2021 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
$3,500 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 1,573
Prize Pool:  $5,033,600
January 22-26, 2021

The return of a big, live poker series to South Florida was headlined by the 2021 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship. The $3,500 buy-in tournament attracted players from around the country and Ilyas Muradi walked away with the win for $620,000, which includes a seat into the 2021 WPT Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions.

“It’s amazing. It’s really amazing. I feel like a million bucks,” said an emotional Muradi after the win. “Anybody’s dream can come true. You just have to work hard and put in the effort. If you want something, you have to go get it. It’s not something you can just get by thinking about it. If you want something, you gotta go get it, and that’s what I did.”

The Championship featured a $1,000,000 guarantee and the incredible turnout of 1,573 entries pushed the prize pool up to $5,033,600. The turnout surpassed all expectations as we brought back live tournament poker in a safe and sound environment.

There were two starting flights with 576 players advancing to Day 2 and only 69 survived for Day 3. That was moving day with players building stacks or getting paid.

SHRP favorite Francis Margaglione stayed in the middle of the pack until late into the evening. His patience paid off and he returned for the final table on Day 4 with the chip lead.

Margaglione was trying to go wire-to-wire while holding the chip lead while Jesse Lonis, Philip Shing, and WPT Champions Club member Andy Hwang crashed out. The four remaining players went on dinner break and that’s where Margaglione’s run began to fail. He sent a double up to Robel Andemichael, lost a huge pot to Ronnie Bardah, and fell in fourth place. The final three players then worked out a deal, leaving $25,000 and the $15,000 entry into the WPT Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions left to play for.

Ronnie Bardah ultimately fell in third place. He eventually found himself as the short stack, three-betting all in for 13 big blinds with ace-deuce suited — and he ran into Andemichael’s ace-nine. There was a deuce on the flop to give Bardah hope for a comeback, but a nine on the river sealed his fate, and Bardah was eliminated in third place.

The ensuing heads-up match between Muradi and Andemichael went back and forth for more than two hours, but in the end it was Muradi’s pocket fours that held up against Andemichael’s ace-six.

“I actually came here for small events because my bankroll wasn’t enough to play events like this,” admitted Muradi. “But I got the opportunity because I missed my flight and I came back and played a satellite, and won a seat. In the field were a lot of amazing players. A lot of people that have played most of their lives. I don’t have as much experience as them, but now I’m the winner. This is amazing. This is…oh my God, it makes me about to cry. I still cannot believe I’m sitting here with these trophies.”

Final table results:

1st:  Ilyas Muradi  –  $620,000* (includes a $15,000 entry to the 2021 WPT Baccarat Crystal TOC)
2nd:  Robel Andemichael  –  $545,000*
3rd:  Ronnie Bardah  –  $566,135*
4th: Francis Margaglione – $293,510
5th: Jesse Lonis – $223,895
6th: Philip Shing – $168,990
7th: Andy Hwang – $115,630

*Denotes Three-Way Deal

*Denotes Three-Way Deal

$3,500 WPT LHPO Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 38:  600,000/1,200,000 with a 1,200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 1,573

Robel Andemichael moved all in button for 14,300,000, and Ilyas Muradi called from the big blind with .

Andemichael turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came — Andemichael flopped a gutshot straight draw, but improved no further. Muradi won the pot — and the WPT title — with his pocket fours.

Ilyas Muradi wins the 2021 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open, earning $620,000, which includes his $15,000 seat into the WPT Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions. Robel Andemichael finishes as the runner-up, earning $545,000.

Congratulations to Ilyas Muradi!

1st:  Ilyas Muradi  –  $620,000* (includes a $15,000 entry to the 2021 WPT Baccarat Crystal TOC)
2nd:  Robel Andemichael  –  $545,000*
3rd:  Ronnie Bardah  –  $566,135*
4th:  Francis Margaglion  –  $293,510
5th:  Jesse Lonis  –  $223,895
6th:  Philip Shing  –  $168,990
7th:  Andy Hwang  –  $115,630

*Denotes Three-Way Deal

$3,500 WPT LHPO Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 38:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,573

Robel Andemichael raised from the button to 2,000,000, and Ilyas Muradi called from the big blind.

The flop came , Muradi checked, Andemichael bet 2,300,000, and Muradi called.

The turn card was the , Muradi checked, Andemichael bet 3,000,000, and Muradi called.

