2024 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 8
$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Entries:  79
Prize Pool:  $40,685
August 2, 2024

Event 8 of the 2024 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open was a $600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry), drawing a field of 79 entries for a prize pool of $40,685. Emerging victorious was Ari Engel, taking it down outright for $12,875 and his sixth SHRP major series trophy.

Here are Engel’s six SHRP major series trophy victories:

2016 SHRPO  $1,650 Heads-Up  ($28,800)
2018 LHPO:  $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em  ($45,688)
2023 Showdown:  $600 PLO 6-Max  ($20,505)
2024 Showdown:  $600 7-Card Stud  ($7,150)
2024 Showdown:  $600 Triple Stud  ($12,130)
2024 SHRPO:  $600 Eight-Game Mix  ($12,875)

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  60,000/120,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  1 of 79

2-7 Triple Draw

Ari Engel raised to 120,000 from the button and Joel Alpert called in the big blind.

Both drew two, Alpert bet 60,000, and Engel called.

Alpert drew one, Engel took two, Alpert bet 120,000, and Engel called.

Alpert stood pat, Engel drew one, Alpert bet his remaining 120,000, and Engel called with , besting Alpert’s to win Event 8 outright for $12,875. Alpert finished runner-up for $8,515.

A recap of Event 8 will be posted later tonight.

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  50,000/100,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 79

2-7 Triple Draw

Ari Engel raised to 100,000 from the button and Joel Alpert defended his big blind.

Alpert took two, Engel drew three, Alpert bet 50,000, and Engel called.

Alpert drew one, Engel took three again, Alpert bet 100,000, and Engel called.

Alpert stood pat, Engel took one, Alpert bet 100,000, and Engel called.

“Nine-seven,” said Alpert.

Engel tabled , Alpert mucked, and Engel won the pot.

Ari Engel  –  1,520,000  (15 BB)
Joel Alpert  –  455,000  (5 BB)

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  50,000/100,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 79

The players return from break to begin Level 25, with increased limits of 50,000-100,000. Here are the official chip counts, followed by the payouts:

Joel Alpert  –  1,175,000  (12 BB)
Ari Engel  –  800,000  (8 BB)

1st:  $12,875 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $8,515

3rd:  Tal Avivi  –  $5,665
4th:  Michael Johnston  –  $3,860
5th:  John Devine  –  $2,695
6th:  Gabe Ramos  –  $1,925
7th:  Steven Novak  –  $1,415
8th:  Cary Rosenthal  –  $1,415
9th:  Armen Gevorgyan  –  $1,160
10th:  Daniel Blum  –  $1,160

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 79

The back-and-forth trend continues with Joel Alpert and Ari Engel, and lately it’s been Alpert with the slight lead.

During the 2-7 Triple Draw, Alpert won a nice pot when Ari folded after the third draw to increase his lead. On the very next hand, Alpert made an 8-5-4-3-2 drawing one card the last two times — but they were all hearts for a flush. Engel turned over his 9-7-6-3-2 to take the pot and regain his chips from the previous hand.

Two hands later, Engel took a slight lead, only to see Alpert regain the lead the hand after that. These were their chip counts after the 2-7 Triple Draw round:

Joel Alpert  –  1,010,000  (13 BB)
Ari Engel  –  965,000  (12 BB)

And here are the payouts at stake:

1st:  $12,875 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $8,515

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 79

Joel Alpert had a slight lead over Ari Engel at the start of heads-up play, and for several different rounds, there haven’t been any big pots or big swings, with Alpert holding onto the lead.

Engel finally took a slight lead shortly after midnight during Stud, and then Engel won the majority of Razz hands to build up his first substantive lead of heads-up play:

Ari Engel  –  1,265,000  (21 BB)
Joel Alpert  –  710,000  (12 BB)

They’ve just begun playing Pot-Limit Omaha, and here are the payouts at stake:

1st:  $12,875 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $8,515

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 79

Limit Hold’em

Joel Alpert raised to 50,000 from the button and Tal Avivi called in the big blind.

The flop was , Avivi checked, Alpert bet 25,000, Avivi check-raised to 50,000, and the two agreed to get it in for Avivi’s remaining 120,000-ish.

Alpert: 
Avivi: 

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

Joel Alpert  –  1,000,000  (20 BB)
Ari Engel  –  975,000  (19.5 BB)
Tal Avivi  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($5,665)

1st:  $12,875 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $8,515

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  3 of 79

Limit Hold’em

Ari Engel raised to 50,000 from the cutoff, Tal Avivi three-bet to 75,000 from the button, Michael Johnston called in the big blind, and Engel called.

The flop was and the action was checked to Avivi who bet 25,000. Johnston check-raised to 50,000, Engel called, and Avivi called.

The turn was , Johnston bet 50,000, Engel called, and Avivi folded.

The river was the , Johnston bet his remaining 50,000-ish, and Engel called with for a queen-high straight, besting Johnston’s for a set of nines to eliminate Johnston in fourth place.

Ari Engel  –  1,000,000  (20 BB)
Tal Avivi  –  320,000  (6 BB)
Michael Johnston  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($3,860)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is around 658,000 (13 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $5,665 each.

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  4 of 79

Omaha Hi-Lo

Joel Alpert raised from the hijack to 40,000, John Devine reraised from the button to 60,000, and Alpert four-bet it to 80,000. Devine called all in for 76,000, and they turned over their cards.

Joel Alpert:  
John Devine:  

The board came , and Alpert’s ace’s held up to win the high side, and he made an 8-5 low to win the low side. Alpert scooped the entire pot to eliminate Devine in fifth place.

Joel Alpert  –  255,000  (6 BB)
John Devine  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($2,695)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is around 495,000 (12 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $3,860 each.

$600 Eight-Game Mix (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 79

The players return from break to begin Level 21, with increased limits of 20,000-40,000. Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Seat 1.  John Devine  –  106,000  (3 BB)
Seat 2.  Ari Engel  –  923,000  (23 BB)
Seat 3.  Tal Avivi  –  502,000  (13 BB)
Seat 4.  Joel Alpert  –  146,000  (4 BB)
Seat 5.  Michael Johnston  –  298,000  (7 BB)

And here are the payouts:

1st:  $12,875 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $8,515
3rd:  $5,665
4th:  $3,860
5th:  $2,695

6th:  Gabe Ramos  –  $1,925
7th:  Steven Novak  –  $1,415
8th:  Cary Rosenthal  –  $1,415
9th:  Armen Gevorgyan  –  $1,160
10th:  Daniel Blum  –  $1,160

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is around 395,000 (10 Big Bets).