2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 
Hollywood, Florida
Event #7
$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Entries: 147
Prize Pool: $37,485
August 6, 2018

The Seniors Event began at 11:00 am, and they reached the final table shortly after 9:00 pm. The field steadily dwindled after that until there were four players remaining, and they played for nearly two full hours with nobody busting and unable to agree to a chop. But shortly after Marc Sacheli was eliminated in third place, the final three agreed to a three-way chop that gave the victory to chipleader John Holley.

When four-handed play began, these were the approximate chip counts:

Ofer Peleg  –  620,000  (62 bb)
Ozzie Amor  –  565,000  (57 bb)
Dave Roy  –  190,000  (19 bb)
John Holley  –  107,000  (11 bb)

At one point, the other three players were ready to make an ICM chop but Holley nixed it as the short stack. “You don’t get deep a lot of times, and it’s fun to play short-handed when there’s something on the line. I didn’t want to chop, because I thought, ‘You know what? I just want to gamble.'”

Around midnight, Holley finally caught some momentum when he got it all in with against Ozzie Amor’s , and it held up. He finally had enough chips to work with, and steadily built up his stack.

They had been playing nearly four hours when Dave Roy got it all in with against Ofer Peleg’s . A ten on the turn sent the pot Peleg’s way as Roy busted in fourth place.

Stacks were shallow from the lengthy four-handed play, and Holley lost a huge pot when his was cracked by Amor’s , but Holley continued winning smaller pots to reclaim the chip lead.

Shortly after the blinds increased to 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante, the final three players had 15-25 big blinds each, and they agreed to a chop it evenly three ways, with chipleader Holley claiming victory and the trophy. Here were their final chip counts:

John Holley  –  605,000  (25 bb)
Ofer Peleg  –  497,000  (21 bb)
Ozzie Amor  –  370,000  (15 bb)

Holley explained his thought process behind the chop. “I don’t normally like to chop, but we got down to three-handed with the two biggest gamblers at the final table, the biggest wildcards. And the reason I decided to make the deal is because they were such wildcards. It wasn’t gonna be easy for me to just run over them. I felt like I could out-play them, but once you get that shallow …” Holley’s statement ended with a shrug.

This is the third SHRPO title of Holley’s career, and his fourth victory here at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Holley said, “This is my favorite casino. If I could only play one place in the entire country, this would be the place.”

Final Table Results:

1st:  John Holley III  –  $6,924 + Trophy
2nd:  Ofer Peleg  –  $6,923
3rd:  Osvaldo Amor  –  $6,923
4th:  David Roy  –  $2,344
5th:  Paul Balzano  –  $1,818
6th:  Marc Sacheli  –  $1,501
7th:  Jeffrey Silverstein  –  $1,312
8th:  Julian Wohlgemuth  –  $1,171
9th:  Spencer Liebmann  –  $1,035

• Download: Final Results (PDF)

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 24: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 147

Shortly after John Holley picked up his first blue (25K) chip in the entire tournament, the final three players all had between 15 and 25 big blinds each, and somebody offered the idea of a three-way even chop. Here were their chip stacks:

Seat 1.  Ozzie Amor  –  370,000  (15 bb)
Seat 3.  John Holley  –  605,000  (25 bb)
Seat 6.  Ofer Peleg  –  497,000  (21 bb)

With the chip lead, Holley would be declared the winner and receive the trophy, and all three players agreed to the deal.

Stay tuned for a recap of the Seniors Event, along with the official results.

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 18: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 147

Ozzie Amor moved all in from the button for 255,000, and John Holley called from the small blind with . Amor turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Amor spiked an ace on the turn to win the pot and double up in chips.

Ozzie Amor  –  539,000  (27 bb)
John Holley  –  470,000  (24 bb)

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 23: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 147

Dave Roy was all in preflop with , and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive against the of Ofer Peleg.

The board came , and Peleg paired his ten on the turn to win the pot and eliminate Roy in fourth place.

Dave Roy  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($2,344)

The final three players briefly discuss a possible chop, but after counting their stacks they decide to keep playing. Here are their approximate chip counts, followed by the remaining prizepool:

Seat 1.  Ozzie Amor  –  539,000  (27 bb)
Seat 3.  John Holley  –  470,000  (24 bb)
Seat 6.  Ofer Peleg  –  460,000  (23 bb)

1st:  $10,349 + trophy
2nd:  $6,560
3rd:  $3,861

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 23: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 147

John Holley was the short stack at the last break, but he has been steadily increasing his stack, and he now has the clear chip lead with four players remaining.

Seat 1.  Ozzie Amor  –  343,000  (17 bb)
Seat 2.  Dave Roy  –  140,000  (7 bb)
Seat 3.  John Holley  –  630,000  (32 bb)
Seat 6.  Ofer Peleg  –  400,000  (20 bb)

1st:  $10,349 + trophy
2nd:  $6,560
3rd:  $3,861
4th:  $2,344

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 23: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 147

Dave Roy moved all in from under the gun for 64,000 and John Holley called from the button.

Roy turned over and needed to improve against Holley’s .

The board came and Roy flopped two-pair to secure his double.

Dave Roy – 140,000 (7 bb)
John Holley – 420,000 (21 bb)

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 22: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 147

Ozzie Amor limped the button and John Holley moved all in for 163,000. Amor called with and needed to improve against Holley’s .

The flop came and Amor flopped a ton of outs. The turn and river were bricks and Holley’s ace high held to avoid elimination.

John Holley – 380,000 (24 bb)
Ozzie Amor – 660,000 (41 bb)

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 22: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 147

The final four players return from break to begin Level 22, and here are the official chip counts, followed by the remaining payouts:

Seat 1.  Ozzie Amor  –  729,000  (46 bb)
Seat 2.  Dave Roy  –  188,000  (12 bb)
Seat 3.  John Holley  –  131,000  (8 bb)
Seat 6.  Ofer Peleg  –  424,000  (27 bb)

1st:  $10,349 + trophy
2nd:  $6,560
3rd:  $3,861
4th:  $2,344

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 21: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 147

As Level 21 begins, the final four players decide to look at ICM numbers for a possible chop. The first step is counting their stacks, and here’s where they stand:

Seat 1.  Ozzie Amor  –  752,000  (63 bb)
Seat 2.  Dave Roy  –  123,000  (10 bb)
Seat 3.  John Holley  –  180,000  (15 bb)
Seat 6.  Ofer Peleg  –  417,000  (35 bb)

After about five minutes of discussion, they decide to continue playing.

$300 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Payouts
Level 20: 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 147

Paul Balzano moved all in under the gun for about 160,000, and Ofer Amor called from the big blind with . Balzano turned over , and he needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket jacks held up for Amor to win the pot and eliminate Balzano in fifth place.

Paul Balzano  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($1,818)

Here are updated chip counts for the final four players, who are guaranteed at least $2,344 each:

Seat 1.  Ozzie Amor  –  565,000  (57 bb)
Seat 2.  Dave Roy  –  190,000  (19 bb)
Seat 3.  John Holley  –  107,000  (11 bb)
Seat 6.  Ofer Peleg  –  620,000  (62 bb)