2021 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 26
$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Entries:  113
Prize Pool:  $226,000
January 26-27, 2021

Even at the end of the 2021 Lucky Hearts Poker Open, events were crushing all expectations for turnout, and Event 26 ($2,200 Deep Stack PLO) was no different. The field size more than tripled from 35 entries a year ago to 113, creating a first prize of $66,671 that was almost equal to last year’s entire prizepool ($70,000).

And it featured a dramatic finish.

Richard Gayler was the shortest stack in the field when there were two tables left, but he bounced back to start the final table as the chipleader, and then knocked out second-in-chips Haim Or Krief to take a massive chip lead with 63% of all the chips in play.

Gayler continued adding to his stack, knocking out four of the five final tablists on his way to getting heads-up against John Orfanos with more than a 12-to-1 chip lead.

But that’s where the story took another dramatic turn.

“I’m super comfortable playing short-stacked. It’s one of my specialties,” said Orfanos, who loves pot-limit Omaha and considers it to be his strongest game. “As long as I have chips, I have a chance.”

Gayler’s momentum screeched to a halt as Orfanos won pot after pot, scoring a few early double-ups from preflop all-ins, and then steadily working his way back to even — and then the chip lead.

The next time they got it all in, Orfanos had more than a 3-to-1 chip lead, and he also had pocket aces () that held up for the victory.

When asked about his comeback, Orfanos said, “It feels awesome to accomplish something like that, when your odds are less than, I’d say, 5-6%. It was amazing.”

“I just want to thank everyone that supports me,” said Orfanos, “and I want to dedicate this to my father who died two years ago.” Orfanos paused for a moment, a bit choked up as he looked toward the heavens. “This is for you, Dad.”

Final Results:

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000
Players Remaining:  1 of 113

Richard Gayler raised to 50,000, John Orfanos reraised to 150,000, and Gayler called.

The flop came , Orfanos checked, Gayler bet 200,000, and Orfanos called.

The turn card was the , Orfanos moved all in, and Gayler called all in for a little more than 200,000.

John Orfanos:    (pocket aces, gutshot straight draw)
Richard Gayler:    (pair of tens, gutshot straight draw)

The river card was the , and Orfanos won the pot — along with the title, the trophy, and $66,671 — with his pocket aces.

Richard Gayler finished as the runner-up, earning $41,245.

Final Table Results:

1st:  John Orfanos  –  $66,671 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  Richard Gayler  –  $41,245
3rd:  Sean Shah  –  $24,634
4th:  James Hurley  –  $15,280
5th:  Elliott Kampen  –  $11,978
6th:  Artem Maksimov  –  $9,944
7th:  Haim Or Krief  –  $8,079

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 113

John Orfanos raised to 60,000, and Richard Gayler called.

The flop came , Gayler checked, Orfanos bet 90,000, and Gayler called.

The turn card paired the board with the , and both players checked.

The river card double-paired the board with the , Gayler bet 210,000, and Orfanos thought for a while before raising to 450,000. Gayler folded, and Orfanos took the pot.

John Orfanos  –  1,785,000  (89 bb)
Richard Gayler  –  475,000  (24 bb)

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 113

Richard Gayler raised to 50,000, and John Orfanos called.

The flop came , Orfanos checked, Gayler bet 40,000, and Orfanos called.

The turn card was the , Orfanos checked, Gayler bet 150,000, and Orfanos called.

The river card was the , and both players checked. Orfanos showed to win the pot with a ten-high diamond flush, and Gayler mucked.

And Orfanos, who had been down more than 12-to-1 in chips, now had a 2-to-1 advantage.

John Orfanos  –  1,500,000  (75 bb)
Richard Gayler  –  750,000  (38 bb)

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 113

John Orfanos was winning more than his share of pots for a while, slowly narrowing the gap between him and Richard Gayler.

Gayler raised to 60,000, and Orfanos called. The flop came , Orfanos bet 80,000, and Gayler called. The turn card was the , and both players checked.

The river card paired the board with the , and they checked again. Orfanos showed to win the pot with trip tens, and Gayler mucked.

A couple hands later, Gayler raised to 60,000, Orfanos reraised to 180,000, and Gayler called. Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Orfanos bet 360,000, and Gayler folded. Orfanos took the pot.

John Orfanos  –  1,000,000  (50 bb)
Richard Gayler  –  1,250,000  (63 bb)

A couple hands later, Gayler raised to 60,000, and Orfanos called. The flop came , Orfanos checked, Gayler bet 60,000, and Orfanos called. The turn card was the , and both players checked.

The river card was the , and they checked again. Orfanos showed to win the pot with a pair of eights, and Gayler mucked.

John Orfanos  –  1,125,000  (56 bb)
Richard Gayler  –  1,125,000  (56 bb)

And with that hand, John Orfanos came back from being more than a 12-to-1 underdog in chips to tying it up.

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 113

After a flop of with about 360,000 already in the pot, John Orfanos got it all in for 106,000 more.

Richard Gayler:    (pair of fives)
John Orfanos:    (pocket queens)

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Orfanos won the pot with a set of queens to double up in chips.

John Orfanos  –  575,000  (29 bb)
Richard Gayler  –  1,685,000  (84 bb)

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  8,000/16,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 113

After several heads-up hands, John Orfanos got it all in for 168,000, and they turned over their cards.

Richard Gayler:  
John Orfanos:  

The board came , and Orfanos flopped a set of queens and turned a full house to win the pot and double up in chips.

John Orfanos  –  336,000  (21 bb)
Richard Gayler  –  1,924,000  (120 bb)

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  8,000/16,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 113

Sean Shah was all in from the small blind for about 90,000, up against Richard Gayler on the button.

Richard Gayler:  
Sean Shah:  

The board came , and Gayler won the pot with ace high to eliminate Shah in third place.

Sean Shah  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($24,634)

And here are the chip counts for the start of heads-up play, followed by the payouts:

Richard Gayler  –  2,040,000  (128 bb)
John Orfanos  –  220,000  (14 bb)

1st:  $66,671 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,245

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  8,000/16,000
Players Remaining:  3 of 113

The next hand after John Orfanos doubled thru Richard Gayler, Gayler raised from the button to 40,000, and Orfanos called from the big blind.

Both players checked to the turn on a board of , and Orfanos moved all in for 82,000. Gayler thought for a while before he called, and they turned over their cards.

Richard Gayler:    (pair of nines)
John Orfanos:    (two pair, nines and deuces)

The river card was the , and Orfanos won the pot with his two pair to double up in chips.

John Orfanos  –  252,000  (16 bb)
Richard Gayler  –  1,862,000  (116 bb)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 753,000 (47 big blinds), and the next player to bust will earn $24,634.

$2,200 Deep Stack PLO (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  8,000/16,000
Players Remaining:  3 of 113

John Orfanos was all in from the big blind for 61,000 against Richard Gayler on the button.

Richard Gayler:  
John Orfanos:  

The board came , and Orfanos won the pot with trip jacks to double up in chips.

John Orfanos  –  130,000  (8 bb)
Richard Gayler  –  1,975,000  (123 bb)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 753,000 (47 big blinds), and the next player to bust will earn $24,634.