2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 1
$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries:  3,212
Prize Pool:  $1,670,240
January 11-15, 2024

Kevin MacDonald took down the title in the big NLH opener event at the LHPO for the biggest payday in his poker career worth $250,420. That gives him a seventh tournament victory, and bumped his total earnings up close to $900,000.

“I made it through on two bullets, and an interesting fact is that after I bagged chips on Day 1A I played in the $400 turbo with 35 players, and I ended up winning the trophy. That was my second trophy here,” said MacDonald when he was asked about the early stages of his tournament journey to the victory.

He also wanted to make a special dedication of his win to a guardian angel he felt was looking over him in some key spot along the way. “It was just a grind, and I picked up a few gifts along the way. I think my friend Sandy Taylor who just died recently might have given me some timely rivers, so I dedicate this win to him,” said MacDonald.

In addition to his recent success here this week at the Seminole Hard Rock he has been coming down here for years during the winter from Canada. “I love coming down here for the winter, I’m a Canadian snowbird. Yeah, whatever other tournaments I can schedule in I will play in them,” said MacDonald.

MacDonald has a six-figure score to his credit before, but he was excited to add the biggest win to the poker resume here in South Florida. “This was my biggest cash ever in the biggest field I’ve played in, so it’s kind of surreal really to have that success. I was probably the only one over 30 at the final table, and I’m well over 30 [laughs]. It was a younger crowd, so when you see a guy my age get to this point it’s very hard to do so, you have to get very lucky along the way,” said MacDonald.

When he was asked about action at the final table, MacDonald had this to say. “We were all taking turns, it was back-and-forth, nobody was sitting on it, everybody was going for it. When it was four-handed there wasn’t too much strategy on my part; I think they just like to get in hands with me. I just happened to win enough of them, or a key one here or there.”

MacDonald also enjoyed the deep structure for this tournament, especially for just a $600 buy-in. “This was an awesome structure , you have time and long levels, so lots of time. The play dictates that,” said MacDonald.

It also sounded like it was going to be no rest for the weary for MacDonald when we inquired about his celebration plans for the victory. “I don’t know, is there a tournament at 8 o’clock tonight [laughs]? I need some time to absorb it, and maybe I just get into another turbo,” said MacDonald.

Here is a look at the full results for this huge event that saw hundreds of players make the money from 3,212 total entries.

*denotes heads-up deal