2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 11
$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Entries:  81
Prize Pool:  $27,135
March 29, 2022

Event 11 of the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown was the $400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry). A field of 81 entries generated a prize pool of $27,135, and outlasting them all was Gary Kosakowski, earning $8,645 for the victory.

“It feels good, man. It’s my first Hard Rock trophy,” said Kosakowski afterward. “I just moved down to Florida from New Jersey for work. I’m off Monday and Tuesdays, so I said lemme go play some tournaments, so I came over here and won. This place is the best.”

Kosakowski had close calls in prior SHRP major series, finishing runner-up in a $300 H.O.R.S.E. at the 2018 Lucky Hearts Poker Open, and a third-place finish in a $360 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament at the 2018 Poker Showdown. The victory also puts Kosakowski above the $650,000 mark in live career tournament winnings, according to the Hendon Mob poker database.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  1 of 81

About five minutes after the elimination of Salvatore Pipitone in third place, Gary Kosakowski outlasted Phil Hui heads-up for the win, his first SHRP major series trophy, and $8,645.

Hui finished in second place for $5,290.

A recap of the tournament will be posted later tonight.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 81

Omaha 8

Sal Pipitone grinded a short stack for all of the lengthy five-handed battle and down before ultimately busting in third place.

On his final hand, he was already all in from the big blind with . Unfortunately for him, Phil Hui had in the small blind.

The board ran out , giving Hui aces full of queens along with a six-five low to eliminate Pipitone in third place.

Gary Kosakowski  –  790,000  (20 big bets)
Phil Hui  –  182,000  (5 big bets)
Salvatore Pipitone  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($3,290)

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  3 of 81

Omaha 8

Phil Hui raised to 40,000 from under the gun and Matthew Wolfson called all in for 35,000 from the big blind.

Hui: 
Wolfson: 

The board ran out , giving Hui aces and eights with the nut low, eliminating Wolfson in fourth place.

Phil Hui  –  280,000  (7 big bets)
Matthew Wolfson  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($2,225)

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  4 of 81

Omaha 8

Matthew Wolfson raised all in for 23,000 from under the gun, Russell Clayton called from the small blind, and Gary Kosakowski called from the big blind.

The flop was , Clayton bet 20,000, Kosakowski raised to 40,000, and Clayton called all in for less.

Kosakowski: 
Clayton: 
Wolfson: 

Kosakowski flopped a flush and locked up the high when the fell on the turn, while the river gave Wolfson the nut low.

Clayton was left empty-handed, out in fifth place for $1,700.

Gary Kosakowski  –  655,000  (16 big bets)
Matthew Wolfson  –  35,000  (< 1 big bet)
Russell Clayton  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($1,700)

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  15,000/30,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 81

Stud 8

Gary Kosakowski:  (XX)  /  / (X)
Matthew Wolfson:  (XX)  /    /  (X)
Salvatore Pipitone:  (XX)  /    –  folded on fourth

Salvatore Pipitone was the bring-in, Gary Kosakowski completed to 30,000, Matthew Wolfson raised to 45,000, Salvatore Pipitone called, and Kosakowski called.

Wolfson bet 15,000 on fourth street, Pipitone folded, and Kosakowski called. Wolfson bet 30,000 on fifth, Kosakowski called and then took the on-board lead on sixth with an open pair of deuces. Kosakowski bet 30,000, Wolfson raised to 60,000, and Kosakowski called.

Kosakowski checked on seventh and Wolfson checked behind, showing for kings and eights. Kosakowski, however, tabled for aces and jacks to win the pot.

“Get there on seventh?” asked Pipitone.

“Yup,” admitted Kosakowski, who jumped out to a big lead with that pot.

Gary Kosakowski  –  620,000  (21 big bets)
Matthew Wolfson  –  23,000  (< 1 big bet)

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  15,000/30,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 81

Omaha 8

Long Nguyen raised to 30,000 from the small blind and Russell Clayton called from the big blind.

The flop was , Nguyen bet his remaining 15,000 and Clayton called.

Nguyen: 
Clayton: 

Nguyen was ahead with a ten-high straight and needed to fade a jack, but the turn was the to give Clayton a jack-high straight.

The river further improved Clayton to an ace-high flush, eliminating Nguyen in sixth place.

Russell Clayton  –  160,000  (5 big bets)
Long Nguyen  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($1,360)

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  15,000/30,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  6 of 81

Omaha 8

Scott Blackman raised to 30,000 under the gun, Matthew Wolfson three-bet to 45,000 from the big blind, Blackman four-bet all in for 55,000, and Wolfson called.

Blackman: 
Wolfson: 

The board ran out , giving Wolfson aces and kings to eliminate Blackman in seventh place.

Matthew Wolfson  –  295,000  (10 big bets)
Scott Blackman  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($1,125)

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  7 of 81

Omaha 8

Gary Kosakowski raised to 20,000 on the button, Chrisitan Ivens called all in for 8,000 from the small blind, and Matthew Wolfson called from the big blind.

Wolfson and Kosakowski checked down a board of .

Kosakowski tabled for a king-high flush, besting Wolfson’s holdings to win the side pot.

Ivens’ whiffed, ending his tournament in eighth place.

Gary Kosakowski  –  140,000  (7 big bets)
Christian Ivens  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($950)

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Single Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  8 of 81

Stud 8

Andrew Laikin:  (XX) /
Russell Clayton:  (XX) /
Matthew Wolfson:  (XX)/

Andrew Laikin was the bring-in, Russell Clayton completed to 10,000, Matthew Wolfson called, and Laikin called.

Clayton bet with the on-board lead on fourth street, both opponents called, and Clayton bet 20,000 with the on-board lead again on fifth street. Wolfson thought for a bit before raising all in for 24,000, Laikin called all in for 13,000, and Clayton called to put both players at risk.

Andrew Laikin:    / 
Russell Clayton:    / 
Matthew Wolfson:    / 

Laikin had a flush draw with a low draw, Clayton had a pair of kings and a backdoor low draw, while Wolfson had an open-ended straight draw and low draw.

Here were the rest of their runouts:

Andrew Laikin:    /    / 
Russell Clayton:    /    / 
Matthew Wolfson:    /    / 

Clayton didn’t improve beyond his pair of kings, while Laikin’s strong draw only picked up a small two pair.

Wolfson made a seven-high straight and seven-six low on sixth street, besting both opponents to more than double up, while eliminating Laikin in ninth place.

Matthew Wolfson  –  140,000  (7 big bets)
Russell Clayton  –  33,000  (2 big bets)
Andrew Laikin  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($875)