Today’s Events

3 pm – Event 9 – $1,650 Six-Max Purple Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’Em

• $100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• 15k Starting Stack
• 60 min levels
• Registration & Re-Entry for 4 levels (cage closes at ~7:20 pm)
• Structure

Noon and 5 pm – $390 Mega Satellite into Champ Event ($1 Million Guaranteed prize pool)

• 10 Seats Guaranteed
• 7,500 Starting Stack
• 30 minute levels
• Structure

8 pm – $390 Mega Satellite into Champ Event ($1 Million Guaranteed prize pool)

• 5 Seats Guaranteed
• 7,500 Starting Stack
• 30 minute levels
• Structure

Seminole Hard Rock Poker presents
Lucky Hearts Poker Open at Coconut Creek
$300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’Em
February 5, 2014

Entries: 82
Prize Pool: $21,320

Recap

They might have only been playing for a first place prize of $7,250 but don’t tell that to the 82 entrants of the $300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’Em event. They were here to play some poker and they were taking it as seriously as if they were play for $707,250. And while there were some competitive jabs, the friendly nature of the tournament led to some compelling poker action. In the end, it was a retired former service member/police officer, Grady Yeager that would emerge victorious. This wasn’t Grady’s first time visiting the winner’s circle as it is his fourth recorded career win with his most recent win coming at the 2013 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown Seniors Event in Hollywood.

“I like Seniors Events and HORSE,” said the gracious winner after the tournament, explaining that he has no problem making the 2 1/2 drive from his home in Cape Coral to take part in well run events like the one here at Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Coconut Creek. Quiet at the tables, Yeager used effective play with relentless pressure and a little bit of luck to come out on top. A key hand for him was when he eliminated Julio Fernandez in 9th place with when he hit a Queen on the turn to best Julio’s .

The play at the table was crazy at times. In one hand, with nine players remaining, there was an under the gun raise from Bob Chow and a total of 7 players would see the flop. “Bunch of gamblers at this table,” Chow surmised. “It’s because it’s almost past our bed time,” joked eventual 6th place finisher Bob Vicars. It was 8 pm.

After Fernandez, it would be Ted “Papa Bear” Transue in 8th place followed by Tim Kegel in 7th place and the aforementioned Vicars in 6th. Albert Balayn would get the rest of his stack in the middle with an open ended straight draw. He was trailing the bottom pair/flush draw that Jim Deleo held and when he was unable to improve was eliminated in 5th place.

When Harry Eisenberg was able to double up with against Bob Chow’s , the four remaining players were virtually even in chips and they quickly decided to make a deal that led to the frantic push for the trophy. On the last hand of the evening, Yeager and Chow got it all in – Yeager with a weak Ace and Chow with a middling Queen. A Queen would flop and for a moment it looked like Chow would emerge with the trophy but an Ace on the river would change that. “Ah well,” smiled Chow, happy with the $4,000+ dollars he was still taking home.

Photo Gallery

Seminole Hard Rock Poker presents
Lucky Hearts Poker Open at Coconut Creek
$1,100 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
February 4-5, 2014

Entries: 78
Prize Pool: $78,000

Recap

The most prestigious event to date of the Lucky Hearts Poker Open featured a final table with nearly $6 million in career recorded live earnings between five players, while the other four finalists had only nine combined cashes before the start of the tournament.

In the end, the sharks defeated the fish as Seth Berger (Woodbury, NY) earned his first career title. Berger beat Vlad Varlashin (Krasnodar, Russia) heads up when his dodged 14 outs on the river against for the winning pair of 8s.

“I’m happy to get a win and get the monkey off my back,” said Berger who had a second and third place finish at the 2013 WSOP. “I’ve chopped before, but this is my first outright win.”

Berger earned $26,520 for the win, while Varlashin took home $15,522 as runner-up.

“I was hoping to win my first trophy,” said Varlashin, who spends his winters in Sunny Isles Beach, “For me it’s not about the money, I care much more about the trophy.”

Berger ($650,000+ in earnings) and Varlashin ($310,00) were joined at the table by fellow sharks Adam Levy ($2.1 million), Ryan D’Angelo ($1.5 million) and Joey Wiessman ($1 million), who has a WSOP bracelet on his resume.

The less experienced players put up a fight as Francisco Gomez (Lakeland) earned his first career cash with a third place finish ($10,140), while this was the second cash for Tomas Magni (6th).

“I held my own in a really sharky tournament,” said Mangi, “it’s a stacked final table.”

Day 2 began with the final nine already in the money. Levy (9th) was first to go out and was followed by Richard Kessler (8th), his fifth career cash, and Weissman (7th).

“It was a tough table,” said Berger, “but when Joey went out, I felt it was my tournament to lose.”

A pivotal hand for Berger came when he cracked D’Angelo’s pocket Aces with rivered trip Tens while holding KT. The hand knocked out D’Angelo in 4th place, one spot ahead of Jamar Lewis who earned his fifth cash.

Once Varlashin eliminated Gomez in third place, he had a slight chip lead heads up, which Berger overcame.

“Once I got the lead I picked up a lot of pots and got pretty aggressive,” said Berger.

“He’s better heads up,” said the complementary Varlashin, “he started to push me around.”

Berger is looking to continue his success in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship Event which kicks off Friday.

Final Table Results

Photo Gallery

$300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’em

4 handed, the remaining players decided to do an even chop and play out the rest of the level to determine the overall winner. Grady Yeager would win the last hand of the night when his Ace-Three bested Bob Chow’s Q-8 when an Ace hit the river to outdraw Chow who had hit a Queen. Grady is a 70 year old retired police officer from Cape Coral, Florida who said he made the 2 1/2 drive to take part in the Seniors Event. “I like playing Seniors tournaments and HORSE tournaments. I play quite a bit in the Naples/Ft. Myers area.” The former surgical technician in the Air Force will have a nice drive back home tonight. Congratulations on your win Grady!

Final Results:

$300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’em

Here are the approximate chip counts for the final four as they return from a 10 minute break.

$300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’em

Blinds 2K/4K Ante 500

With the board showing , Albert Balayn moved all in for approximately 30K and was called by Jim Deleo who held for bottom pair with the nut flush draw. Balayn had a draw of his own with but the turn was the and the river was the to send the pot to Deleo and in the process send Albert to the rail in 5th place.

$300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’em

Blinds 2K/4K Ante 500

Down to approximately 30K, Bob Vicars moved all in first to act from the small blind and was called by Harry Eisenberg out of the big blind. Bob was ahead with as Harry had . The flop came and Vicars shook his head as the dealer put out the turn and the river. “Good luck guys,” said Vicars as he patted Harry on the back.

$300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’em

Blinds 1.5K/3K Ante 500

After losing a race for most of his stack to Albert Balayn, Tim Kegel would lose the rest of his stack to Harry Eisenberg when Harry would hit a 2 with his Ace-2 to outdraw Kegel’s Ace-7. “Figures,” said Kegel as he stood up, eliminated in 7th place.

$300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’em

Blinds 1.5K/3K Ante 500

The remaining 7 players are on a quick 5 minute color up the black 100 chips break. Here is how they are sitting with approximate chip counts:

$300 Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’em

Blinds 1.2K/2.4K Ante 400

With the flop showing 8-7-4, Harry Eisenberg made a bet and Ted Transue moved all in over the top. Eisenberg snap called with pocket Kings that was well ahead of the Ace-7 that Ted held. The turn and river were no help for “Papa Bear” and he is our 8th place finisher.