2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 34
$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
Entries:  1,188
Prize Pool:  $3,801,600
January 18 – 23, 2024

One of South Florida’s own has taken home the top prize in the Championship at the Lucky Hearts Poker Open. Raminder Singh added to his robust trophy case by capturing the giant guitar pick trophy, along with the largest cash of his poker career worth $486,353. That puts his total career earnings close to $3 million. He topped a field of 1,188 entries to win the title, including a talented group of players on the final day of the tournament that concluded when the final three agreed to a chop when Singh had secured the chip lead against Dan Martin (second place), and Jesse Lonis (third place).

We caught up with Singh after he had the trophy in hand  for an interview about his victory, and here is what he had to say right after the win. “It feels really great, I don’t really ever play any big tournaments that go into the week. I need to have a pretty fine schedule to skip all my work and play, so normally I don’t play these. But this time my friends, they convinced me to play in this. This was the time to play. I’ve been in good form, I’ve been playing well, I couldn’t miss this tournament,” said Singh.

He can often be found playing in tournaments with his Team Singh shirt, and he showed a lion’s will down the homestretch of the tournament in his determination to win the trophy, even when chops had been previously offered. “Team Singh, the lion on my shirt was basically invented by my nephews. Harry, Jason, and Sandy, and like 20 of their friends and others that are in the network that call me uncle, so I’m the universal uncle. They are all my nephews. Even locally here, a lot of the players I play against – It’s in the family. Singh means lion actually in our language,” said Singh.

When you have over 90 tournament wins on your poker resume it’s probably time to get a trophy case, and this is the victory that’s got him thinking that way. “With this prestigious win, to be honest with you I may really have to think about a trophy case with this giant trophy. This is my No. 1 win. This is by far my largest score,” said Singh.

He continued, “I have a lot of respect for the players here, and the staff. Amazing fields, and it’s amazing the way they organize these tournaments and these series. It’s local here, so it’s so good, like a 45-minute drive for me. I really enjoy it here, Hard Rock is my favorite place to play poker.”

We followed with a question about how all those previous journeys to the end of a tournament helped him finish the job today, and he replied with this. “Your experience does help, in every field of your life, not just poker. This is the first time I’ve played until Day 4 in a tournament, but I have played the WSOP main a couple of times. This was really an interesting structure where the blind levels moved from 90 minutes and then to 60 at the final table, and we were very deep. I’m a businessman at my core, so i strongly believe in horses for courses. When you play a turbo it’s a different minefield, when you play a $3,500 it’s a different level of players and a different structure, so you have to adjust your patience and that animal instinct that’s inside that’s trying to really, really be aggressive. You’ve got to control it more, and tame it back a little. You’ve got to sit back and read people more,” said Singh.

If you spend any amount of time watching Singh play at a poker table you can quickly tell he is the conversation captain anywhere he is seated. We asked him about that outgoing personality, and here is how Singh responded, “To be honest I just like to talk as humans. I’m a businessman as I said. I was very introverted growing up, but I got some very good mentors in my life that helped me develop my people skills, and I enjoy life. If you love to talk it’s not so much about the hands or the strategy, it’s more about life.”

Our table-side chat finished with trying to settle the score if Singh still considers himself an amateur after so much success in closing out poker tournaments, but it doesn’t sound like he’s about to give that moniker up anytime soon. “An amateur is an amateur is an amateur for life [laughs]. So I would love to keep that title of a true poker amateur unless I win the WSOP main event one day. If I win that tournament then I will retire that title, and take whatever title comes with that,” said Singh.

The victory is also Singh’s 11th SHRP major series trophy, retaking the lead atop the all-time winners list.

2015 SHRPO – $250 No-Limit Hold’em – ($6,716)
2015 RRPO – $350 NLHE Black Chip Bounty – ($11,400)
2015 RRPO – $350 No-Limit Hold’em Big Stack – ($15,298)
2018 RRPO – $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em – ($37,706)
2019 SHRPO – $600 No-Limit Hold’em Deep Stack – ($200,000)
2020 LHPO – $600 No-Limit Hold’em Six Max – ($22,520)
2021 SHRPO – $200 Double Green Chip Bounty NLH – ($6,256)
2022 Showdown – $150 Big Stack No-Limit Hold’em – ($5,008)
2022 RRPO – $600 Deep Stack Turbo No-Limit Hold’em – ($7,897)
2023 Showdown – $400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em – ($12,230)
2024 LHPO – $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em Championship – ($486,353)

ICYMI: Raminder Singh conquered a tough final table in the LHPO Championship to take the top spot along with $486,353 and @PokerTrue set himself apart as our all-time wins leader with his 11 Hollywood major title.

Congrats Raminder!

