2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 3
$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Entries: 88
Prize Pool: $29,920
August 2, 2019 

H.O.R.S.E. is a five-game poker variant where players play a round each in limit Hold’em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, and Stud 8. When asked which of these games was his worst, Event 3 champion Brandon Caputo said, “All of them.”

Caputo primarily plays no-limit hold’em and PLO, but he was attracted to this $400 H.O.R.S.E. event by the low buy-in.

“It’s a great experience to come for a $400 buy-in and get some practice in.” Caputo paused for a moment before he smiled and added, “But I ran like God and probably didn’t learn anything.”

When the nine-handed final table began, Caputo was third in chips behind Phil Hui and Peter Walsworth. But Hui hit a horrible stretch of cards with nine players left, and fell from chipleader down to a single chip. And as Hui dropped, Caputo rose to take the lead.

Caputo described his run by saying, “I made hands when I was behind and held when I was ahead.”

Hui bounced back from his single chip to survive a little longer, but Caputo eventually knocked Hui out in eighth place. At that point, Caputo had a huge lead, holding roughly twice as many chips as anyone else, and he cruised to the finish line to win his first trophy here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

When he was asked about the casino, Caputo said, “This is one of the best stops anywhere in the country. There are also good cash games, and I like to play cash. And it’s close to home, so I don’t have to go to Atlantic City, Vegas, or California.”

Final Results:

1st:  Brandon Caputo  –  $8,825 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  Michael Rosenberg  –  $5,880
3rd:  Wayne Brown  –  $3,990
4th:  Matt Vinke  –  $2,805
5th:  Lucas Poelker  –  $2,050
6th:  Miami John Cernuto  –  $1,555
7th:  Peter Walsworth  –  $1,235
8th:  Phil Hui  –  $1,020
9th:  Matt Axelrod  –  $880
10th:  Donaldson Brown  –  $880
11th:  Michael Dreese  –  $800