2025 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 29
$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  1,020
Prize Pool:  $719,100
August 5-7, 2025

Event 20 of the 2025 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open was the $800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry). Across four starting flights, a total of 1,020 entries generated a prize pool of $719,100, nearly tripling the guarantee.

A heads-up deal took place and Michael Amato was the chip leader at the time, making him the official Event 29 winner for $96,000.

*denotes heads-up deal

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 35:  600,000/1,200,000 with a 1,200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,020

After the elimination of Leo Taffe in third place, Eric Kolodny asked if Michael Amato was open to a deal.

Amato said that he wasn’t interested in an ICM chop, and Kolodny could make one offer, and if Amato didn’t accept it, they’d just keep playing.

Kolodny made an offer, but Amato rejected it and said “Let’s just play. If you get closer, maybe. Probably not.”

Then Kolodny offered Amato $95,000 for first, and Amato said, “It’s hard to say no to ninty-five.”

Amato countered with an offer of $96,000 for first, and Kolodny quickly accepted. So a deal has been reached!

As chipleader, Amato is awarded the title and the trophy, in addition to $96,000. Eric Kolodny — who started the final table as the short stack — finishes as the runner-up, earning $78,620.

Congratulations to Michael Amato!

1st:  Michael Amato  –  $96,000 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  Eric Kolodny  –  $78,620
3rd:  Leo Taffe  –  $52,000
4th:  Ory Hen  –  $39,000
5th:  Alejandro Bristol  –  $29,500
6th:  Kuang Hung Lee  –  $22,600
7th:  Matt Paul  –  $17,400
8th:  Frank Brannan  –  $13,500
9th:  Victoria Livschitz  –  $10,600

Stay tuned for a recap from this event, which will be posted late tonight.

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 35:  600,000/1,200,000 with a 1,200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,020

Leo Taffe moved all in from the small blind for 11,600,000, and Michael Amato thought for a while before he called from the big blind with .

Taffe turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Taffe paired his ten on the turn, only to see Amato river a king-high straight to win the pot. Taffe was eliminated in third place.

Leo Taffe  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($52,000)

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

Michael Amato  –  81,100,000  (68 bb)
Eric Kolodny  –  21,400,000  (18 bb)

1st:  $103,620 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $71,000

3rd:  Leo Taffe  –  $52,000
4th:  Ory Hen  –  $39,000
5th:  Alejandro Bristol  –  $29,500
6th:  Kuang Hung Lee  –  $22,600
7th:  Matt Paul  –  $17,400
8th:  Frank Brannan  –  $13,500
9th:  Victoria Livschitz  –  $10,600

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 34:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,020

Leo Taffe completed the small blind to 1,000,000, Michael Amato raised from the big blind to 3,000,000, and Taffe limp-reraised to 8,500,000.

Amato thought for a bit before he four-bet all in for 46,100,000, and Taffe quickly folded . Amato took the pot with .

Seat 1.  Leo Taffe  –  22,000,000  (22 bb)
Seat 2.  Michael Amato  –  55,600,000  (56 bb)
Seat 3.  Eric Kolodny  –  24,900,000  (25 bb)

With three players remaining from a field of 1,020, the average chip stack is around 34,000,000 (34 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $52,000 each.

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 34:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,020

Leo Taffe raised under the gun to 2,000,000, Ory Hen moved all in from the button for 7,400,000, and Taffe called with .

Hen turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Taffe flopped trip tens and rivered quads to eliminate Hen in fourth place.

Ory Hen  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($39,000)

Seat 1.  Leo Taffe  –  35,000,000  (35 bb)
Seat 2.  Michael Amato  –  47,600,000  (48 bb)
Seat 3.  Eric Kolodny  –  19,900,000  (20 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $103,620 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $71,000
3rd:  $52,000

4th:  Ory Hen  –  $39,000
5th:  Alejandro Bristol  –  $29,500
6th:  Kuang Hung Lee  –  $22,600
7th:  Matt Paul  –  $17,400
8th:  Frank Brannan  –  $13,500
9th:  Victoria Livschitz  –  $10,600

With three players remaining from a field of 1,020, the average chip stack is around 34,000,000 (34 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $52,000 each.

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 34:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 1,020

Alejandro Bristol moved all in under the gun for 6,000,000, and Eric Kolodny moved all in over the top from the cutoff for 13,400,000 with .

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

The board came , and Bristol paired his four on the turn, but improved no further. The pocket tens held up for Kolodny to win the pot and eliminate Bristol in fifth place.

