2026 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 56
$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
$250,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  117
Prize Pool:  $549,900
January 20, 2026

Event 56 of the 2026 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open was a $5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em. A field of 117 entries generated a prize pool of $549,900, more than doubling the guarantee. Emerging victorious was Randall Emmett, taking it down for $141,300.

This marked Emmett’s second series in a row with a final table made, having finished fourth in an $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em during the 2025 RRPO. Emmett also final tabled this same $5k event in the 2021 LHPO, finishing ninth.

“This time, the biggest fish came back and won it,” said an elated Emmett afterward.

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 26:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 117

On the turn of a board with roughly 300,000 in the pot, Justin Liberto bet 130,000 from the small blind and Randall Emmett called in the big blind.

The river was the , Liberto bet about 240,000 (leaving 5,000 behind), Emmett raised all in, and Liberto folded.

Emmett showed for jacks and treys as he collected the pot.

Down to 5,000, Liberto busted the next hand in third place.

Randall Emmett  –  1,425,000  (29 bb)
Elior Sion  –  915,000  (18 bb)
Justin Liberto  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($70,000)

1st:  $141,300 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $95,000

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 25:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 117

Randall Emmett raised all in for 450,000 from the button and Justin Liberto used a time extension before he called.

Emmett: 
Liberto: 

The board came , safe for Emmett to double up.

Elior Sion  –  1,080,000  (27 bb)
Randall Emmett  –  960,000  (24 bb)
Justin Liberto  –  300,000  (8 bb)

1st:  $141,300 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $95,000
3rd:  $70,000

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 24:  20,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 117

Leandro Bianchini raised all in for 210,000 in the cutoff and Randall Emmett isolated the action from the button with , leading Bianchini’s .

The board ran out , no help to Bianchini, ending his tournament in fourth place.

Randall Emmett  –  780,000  (26 bb)
Leandro Bianchini  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($53,000)

With three players remaining from the field of 117 entries, the average stack is about 780,000 (26 bb). The remaining players are guaranteed $70,000.

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 24:  20,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 117

Randall Emmett limped in for 30,000 in the cutoff, Elior Sion raised to 110,000 from the button, Peter Cross called all in for 65,000 in the big blind, and Emmett folded.

Sion: 
Cross: 

The board came , giving Sion kings full of eights to eliminate Cross in fifth place.

Elior Sion  –  810,000  (27 bb)
Randall Emmett  –  540,000  (18 bb)
Peter Cross  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($39,500)

With four players remaining from the field of 117 entries, the average stack is about 585,000 (20 bb). The remaining players are guaranteed $53,000.

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 23:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 117

Seat 1.  Elior Sion  –  915,000  (37 bb)
Seat 2.  Justin Liberto  –  335,000  (13 bb)
Seat 3.  Peter Cross  –  340,000  (14 bb)
Seat 4.  Leandro Binachini  – 380,000  (15 bb)
Seat 5.  Randall Emmett  –  370,000  (15 bb)

With five players remaining from the field of 117 entries, the average stack is about 470,000 (19 bb).

1st:  $141,300 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $95,000
3rd:  $70,000
4th:  $53,000
5th:  $39,500

6th:  Maksim Pisarenko  –  $30,500
7th:  Aram Zobian  –  $23,300
8th:  Paul Fisher  –  $18,100
9th:  David McGowan  –  $14,200
10th:  Natasha Mercier  –  $14,200
11th:  Brandon Wilson  –  $11,300
12th:  Jeremy Becker  –  $11,300
13th:  Larry Pileggi  –  $9,400
14th: James Carroll  –  $9,400
15th: Jonathan Tamayo  –  $9,400

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 117

Peter Cross raised to 40,000 from the button, Maksim Pisarenko reraised all in for about 95,000 in the small blind, and Cross called with , leading Pisarenko’s .

The board came , no help to Pisarenko, ending his tournament in sixth place.

Peter Cross  –  375,000  (19 bb)
Maksim Pisarenko  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($30,500)

With five players remaining from the field of 117 entries, the average stack is about 470,000 (24 bb). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $39,500.

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 117

Elior Sion raised to 30,000 in middle position, Justin Liberto three-bet to 75,000 in the hijack, Aram Zobian called all in for about 35,000 in the big blind, and Sion called.

The board was checked down and Sion’s was best, ending Zobian’s tournament in seventh place.

Elior Sion  –  1,120,000  (75 bb)
Justin Liberto  –  345,000  (23 bb)
Aram Zobian  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($23,300)

With six players remaining from the field of 117 entries, the average stack is about 390,000 (26 bb). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $30,500.

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 117

Paul Fisher was all in for 10,000 in the small blind with against Maksim Pisarenko in the big blind holding .

The board came , no help to Fisher, ending his tournament in eighth place.

Maksim Pisarenko  –  170,000  (11 bb)
Paul Fisher  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($18,100)

With seven players remaining from the field of 117 entries, the average stack is about 335,000 (22 bb). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $23,300.

$5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $549,900  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 117

Seat 1.  Elior Sion  –  1,000,000  (67 bb)
Seat 2.  Justin Liberto  –  380,000  (25 bb)
Seat 3.  Peter Cross  –  160,000  (11 bb)
Seat 4.  Paul Fisher  –  40,000  (3 bb)
Seat 5.  Maksim Pisarenko  –  160,000  (11 bb)
Seat 6.  Leandro Binachini  –  225,000  (15 bb)
Seat 7.  Aram Zobian  –  50,000  (3 bb)
Seat 8.  Randall Emmett  –  400,000  (27 bb)

With eight players remaining from the field of 117 entries, the average stack is about 295,000 (20 big blinds).

1st:  $141,300 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $95,000
3rd:  $70,000
4th:  $53,000
5th:  $39,500
6th:  $30,500
7th:  $23,300
8th:  $18,100

9th:  David McGowan  –  $14,200
10th:  Natasha Mercier  –  $14,200
11th:  Brandon Wilson  –  $11,300
12th:  Jeremy Becker  –  $11,300
13th:  Larry Pileggi  –  $9,400
14th: James Carroll  –  $9,400
15th: Jonathan Tamayo  –  $9,400