Escalator VII Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guarantee
Entries:  1,351
Prize Pool:  $452,585
February 22-26, 2023

Event 3 of the Escalator VII Series was a multi-flight $400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry). Across six starting flights, a field of 1,351 entries generated a prize pool of $452,585, crushing the $300,000 guarantee.

Emerging victorious was Alejandro Arana Torres, winning outright for $73,775.

There were 173 players who returned on Day 2 in the money and Torres was in good shape, coming back 13th in chips. When the final table was reached, Torres was in the middle of the pack sitting fifth in chips.

His key hand came with eight players left, as he picked up ace-king and scored a double elimination to vault into the chip lead. He scored one more elimination by the time heads-up play was reached, where he had a slight lead over Michael Fryett. However, pretty soon into the heads-up match, Torres flopped a set and Fryett check-raised all in on the turn with top pair. Torres found a call and had it clinched.

Torres’ showing was his largest career live tournament score per the Hendon Mob poker database and his first win at the Seminole Hard Rock.

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 1,351

Alejandro Arana Torres raised from the button and Michael Fryett called in the big blind.

The flop was and Fryett check-called a bet from Torres.

The turn was the , Fryett checked, Torres bet 1,500,000, Fryett raised all in for about 14,300,000 and Torres thought for a little while before he called with a slight covering stack.

Fryett showed for a pair of kings, but Torres tabled for a set of tens and had the hand clinched.

The river was a meaningless and Torres officially won Event 3 of the Escalator VII Series outright for $73,775. Fryett finished runner up for $50,570.

A recap of the event will be posted later tonight.

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  75,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,351

Alejandro Arana Torres  –  18,075,000  (121 bb)
Michael Fryett  –  15,700,000  (105 bb)

1st:  $73,775 + Trophy
2nd:  $50,570

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  75,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,351

Michael Fryett raised to 450,000 from the button, Peter Fellows three-bet to 1,450,000 from the big blind and Fryett called.

The flop was , Fellows shoved for about 5,150,000 and Fryett called with for nines and fours, leading Fellows’ for sevens and fours.

The turn and river completed the board, no help to Fellows, ending his tournament in third place.

Peter Fellows  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($34,425)

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  75,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,351

A.K. Iminov raised all in for 2,400,000 from UTG/cutoff and Michael Fryett called on the button.

Iminov: 
Fryett: 

The flop was , giving Iminov a pair of queens to take the lead.

The turn was the , giving Fryett a flush draw.

The river was the , giving Fryett a pair of aces to eliminate Iminov in fourth place.

Michael Fryett  –  9,000,000  (60 bb)
A.K. Iminov  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($25,510)

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  75,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 1,351

Alejandro Arana Torres limped in from the cutoff, Gil Guadalpi did the same from the small blind and A.K. Iminov raised all in for 1,425,000 in the big blind. Torres folded and Guadalpi called.

Guadalpi: 
Iminov: 

The board ran out , giving Iminov a pair of aces to double up.

Down to 625,000, Guadalpi was all in two hands later with against Peter Fellows.

Guadalpi: 
Fellows: 

The board came down , ending Guadalpi’s tournament in fifth place.

Peter Fellows  –  5,900,000  (39 bb)
A.K. Iminov  –  3,000,000  (20 bb)
Gil Guadalpi  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($19,200)

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 1,351

Stuart Greenbaum raised to 400,000 from the cutoff, Alejandro Arana Torres three-bet to 1,200,000 from the big blind, Greenbaum four-bet all in for 4,125,000 and Torres tanked for a bit before he called.

Greenbaum: 
Torres: 

The board ran out , giving Torres a set of eights to eliminate Greenbaum in sixth place.

Alejandro Arana Torres  –  16,000,000  (128 bb)
Stuart Greenbaum  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($15,530)

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,351

A.K. Iminov limped from under the gun, Alejandro Arana Torres did the same from middle position and Jason Korb raised all in for 1,200,000 from the cutoff.

Jeffrey Green reraised all in from the big blind for about 3,500,000, Iminov folded and Torres thought for a little while before he called with the biggest stack of the bunch.

Torres: 
Korb: 
Green: 

The board ran out , giving Torres kings full of sixes to score the double elimination.

Alejandro Arana Torres  –  11,800,000  (94 bb)
Jeffrey Green  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($12,800)
Jason Korb  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($10,100)

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 1,351

Gil Guadalpi raised to 250,000 from under the gun, Owen Lynn three-bet to about 800,000 from middle position, A.K. Iminov four-bet to about 3,000,000, Guadalpi folded, Lynn reraised all in for about 4,000,000 and Iminov called.

Lynn: 
Iminov: 

The board ran out , no help to Owen, ending his tournament in ninth place.

A.K. Iminov  –  10,500,000  (105 bb)
Owen Lynn  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($7,530)

Escalator VII Series Event 3
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 1,351

Seat 1:  Stuart Greenbaum  –  3,600,000  (36 bb)
Seat 2:  Jeffrey Green  –  3,200,000  (32 bb)
Seat 3:  Owen Lynn  –  4,000,000  (40 bb)
Seat 4:  A.K. Iminov  –  5,700,000  (57 bb)
Seat 5:  Michael Fryett  –  4,100,000  (41 bb)
Seat 6:  Alejandro Arana Torres  –  3,800,000  (38 bb)
Seat 7:  Peter Fellows  –  6,150,000  (62 bb)
Seat 8:  Jason Korb  –  1,650,000  (17 bb)
Seat 9:  Gil Guadalpi  –  1,600,000  (16 bb)

1st:  $73,775 + Trophy
2nd:  $50,570
3rd:  $34,425
4th:  $25,510
5th:  $19,200
6th:  $15,530
7th:  $12,800
8th:  $10,100
9th:  $7,530