Rafael Indriago Salazar Dominates to Win NLH/PLO Mix

2016 Coco Poker Open
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
Coconut Creek, FL
Event #4
$240 No Limit Hold’em / Pot Limit Omaha
Entries: 59
Prize Pool: $20,000
September 23, 2016

2016-coco-rafael-indriago-salazar-2

The fourth tournament on the 2016 Coco Poker Open schedule was a mixed game that had plenty of action. Event 4 drew 59 players to the No Limit Hold’em / Pot Limit Omaha tournament and they switched up the game every nine hands. When all the dust was settled, Rafael Indriago Salazar was the last player standing and was crowned the winner.

The entrant field was just shy of the number needed to hit the $20,000 guaranteed prize pool, so that is what they had up for grabs. The last nine players were set to earn a piece of the money and they were on the money bubble at the ten-handed final table six hours after getting underway.

Despite the ever-increasing blinds, it still took nearly two hours for them to get in the money and it happened when Jordan Chizick was eliminated in 10th place. It was a slow, deliberate pace until there were only three players remaining.

Salazar was the dominant force at the final table throughout and was responsible for sending all but one player off. Mike Bruyere was the only player to avoid the Salazar heater, it was Israel de la Cerda sending him out in 3rd place.

The two remaining players quickly decided on a chop deal to split the remaining money. Salazar held the big chip lead and was awarded $6,000 along with the title of Coco Poker Open champion.

Event 5 results:

1st: Rafael Indriago Salazar $6,000
2nd: Israel de la Cerda $5,000
3rd: Mike Bruyere $2,600
4th: Evan Dollinger $1,800
5th: Zach Milchman $1,400
6th: Larry Gradus $1,100
7th: David Shmuel $900
8th: Anonymouse $700
9th: John Song $500

Event 4: Salazar Wins the Title with Heads Up Chop

$240 No Limit Hold’em / Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 4,000/8,000
Players Remaining: 2 of 59

Rafael Indriago Salazar
Rafael Indriago Salazar

Without much further ado, Rafael Indriago Salazar and Israel de la Cerda quickly made a deal to chop up the remaining $11,000 in prize money. Cerda took home $5,000 while Salazar earned $6,000 along with the Coco Poker Open Event 4 title.

Full report to come later.

1st: Rafael Indriago Salazar $6,000
2nd: Israel de la Cerda $5,000
3rd: Mike Bruyere $2,600
4th: Evan Dollinger $1,800
5th: Zach Milchman $1,400
6th: Larry Gradus $1,100
7th: David Shmuel $900
8th: Anonymouse $700
9th: John Song $500

Israel de la Cerda
Israel de la Cerda

Event 4: David Shmuel – 7th Place ($900)

$240 No Limit Hold’em / Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 17: 3,000/6,000
Players Remaining: 6 of 59

David Shmuel
David Shmuel

After our anonymous player went out in 8th place, David Shmuel was sitting with only a few big blinds when he put them in the middle with 5s4s and Rafael Indriago Salazar looked him up with Ah7s.

Shmuel needed to catch to stay in the game but the Ah9h2cQd7c board ended his long night in 7th place.

Event 4: In the Money

$240 No Limit Hold’em / Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 2,000/4,000
Players Remaining: 9 of 59

It took a lot longer to get Event 4 in the money that anyone expected, including the players themselves. They played more than 90 minutes of action, with the average stack hovering around 15 big blinds, before the bubble burst.

Jordan Chizick caught a few bad beats along the way until he put in his last chips with KsQdTd3c and David Shmuel called with AdJsTh6d. The board ran Jd9h3hAs4c to hand Shmuel the pot and put the remaining nine players in the money.

Event 4: Final Table Set

$240 No Limit Hold’em / Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 13: 1,200/2,400
Players Remaining: 10 of 59

2016-coco-event-4-final-table

While the Championship field was finishing up their day, the Event 4 field made it down to the final table ten. They still have some work to do since only nine of them will make the money.

Seat 1: Evan Dollinger – 76,000 (32 bb)
Seat 2: Anoymous – 48,000 (20 bb)
Seat 3: Larry Gradus – 123,000 (51 bb)
Seat 4: David Shmuel – 34,300 (14 bb)
Seat 5: John Song – 50,000 (21 bb)
Seat 6: Israel de la Cerda – 46,000 (19 bb)
Seat 7: Rafael Indriago Salazar – 69,800 (29 bb)
Seat 8: Mike Bruyere – 48,000 (20 bb)
Seat 9: Jordan Chizick – 48,700 (20 bb)
Seat 10: Zach Milchman – 46,200 (19 bb)