$400 Big Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  25,000/50,000
Players Remaining:  1 of 129

Hal Rotholz raised to 150,000 on the button, James Astorino thought for a bit before three-betting all in for about 210,000 from the big blind, and Rotholz called.

Rotholz: 
Astorino: 

The board came , giving Rotholz a six-high straight for the high, along with a wheel for the low, to scoop the pot and win Event 3 outright for $11,860.

Astorino finished runner-up for $7,425.

2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 4
$200 Quad Stack Double Green Chip Bounty
$20,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  212
Prize Pool:  $23,320
Bounty Prize Pool: $10,600
July 27, 2022

Event 4 of the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open was a $200 Quad Stack Double Green Chip Bounty. The field of 212 entries drew a prize pool of $23,320, with an additional $10,600 set aside for bounties.

Winning the tournament outright was Eric Halpern, earning $5,495 for his showing.

2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 2
$400 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries:  272
Prize Pool:  $91,120
July 27, 2022

The 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open kicked off on Wednesday, and the first trophy was awarded in the one-day Seniors Event when Robert Garcia came out on top of a field of 272 players — the third largest field for a seniors event in Seminole Hard Rock history.

Garcia lives nearly two hours away in Okeechobee, Florida, and he and some friends drive down to the Seminole Hard Rock about once a series, usually to play in the Seniors Event.

“I’ve cashed a couple and made some deep runs,” said Garcia, “but I’ve never come that close, so this feels great.”

Why does Garcia prefer seniors events over other events?

“Seniors are a lot friendlier,” said Garcia. “The young kids are more aggressive, with more big pots. Seniors want to see more flops and play a little bit more. It’s more of an old school type of poker.”

Garcia was fourth in chips at the dinner break, and improved to chipleader when they reached the final two tables. But then he went card dead for a while.

“I wasn’t getting any cards when we were at two tables,” said Garcia. “But once we got to the final table, I got some great cards in the right spots.”

The key hand for Garcia came with seven players left, when he played a big pot against another big stack, Hector Pacheco.

“I got lucky in one hand where I flopped top pair with a king, and [Pacheco] had king-three for two pair,” said Garcia. “But I hit my second pair on the river, and then we went all in, and that was a really big pot. That was probably the deciding hand of the match.” (Click here to read about that hand in more detail.)

Pacheco was eliminated in that hand as Garcia catapulted to a big chip lead, and kept his momentum by knocking out the next two players (Tamara Goldshteyn in sixth, and Stacy Matin in fifth) before the final four agreed to an ICM deal. As chipleader, Garcia was declared the winner, receiving the title and the trophy.

Garcia really enjoys the tournaments here, but he and his friends are also fans of the many other amenities available at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

“If my buddies get knocked out early, they can go gamble or do something else besides wait for me the whole time,” said Garcia. “Right now they’re out getting drunk at the bar, so I’m going to meet them there and celebrate.”

Final Results:

* Indicates the results of a four-way deal.

$400 Big Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  20,000/40,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 129

Hal Rotholz  –  1,250,000  (31 bb)
James Astorino  –  685,000  (17 bb)

1st:  $11,860 + SHRPO trophy
2nd:  $7,425

3rd:  Lyle Diamond  –  $4,580
4th:  Matt Affleck  –  $2,800
5th:  Paul Williams  –  $2,140
6th:  Eric Kent  –  $1,815
7th:  Jonathan Moschel  –  $1,575
8th:  Jefferson Trent  –  $1,380

$400 Big Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  20,000/40,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 129

Down to about 170,000, Lyle Diamond was all in from the big blind with against James Astorino in the small blind with .

Diamond was unable to catch up, finishing in third place for $4,580.

James Astorino  –  685,000  (17 bb)
Lyle Diamond  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($4,580)

$400 Big Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/30,000
Players Remaining:  3 of 129

In a battle of the blinds with the board reading , Hal Rotholz bet about 115,000 from the small blind and Matt Affleck called from the big blind.

The river was the , Rotholz bet about 390,000, and Affleck tanked for a while before he called.

Rotholz tabled for eights full of sixes with an 8-6-5-4-3 low, Affleck mucked, and Rotholz scooped the hefty pot.

Down to 30,000, Affleck busted shortly thereafter.

Hal Rotholz  –  1,230,000  (41 bb)
Matt Affleck  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($2,800)

$400 Big Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/25,000
Players Remaining:  4 of 129

Hal Rotholz raised to 60,000 from the button and James Astorino called from the big blind.

The flop was and Astorino check-called 70,000 from Rotholz.

The turn was the , Astorino led for 150,000, Rotholz raised, and Astorino called all in for 310,000.

Rotholz: 
Astorino: 

Both had a wheel for the low, both had a six-high straight for the current lead for the high, and both also had flush draws. Astorino, however, had the superior flush draw.

The river was the , giving Astorino an ace-high flush for the high to quarter Rotholz.

James Astorino  –  640,000  (26 bb)
Hal Rotholz  –  225,000  (9 bb)

$400 Big Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/20,000
Players Remaining:  4 of 129

Lyle Diamond  –  575,000  (29 bb)
Matt Affleck  –  500,000  (25 bb)
Hal Rotholz  –  485,000  (24 bb)
James Astorino  –  380,000  (19 bb)

1st:  $11,860 + SHRPO trophy
2nd:  $7,425
3rd:  $4,580
4th:  $2,800

5th:  Paul Williams  –  $2,140
6th:  Eric Kent  –  $1,815
7th:  Jonathan Moschel  –  $1,575
8th:  Jefferson Trent  –  $1,380

$400 Big Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  8,000/16,000
Players Remaining:  4 of 129

Paul Williams raised all in for 21,000 from the button, Hal Rotholz called in the small blind, and Matt Affleck called in the big blind.

Action was checked to the river of a board where Rotholz bet 40,000. Affleck folded.

Rotholz tabled for fours full of treys, besting Williams’ (who had been leading with a flush) to end Williams’ run in fifth place.

Hal Rotholz  –  740,000  (46 bb)
Paul Williams  – Eliminated in 5th Place  ($2,140)

$400 Big Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  8,000/16,000
Players Remaining:  5 of 129

Lyle Diamond limped from under the gun, Hal Rotholz raised from the cutoff, Eric Kent reraised all in from the big blind for 66,000, and both Diamond and Rotholz called.

The flop was , Diamond bet 100,000, and Rotholz folded.

Diamond: 
Kent: 

Diamond had the low locked up and also had a pair of sevens, while Kent had a straight draw to try for half the pot.

The turn and river completed the board, missing Kent completely, giving Diamond the pot and eliminating Kent in sixth place.

Lyle Diamond  –  650,000  (41 bb)
Eric Kent  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($1,815)