Updates/results: https://t.co/YUhCbwLwjJ pic.twitter.com/HVu6VgV77w

— Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (@shrpo) January 24, 2024

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 34:  300,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,188

After playing three-handed for a little while, the remaining players opted to took at the numbers and eventually reached a deal:

Here were their chip counts at the time:

Raminder Singh  –  27,100,000  (54 bb)
Dan Martin  –  21,700,000  (43 bb)
Jesse Lonis  –  10,600,000  (21 bb)

Here were the resulting payouts:

Raminder Singh  –  $486,353
Dan Martin  –  $460,000
Jesse Lonis  –  $404,247

As the chip leader, Raminder Singh is the official winner of the 2024 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship, and he retakes the lead in SHRP major series trophy victories with 11.

A recap of the LHPO Championship will be posted later tonight.

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 33:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,188

Dan Martin raised to 900,000 from the button and Raminder Singh called in the small blind.

The flop was , Singh checked, Martin bet 1,100,000, and Singh called.

The turn was the , Singh led out 1,400,000, and Martin called.

The river was the , Singh bet 1,900,000, and Martin folded.

Raminder Singh  –  27,100,000  (68 bb)
Dan Martin  –  21,700,000  (54 bb)
Jesse Lonis  –  10,600,000  (27 bb)

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 33:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,188

Jesse Lonis made it 1.6 million to go preflop from the small blind Dan Martin moved all in for 12,575,000 om the big blind, and Lonis called to cover. The two players then flipped over their cards.

Martin:
Lonis:

Board:

Martin spiked the four to double up and survive with 26.15 million, and Lonis was at 11.3 million after the hand.

Dan Martin – 26,150,000 (65 bb)
Jesse Lonis – 11,300,000 (28 bb)

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 33:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,188

The minimum price of admission was in the pot preflop when the first three cards were dealt . Both Dan Martin (small blind), and Raminder Singh (big blind) each contributed 500,000 more before the turn fell .

Singh bet 1.3 million , and Martin check-called. The river then delivered the , Singh bet 4.7 million, and Martin check-called after using a time chip.

Singh showed , and Martin folded his cards. Singh was up to 18.2 million, and Martin was at 13.55 million after the hand.

Raminder Singh – 18,200,000 (45 bb)
Dan Martin – 13,550,000 (33 bb)

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 33:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,188

Seat 3:  Raminder Singh  –  17,750,000  (44 bb)
Seat 5:  Jesse Lonis  –  27,500,000  (69 bb)
Seat 7:  Dan Martin  –  14,150,000  (35 bb)

With three players remaining, the average stack is about 19,800,000 (50 big blinds).

1st:  $626,500 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $416,300
3rd:  $307,800

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 33:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,188

Jesse Lonis raised to 1.3 million from the button, Justin Datloff reraised all in for 6.4 million from the big blind, and Lonis called to cover him. The two players then flipped over their cards.

Lonis:
Datloff:

Board:

Datloff was eliminated in fourth place for a payday good to the tune of $229,900, and Lonis stacked up 23.3 million after collecting the pot.

Jesse Lonis – 23,300,000 (58 bb)
Justin Datloff – Eliminated in 4th Place ($229,900)

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 33:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 1,188

Jesse Lonis raised from the button and Justin Datloff called in the big blind.

They checked to the river of a board where Lonis bet 1,450,000. Datloff called.

Lonis showed for kings and decues with a ten kicker, Datloff mucked, and Lonis won the pot.

A few hands later, Lonis raised to 1,200,000 from the small blind, Dan Martin three-bet to 3,500,000 from the big blind, Lonis reraised all in, and Martin folded.

Jesse Lonis  –  22,700,000  (57 bb)
Dan Martin  –  12,650,000  (32 bb)
Justin Datloff  –  5,000,000  (13 bb)

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 32:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 1,188

Jesse Lonis raised to 650,000 preflop from the button, Justin Datloff reraised to 1.9 million on the big blind, and Lonis reraised all in for 7.2 million. Datloff called to cover so the two remaining players revealed their cards.

Lonis:
Datloff:

Board:

Lonis doubled up to survive with 15.15 million after collecting the pot, and Datloff was at 9.55 million.

Jesse Lonis – 15,150,000 (37 bb)
Justin Datloff – 9,550,000 (23 bb)

$3,500 LHPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 32:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 1,188

Justin Datloff raised to 600,000 from UTG/cutoff and Dan Martin called in the big blind.

The flop came , Martin checked, Datloff bet 425,000, Martin check-raised to 1,600,000, and Datloff called.

The turn was the and both checked.

The river was the , Martin checked, Datloff bet 700,000, and Martin called.

Datloff tabled for aces and eights, Martin mucked, and Datloff won the pot.

Justin Datloff  –  16,300,000  (54 bb)
Dan Martin  –  18,600,000  (62 bb)