Alejandro Bristol  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($29,500)

Seat 1.  Leo Taffe  –  25,100,000  (25 bb)
Seat 2.  Ory Hen  –  7,400,000  (7 bb)
Seat 3.  Michael Amato  –  48,100,000  (48 bb)
Seat 4.  Eric Kolodny  –  21,900,000  (22 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $103,620 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $71,000
3rd:  $52,000
4th:  $39,000

5th:  Alejandro Bristol  –  $29,500
6th:  Kuang Hung Lee  –  $22,600
7th:  Matt Paul  –  $17,400
8th:  Frank Brannan  –  $13,500
9th:  Victoria Livschitz  –  $10,600

With four players remaining from a field of 1,020, the average chip stack is around 25,500,000 (26 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $39,000 each.

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 34:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 1,020

Michael Amato moved all in from the small blind, and Kuang Hung Lee called all in from the big blind for 5,200,000 with .

Amato turned over , and Lee needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Amato won the pot with his ace to eliminate Lee in sixth place.

Kuang Hung Lee  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($22,600)

Seat 1.  Leo Taffe  –  24,600,000  (25 bb)
Seat 2.  Ory Hen  –  9,900,000  (10 bb)
Seat 3.  Michael Amato  –  50,100,000  (50 bb)
Seat 4.  Alejandro Bristol  –  8,500,000  (9 bb)
Seat 5.  Eric Kolodny  –  9,400,000  (9 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $103,620 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $71,000
3rd:  $52,000
4th:  $39,000
5th:  $29,500

6th:  Kuang Hung Lee  –  $22,600
7th:  Matt Paul  –  $17,400
8th:  Frank Brannan  –  $13,500
9th:  Victoria Livschitz  –  $10,600

With five players remaining from a field of 1,020, the average chip stack is around 20,400,000 (20 big blinds).

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 33:  400,000/800,000 with an 800,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,020

Matt Paul moved all in from UTG+1 for 3,200,000, and Alejandro Bristol called from the big blind with .

Paul turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Bristol paired his queen on the flop to win the pot and eliminate Paul in seventh place.

Matt Paul  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($17,400)

Seat 1.  Leo Taffe  –  25,600,000  (32 bb)
Seat 2.  Ory Hen  –  11,600,000  (15 bb)
Seat 3.  Michael Amato  –  33,000,000  (41 bb)
Seat 4.  Kuang Hung Lee  –  6,800,000  (9 bb)
Seat 5.  Alejandro Bristol  –  14,500,000  (18 bb)
Seat 6.  Eric Kolodny  –  11,000,000  (14 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $103,620 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $71,000
3rd:  $52,000
4th:  $39,000
5th:  $29,500
6th:  $22,600

7th:  Matt Paul  –  $17,400
8th:  Frank Brannan  –  $13,500
9th:  Victoria Livschitz  –  $10,600

With six players remaining from a field of 1,020, the average chip stack is around 17,000,000 (21 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $22,600 each.

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 33:  400,000/800,000 with an 800,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,020

Matt Paul moved all in from the hijack for 8,000,000, and Ory Hen called all in from the button for 4,800,000 with .

Paul turned over , and Hen needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Paul paired his jack on the flop, but Hen paired his ace on the river to win the pot and double up in chips.

Seat 1.  Matt Paul  –  3,200,000  (4 bb)
Seat 2.  Leo Taffe  –  25,600,000  (32 bb)
Seat 3.  Ory Hen  –  11,600,000  (15 bb)
Seat 4.  Michael Amato  –  33,000,000  (41 bb)
Seat 5.  Kuang Hung Lee  –  7,200,000  (9 bb)
Seat 6.  Alejandro Bristol  –  10,900,000  (14 bb)
Seat 7.  Eric Kolodny  –  11,000,000  (14 bb)

With seven players remaining from a field of 1,020, the average chip stack is around 14,575,000 (18 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $17,400 each.

$800 Platinum Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Prizepool:  $719,100  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 33:  400,000/800,000 with an 800,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,020

Matt Paul moved all in from the cutoff for 4,000,000, and Leo Taffe called from the button with . Paul turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Taffe flops a club flush draw, but improves no further. The pocket kings hold up for Paul to win the pot and double up in chips.

Seat 1.  Matt Paul  –  10,000,000  (13 bb)
Seat 2.  Leo Taffe  –  20,800,000  (26 bb)
Seat 3.  Ory Hen  –  7,800,000  (10 bb)
Seat 4.  Michael Amato  –  32,200,000  (40 bb)
Seat 5.  Kuang Hung Lee  –  8,800,000  (11 bb)
Seat 6.  Alejandro Bristol  –  9,900,000  (12 bb)
Seat 7.  Eric Kolodny  –  13,000,000  (16 bb)

With seven players remaining from a field of 1,020, the average chip stack is around 14,575,000 (18 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $17,400 each.