2025 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 18
$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  525
Prize Pool:  $509,250
August 2-5, 2025

There were four starting flights over three days to create a field of 525 in the $1,100 Triple Stack, more than doubling the guarantee to create a prizepool worth $509,250. There were 68 players who made it to Day 2, and after more than 12 hours of play, Luckenson “Lucky” Pericles defeated Daniyal Gheba heads-up for the title, the trophy, and the top prize of $87,770.

“It feels great,” said Pericles about the biggest score of his career. “This is my first trophy. I worked hard for it.”

For Pericles, his key moment was late on his Day 1 when he doubled up with against another player’s pocket aces. He carried that momentum to bag the third-largest stack heading into Day 2, and it gave him a lot of confidence.

“I knew when I bagged 620,000 that I was going to win this tournament,” said Pericles. “Everybody said I had a great chance of making the final table. In my mind the whole time, I was saying I’m going to finish in first place.”

Pericles made the final table, again with the third-largest stack, and he made it to heads-up after knocking out Marc Goldman in third place. He was nearly even in chips with Daniyal Gheba, and they both had more than 95 big blinds.

Heads-up play lasted more than 90 minutes, but there was plenty of action. Pericles built up a solid 3-to-2 chip lead, but then Gheba doubled up with a set of nines against Pericles’ flush draw, giving Gheba more than a 3-to-1 lead.

But Pericles stayed aggressive, and he was willing to risk his entire stack whether he was the big stack or the short stack. Meanwhile, Gheba was carefully picking his spots.

“I was very aggressive, and he was playing tight,” said Pericles. “I’d go all in and he kept folding and folding.”

Eventually Gheba called one of his all-ins with , and Pericles turned over , needing to improve to survive. Pericles flopped an ace and turned a five to win the pot with two pair and retake the lead.

Pericles continued to grow his stack with smaller pots until he three-bet shoved with , and Gheba called all in with . Pericles flopped two pair, Gheba never caught up, and just like that, Pericles had won his first trophy and $87,770.

Pericles will put some of his earnings toward a seat in the $5,300 SHRPO Championship, which begins on Friday.

“That’s what I’m here for,” said Pericles. “I’m getting ready for the Championship.”

“I’ve lived here for 25 years,” said Pericles. “I travel, of course, but this is home. Whenever they have a tournament, I’m here. To me, Seminole Hard Rock runs the best tournaments in the world.”

RESULTS:

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 525

Daniyal Gheba raised to 250,000, Luckenson Pericles moved all in from the big blind, and Gheba called all in for about 4,350,000 with .

Pericles turned over , and Gheba needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came — Pericles flopped two pair and turned a flush draw, and the river card was a blank. Pericles won the pot — and the trophy and $87,770 — with two pair.

Daniyal Gheba finished as the runner-up, earning $61,000.

Congratulations to Luckenson Pericles!

1st:  Luckenson Pericles  –  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  Daniyal Gheba  –  $61,000
3rd:  Marc Goldman  –  $45,500
4th:  Fred Paradis  –  $34,000
5th:  Sadany Hevia  –  $25,500
6th:  Giuseppe Iadisernia  –  $19,600
7th:  Chris Arnold  –  $15,100
8th:  Craig Robertson  –  $11,700
9th:  Leo Taffe  –  $9,200

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 525

There haven’t been as many big pots this level, with the chip counts hovering around a 2-to-1 chip lead for Luckenson Pericles.

Daniyal Gheba limped for 100,000, Pericles raised from the big blind to 400,000, and Gheba called.

The flop came , Pericles bet 500,000, and Gheba tanked for a while before he raised to 1,500,000. Pericles thought for a while before he folded, and Gheba took the pot.

Luckenson Pericles  –  10,700,000  (107 bb)
Daniyal Gheba  –  5,050,000  (51 bb)

1st:  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $61,000

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 525

With the board showing on the turn, Luckenson Pericles bet 500,000, Daniyal Gheba raised to 1,200,000, and Pericles thought for a bit before he three-bet all in.

