Elias in eighth place.

Brandon Lulov  –  655,000  (43 bb)
Darren Elias  – Eliminated in 8th Place  ($36,230)

$10,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 111

Ash Chehata raised all in for 145,000 from the button and Filipp Khavin called all in for 120,000 in the small blind.

Chehata: 
Khavin: 

The board came down , safe for Khavin to double up.

Filipp Khavin  –  270,000  (18 bb)
Ash Chehata  –  25,000  (2 bb)

A few hands later, Ed Sebesta opened to 30,000 from early position, Chehata called all in for 25,000 from the hijack, Brandon Lulov called in the small blind, and Sean Ragozzini called in the big blind.

The flop was and action checked to Sebesta who bet 50,000. Only Lulov called.

Both Lulov and Sebesta proceeded to check the turn and river.

Sebesta showed for a pair of sevens, Lulov tabled for a pair of nines, and Chehata couldn’t beat it with to bust in ninth place.

Brandon Lulov  –  510,000  (34 bb)
Ed Sebesta  –  330,000  (22 bb)
Ash Chehata  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($32,000)