Michael Berk Wins Event 52 of the 2025 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Outright for $175,350

2025 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 52
$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  153
Prize Pool:  $726,750
January 21, 2025

2025 Lucky Hearts Poker Open Event 52 Champion Michael Berk

Event 52 of the 2025 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open was a $5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry), drawing a field of 153 entries for a prize pool of $726,750.

Emerging victorious was Michael Berk, winning outright for $175,350 and his second six-figure score of the series, having previously chopped the one-day $10K event for $179,260.

PlaceFirst NameLast NamePrize Amount
1MichaelBerk$175,350
2ArtemMetalidi$117,000
3KyleJulius$87,000
4JohanSchumacher$65,000
5BrockWilson$49,000
6MichaelGathy$37,500
7JonathanTamayo$29,000
8CherishAndrews$22,400
9MathewFrankland$17,600
10JoshuaStewart$17,600
11StoyanMadanzhiev$13,800
12KevinMacDonald$13,800
13ByronKaverman$11,400
14NadyaMagnus$11,400
15AntonWigg$11,400
16MikeGao$9,500
17FlorianRibouchon$9,500
18AsherConniff$9,500
19DavidJackson$9,500
20JasonRaber$9,500

Event 52: Michael Berk Wins! ($175,350); Artem Metalidi Finishes Runner-Up ($117,000)

$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $726,750  | Structure  |  Payouts
Level 25:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 153

Michael Berk raised all in with his chip-leading stack from the button and Artem Metalidi thought for a bit before he called all in for 470,000 in the big blind.

Berk showed 4d4c, while Metalidi showed Jd7d.

The board ran out Kh6s4h3cAc, giving Berk a set of fours to eliminate Metalidi and win Event 52 outright for $175,350. Metaldi finished runner-up for $117,000.

A recap of Event 52 will be posted later tonight.

Event 52: Artem Metalidi Doubles Up

$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $726,750  | Structure  |  Payouts
Level 25:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 153

Artem Metalidi raised all in for 235,000 from the button and Michael Berk called in the big blind Ks7c.

Metalidi showed Ah2c and needed his hand to hold up to survive.

The board ran out Ts8c2hQdTh, safe for Metalidi to double up.

Artem Metalidi  –  520,000  (10 bb)
Michael Berk  –  2,540,000  (51 bb)

1st:  $175,350 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $117,000

Event 52: Kyle Julius – 3rd Place ($87,000)

$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $726,750  | Structure  |  Payouts
Level 25:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 153

Kyle Julius raised to 100,000 from the button, Michael Berk reraised all in for 1,240,000 in the small blind, and Julius called with 8h8s.

Berk showed KdQd and needed to improve to survive.

The board ran out 7d5d2d3s6d, giving Berk a flush right off the bat to double through Julius.

Michael Berk  –  2,580,000  (52 bb)
Kyle Julius  –  225,000  (5 bb)

The next hand, Berk raised all in with his chip-leading stack from the button, Artem Metalidi folded his small blind, and Julius called all in for about 175,000.

Berk:  9h2h
Julius:  Kh7h

The board came Qc9s7cTdQh, giving Berk queens and nines to eliminate Julius in third place.

Michael Berk  –  2,825,000  (56 bb)
Artem Metalidi  –  235,000  (5 bb)
Kyle Julius  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($87,000)

1st:  $175,350 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $117,000

Event 52: Johan Schumacher – 4th Place ($65,000)

$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $726,750  | Structure  |  Payouts
Level 25:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 153

Johan Schumacher was all in for 445,000 on the button against Michael Berk in the small blind.

Schumacher:  Ad2d
Berk:  AcTc

The board came Ah9h5sTh7h, giving Berk aces and tens to eliminate Schumacher.

Michael Berk  –  1,240,000  (25 bb)
Johan Schumacher  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($65,000)

Event 52: Brock Wilson – 5th Place ($49,000)

$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $726,750  | Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 153

Brock Wilson was all in from the small blind for 225,000 against Michael Berk in the big blind.

Wilson:  KsJd
Berk:  Ac5c

The board came AhJs7h7s6c, not enough help to Wilson, ending his tournament in fifth place.

Michael Berk  –  1,150,000  (38 bb)
Brock Wilson  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($49,000)

With four players remaining from the field of 153 entries, the average stack is about 765,000 (26 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed $65,000.

Event 52: Michael Gathy – 6th Place ($37,500)

$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $726,750  | Structure  |  Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 153

Michael Gathy was all in from the button for about 310,000 with QsTs and was trailing Johan Schumacher’s KdKc in the hijack.

The board ran out Jd8d3s4c5h, no help to Gathy, ending his tournament in sixth place.

Johan Schumacher  –  1,210,000  (48 bb)
Michael Gathy  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($37,500)

Recent Eliminations
7th:  Jonathan Tamayo  –  $29,000
8th:  Cherish Andrews  –  $22,400

Event 52: Mathew Frankland – 9th Place ($17,600)

$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $726,750  | Structure  |  Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 153

Michael Gathy raised from the cutoff, Mathew Frankland committed his remaining 100,000-ish from the big blind, and Gathy called with AsKs.

Frankland showed 6d6s and needed his hand to hold up to survive.

The board came 8c4h3h4sAc, giving Gathy aces and fours on the river to eliminate Frankland in ninth place.

Michael Gathy  –  335,000  (17 bb)
Mathew Frankland  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($17,600)

With eight players remaining from the field of 153 entries, the average stack is about 385,000  (19 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed $22,400.

Event 52: Final Table Lineup; Johan Schumacher Leads

$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $726,750  | Structure  |  Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 153

Seat 1:  Mathew Frankland  –  70,000  (5 bb)
Seat 2:  Artem Metalidi  –  270,000  (18 bb)
Seat 3:  Kyle Julius  –  550,000  (37 bb)
Seat 4:  Cherish Andrews  –  135,000  (9 bb)
Seat 5:  Johan Schumacher  –  720,000  (48 bb)
Seat 6:  Brock Wilson  –  215,000  (14 bb)
Seat 7:  Michael Gathy  –  240,000  (16 bb)
Seat 8:  Jonathan Tamayo  –  190,000  (13 bb)
Seat 9:  Michael Berk  –  640,000  (43 bb)

1st:  $175,350 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $117,000
3rd:  $87,000
4th:  $65,000
5th:  $49,000
6th:  $37,500
7th:  $29,000
8th:  $22,400
9th:  $17,600

10th:  Joshua Stewart  –  $17,600
11th:  Stoyan Madanzhiev  –  $13,800
12th:  Kevin MacDonald  –  $13,800
13th:  Byron Kaverman  –  $11,400
14th:  Nadya Magnus  –  $11,400
15th:  Anton Wigg  –  $11,400
16th:  Mika Gao  –  $9,500
17th:  Florian Ribouchon  –  $9,500
18th:  Asher Conniff  –  $9,500
19th:  David Jackson  –  $9,500
20th:  Jason Raber  –  $9,500

Event 52: Prize Pool and Payouts; $175,350 to the Winner

2025 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 52
$5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  153
Prize Pool:  $726,750
January 21, 2025

Event 52 of the 2025 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open was a $5,000 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry), drawing a crowd of 153 entries for a prize pool of $726,750. The final 20 players will finish in the money, with a min-cash paying $9,500.

Up top for the winner is $175,350.

1st:  $175,350 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $117,000
3rd:  $87,000
4th:  $65,000
5th:  $49,000
6th:  $37,500
7th:  $29,000
8th:  $22,400
9th-10th:  $17,600
11th-12th:  $13,800
13th-15th:  $11,400
16th-20th:  $9,500