2023 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 8
$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Entries:  100
Prize Pool:  $52,500
July 28, 2023

Event 8 of the 2023 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open was a $600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry). A field of 100 entries generated a prize pool of $52,500. A five-way even chop was agreed upon by the final five players, guaranteeing each $8,020.

Nick Zivolich was the chip leader at the time, making him the official Event 8 winner.

*denotes five-way chop

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 100

The remaining five players discussed a deal for a few minutes and ultimately agreed to a five-way chop for $8,020 apiece.

Here were their counts at the time:

Nick Zivolich  –  486,000  (10 BB)
Gary Kosakowski  –  354,000  (7 BB)
Eugene Mistretta  –  317,000  (6 BB)
Josh Thatcher  –  218,000  (4 BB)
John Binns  –  126,000  (2.5 BB)

As the chip leader, Nick Zivolich was the official Event 8 winner for $8,020.

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 100

During Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, Erik Perry moved all in under the gun for 12,000, Josh Thatcher raised from the cutoff to 50,000, and everyone else folded. There could be no further betting, so it was just the three draws before showdown.

First Draw:  Perry drew two, Thatcher drew one.

Second Draw:  Perry drew two, Thatcher drew one.

Third Draw:  Perry drew two, Thatcher drew one.

Josh Thatcher:  
Erik Perry:  

Thatcher won the pot with his 8-7 to eliminate Perry in sixth place.

Josh Thatcher  –  355,000  (7 BB)
Erik Perry  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($2,385)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is around 300,000 (6 Big Bets), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $3,225 each.

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  6 of 100

During Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, Josh Thatcher raised from the cutoff to 50,000, John Binns called all in from the button for 43,000, and Gary Kosakowski called 50,000 from the big blind.

There was 142,000 in the main pot, and another 14,000 in the side pot between Kosakowski and Thatcher. Any further betting would go into the side pot.

First Draw:  Kosakowski drew two, Thatcher drew one, and Binns stood pat. Kosakowski checked, Thatcher bet 25,000, and Kosakowski called.

Second Draw:  Kosakowski drew one, Thatcher stood pat, and Binns stood pat. Kosakowski checked, Thatcher bet 50,000, and Kosakowski folded. Thatcher took the side pot.

Third Draw:  Thatcher stood pat, and Binns tanked for a long time before deciding to stand pat.

Thatcher:  
Binns:  

Binns had the slightly better hand to win the pot and triple up in chips.

Binns said he had thought Thatcher made a better hand than an 8-7 when he stood pat, and considered drawing, but a five or any diamond would have eliminated him with a straight or a flush. So Binns stood pat, and it was the correct decision.

John Binns  –  142,000  (3 BB)
Josh Thatcher  –  305,000  (6 BB)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is around 250,000 (5 Big Bets), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,385 each.

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  6 of 100

2-7 Triple Draw

Erik Perry raised to 40,000 from the button (with 4,000 behind), Eugene Mistretta called in the small blind, and Josh Thatcher called in the big blind.

Mistretta took two, Thatcher drew one, Perry took two, and action checked around.

Mistretta took one, Thatcher drew one, Perry took two, Mistretta checked, Thatcher bet 40,000, Perry folded, and Mistretta called.

Mistretta took one, Thatcher stood pat, and both checked.

Thatcher tabled , Mistretta mucked, and Thatcher won the pot.

Josh Thatcher  –  330,000  (8 BB)
Eugene Mistretta  –  390,000  (10 BB)
Erik Perry  –  4,000  (< 1 BB)

Shortly thereafter, Perry called all in for 4,000 in the hijack and action folded to Nick Zivolich in the big blind.

Zivolich: 3-1-1
Perry:  2-Pat-Pat

Zivolich turned up and caught an for a worst-case-scenario eight-high straight, while Perry tabled for an eight perfect to triple up to 12,000.

Erik Perry  –  12,000  (< 1 BB)
Nick Zivolich  –  360,000  (9 BB)

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  6 of 100

During a round of Stud Hi-Lo, Nick Zivolich and Gary Kosakowski played a hand all the way to seventh street.

Nick Zivolich:  ()    ()
Gary Kosakowski:  ()    ()

7th Street:  Zivolich checked his pair of deuces, Kosakowski moved all in for about 31,000, and Zivolich called.

Nick Zivolich:  ()    ()
Gary Kosakowski:  ()    ()

Neither player made a qualifying low hand, and Zivolich showed two pair, fours and deuces. But Kosakowski turned over trip kings, saying he caught the third one on the river. Kosakowski doubled up into nearly a tie for the chip lead.

Gary Kosakowski  –  325,000  (8 BB)
Nick Zivolich  –  335,000  (8 BB)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is around 250,000 (6 Big Bets), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,385 each.

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  6 of 100

Limit Hold’em

Eugene Mistretta raised to 40,000 from under the gun, David May reraised all in for 47,000 from the hijack, and Mistretta called.

Mistretta: 
May: 

The flop was , giving May the lead with a pair of queens. The turn kept things clean for May, but the river fell to give Mistretta a set of sixes to eliminate May in seventh place.

Eugene Mistretta  – 303,000  (8 BB)
David May  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($1,825)

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  7 of 100

Seat 1.  Gary Kosakowski  –  166,000  (4 BB)
Seat 2.  Erik Perry  –  98,000  (2 BB)
Seat 3.  Eugene Mistretta  –  230,000  (6 BB)
Seat 4.  Josh Thatcher  –  234,000  (6 BB)
Seat 5.  David May  –  47,000  (1 BB)
Seat 6.  John Binns  –  285,000  (7 BB)
Seat 7.  Nick Zivolich  –  440,000  (11 BB)

1st:  $15,675 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $10,000
3rd:  $6,645
4th:  $4,555
5th:  $3,225
6th:  $2,385
7th:  $1,825

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  15,000/30,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  7 of 100

Limit Hold’em

David May raised to 30,000 from the button, Nick Zivolich three-bet to 45,000 from the big blind, and May called.

The flop was , Zivolich continued for 15,000, and May called.

The turn was the , Zivolich bet 30,000, and May (with 47,000 behind) folded.

Nick Zivolich  –  440,000  (15 BB)
David May –  47,000  (2 BB)

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  7 of 100

After the elimination of Chris Labrie in eighth place, there was a redraw for the final table, and then the players took a short break. Here are the official chip counts, and the first game at the final table will be Limit Omaha Hi-Lo:

Seat 1.  Gary Kosakowski  –  285,000  (12 BB)
Seat 2.  Erik Perry  –  77,000  (3 BB)
Seat 3.  Eugene Mistretta  –  288,000  (12 BB)
Seat 4.  Josh Thatcher  –  261,000  (11 BB)
Seat 5.  David May  –  222,000  (9 BB)
Seat 6.  John Binns  –  101,000  (4 BB)
Seat 7.  Nick Zivolich  –  268,000  (11 BB)

And here are the payouts:

1st:  $15,675 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $10,000
3rd:  $6,645
4th:  $4,555
5th:  $3,225
6th:  $2,385
7th:  $1,825

8th:  Chris Labrie  –  $1,825
9th:  Ashton Griffin  –  $1,455
10th:  Sam Sternfield  –  $1,455
11th:  Oxanna Cummings  –  $1,205
12th:  Brett Skolnick  –  $1,205
13th:  Stephen Allen  –  $1,045

With seven players remaining, the average chip stack is around 214,000 (9 Big Bets).