Gheba folded, and Pericles took the pot.

Luckenson Pericles  –  10,350,000  (104 bb)
Daniyal Gheba  –  5,400,000  (54 bb)

1st:  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $61,000

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 525

Luckenson Pericles came back from break firing pretty aggressively, moving all in preflop or after the flop on three of the first four hands, and building himself back up above four million in chips.

About 10 minutes into the level, Daniyal Gheba raised to 200,000, Pericles moved all in from the big blind for 4,375,000, and Gheba quickly called with .

Pericles turned over , and he needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Pericles paired his ace on the flop and his five on the turn to win the pot with two pair and double up in chips.

Luckenson Pericles  –  8,850,000  (89 bb)
Daniyal Gheba  –  6,900,000  (69 bb)

1st:  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $61,000

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 525

The final two players return from break to begin Level 29, with increased blinds of 50,000-100,000 and a 100,000 ante. Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Daniyal Gheba  –  12,110,000  (121 bb)
Luckenson Pericles  –  3,640,000  (36 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $61,000

3rd:  Marc Goldman  –  $45,500
4th:  Fred Paradis  –  $34,000
5th:  Sadany Hevia  –  $25,500
6th:  Giuseppe Iadisernia  –  $19,600
7th:  Chris Arnold  –  $15,100
8th:  Craig Robertson  –  $11,700
9th:  Leo Taffe  –  $9,200

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 28:  40,000/80,000 with an 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 525

In the last hand before the break, Luckenson Pericles raised to 300,000, and Daniyal Gheba called from the big blind.

The flop came , Gheba checked, Pericles moved all in, and Gheba quickly called all in for 5,715,000 with for a set of nines.

Pericles turned over for a spade flush draw, and Gheba needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Gheba won the pot with his set of nines to double up in chips.

Daniyal Gheba  –  12,110,000  (151 bb)
Luckenson Pericles  –  3,640,000  (46 bb)

1st:  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $61,000

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 28:  40,000/80,000 with an 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 525

Luckenson Pericles raised to 240,000, and Daniyal Gheba called from the big blind.

The flop came , Gheba checked, Pericles bet 500,000, and Gheba called.

The turn card was the , Gheba checked, Pericles moved all in, and Gheba quickly folded. Pericles took the pot — and the chip lead.

Luckenson Pericles  –  8,550,000  (107 bb)
Daniyal Gheba  –  7,200,000  (90 bb)

1st:  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $61,000

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 28:  40,000/80,000 with an 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 525

Marc Goldman was all in from the big blind for roughly 1.5 million with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Luckenson Pericles on the button.

The board came , and Pericles won the pot with a pair of jacks to eliminate Goldman in third place.

Marc Goldman  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($45,500)

And here are the chip counts for the start of heads-up play, followed by the final table payouts:

Daniyal Gheba  –  8,150,000  (102 bb)
Luckenson Pericles  –  7,600,000  (95 bb)

1st:  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $61,000

3rd:  Marc Goldman  –  $45,500
4th:  Fred Paradis  –  $34,000
5th:  Sadany Hevia  –  $25,500
6th:  Giuseppe Iadisernia  –  $19,600
7th:  Chris Arnold  –  $15,100
8th:  Craig Robertson  –  $11,700
9th:  Leo Taffe  –  $9,200

$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $509,250  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 28:  40,000/80,000 with an 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 525

Luckenson Pericles raised from the small blind to 325,000, and Daniyal Gheba called from the big blind.

The flop came , Pericles bet 475,000, and Gheba thought for a while before he raised to 1,000,000. Pericles thought for a while before he folded, and Gheba took the pot.

Seat 1.  Luckenson Pericles  –  5,740,000  (72 bb)
Seat 2.  Daniyal Gheba  –  8,360,000  (105 bb)
Seat 3.  Marc Goldman  –  1,625,000  (20 bb)

And here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $87,770 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $61,000
3rd:  $45,500

With three players remaining from a field of 525, the average chip stack is around 5,250,000 (66 big blinds), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $45,500 each.