The river card was the , and Muradi moved all in. Andemichael folded, and Muradi took the pot.

Ilyas Muradi  –  39,200,000  (39 bb)
Robel Andemichael  –  22,100,000  (22 bb)

$3,500 WPT LHPO Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 38:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,573

Ilyas Muradi raised from the button to 2,500,000, and Robel Andemichael called from the big blind.

The flop came , Andemichael checked, Muradi bet 1,500,000, and Andemichael called.

The turn card was the , and both players checked.

The river card was the , and they checked again. Andemichael turned over , and Muradi mucked. Andemichael won the pot with king high.

Robel Andemichael  –  28,200,000  (28 bb)
Ilyas Muradi  –  33,100,000  (33 bb)

$3,500 WPT LHPO Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 38:  400,000/800,000 with a 800,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,573

Robel Andemichael raised from the button to 1,800,000, and Ilyas Muradi called from the big blind.

Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Muradi bet 800,000, and Andemichael called.

The river card was the , and both players checked. Muradi showed for king high, and Andemichael turned over to win the pot.

Robel Andemichael  –  24,300,000  (30 bb)
Ilyas Muradi  –  37,000,000  (46 bb)

$3,500 WPT LHPO Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,573

Ilyas Muradi limped for 600,000, Robel Andemichael raised from the big blind to 2,200,000, and Muradi called.

The flop came , Andemichael bet 1,800,000, Muradi raised to 6,000,000, and Andemichael folded. Muradi took the pot.

Ilyas Muradi  –  46,200,000  (77 bb)
Robel Andemichael  –  14,900,000  (25 bb)

$3,500 WPT LHPO Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,573

Ilyas Muradi limped for 600,000, Robel Andemichael raised from the big blind to 2,000,000, and Muradi called.

The flop came , Andemichael bet 1,300,000, and Muradi called.

The turn card was the , Andemichael checked, Muradi bet 3,000,000, and Andemichael called.

The river card was the , Andemichael checked, Muradi bet 5,500,000, and Andemichael called. Muradi showed to win the pot with a full house, fives full of aces, and Andemichael mucked.

Ilyas Muradi  –  37,000,000  (62 bb)
Robel Andemichael  –  24,300,000  (41 bb)

$5,000 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  5,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 134

After the elimination of Lee Markholt in eighth place, the final seven players redraw for random seats at the final table. Here is the lineup:

Seat 1.  Martin Zamani  –  450,000  (30 bb)
Seat 2.  Valery Litvak  –  630,000  (42 bb)
Seat 3.  Alex Butcher  –  120,000  (8 bb)
Seat 4.  Nikola Minkov  –  415,000  (28 bb)
Seat 5.  Jim Collopy  –  505,000  (34 bb)
Seat 6.  Byron Kaverman  –  150,000  (10 bb)
Seat 7.  Ivan Zufic  –  400,000  (27 bb)

Here are the final table payouts, followed by the players who have finished in the money so far:

1st:  $162,785 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $108,525
3rd:  $75,825
4th:  $54,470
5th:  $40,260
6th:  $30,650
7th:  $21,760

8th:  Lee Markholt  –  $21,760
9th:  Randall Emmett  –  $16,280
10th:  Adam Hendrix  –  $16,280
11th:  Raffaello Locatelli  –  $14,070
12th:  Timothy Capretta  –  $14,070
13th:  Jake Schwartz  –  $12,590
14th:  Joel Gola  –  $12,590
15th:  Landon Tice  –  $11,675
16th:  Giuseppe Iadisernia  –  $11,675
17th:  Carl Diveglia  –  $11,235

$3,500 WPT LHPO Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,573

Level 36 comes to an end, and the players take a break. Here are the official chip counts:

Robel Andemichael  –  36,300,000  (61 bb)
Ilyas Muradi  –  25,000,000  (42 bb)

$3,500 WPT LHPO Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  300,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,573

Ilyas Muradi limped for 500,000, Robel Andemichael raised from the big blind to 1,500,000, and Muradi called.

The flop came , Andemichael bet 1,000,000, and Muradi claled.

The turn card was the , Andemichael checked, Muradi bet 2,500,000, and Andemichael called.

The river card was the , Andemichael checked, Muradi bet 5,100,000, and Andemichael called with for two pair, queens and nines. Muradi mucked, and Andemichael won the pot.

Robel Andemichael  –  38,000,000  (76 bb)
Ilyas Muradi  –  23,100,000  (46 bb)