2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 5
$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Entries:  109
Prize Pool:  $57,225
July 28, 2022

“I’ve been playing Omaha hi-lo since I was a kid,” said Aaron Kupin. “It’s one of my favorite games.”

So it’s fitting that Kupin won his first poker trophy at his home casino (Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood) in Event 5, $600 Limit Omaha 8.

“I used to live near Seminole Coconut Creek,” said Kupin, “and they always had this $110 Omaha-8 tournament on Wednesdays. I would go and play and I was the youngest person there, usually by about 40 years.”

Kupin began this final table with a massive chip lead — he had about 39% of all the chips in play with nine players left. His stack didn’t change much as the next five players were knocked out, but Kupin still held onto the lead with four players left.

“I had one big hand against Donny [Rubinstein],” said Kupin, “where he three-bet aces in the big blind and I just flopped and turned the world. I feel like that was the pivotal hand, and I just ran away with it from there.”

Kupin went on to eliminate Rubinstein in third place, and began heads-up play with a 2.6-to-1 lead over eventual runner-up Matthew Wolfson. But Wolfson couldn’t pick up any momentum, and 10 minutes later, the tournament ended when Kupin spiked a king on the river to win the final hand with two pair.

“I’ve definitely wanted a trophy for a while,” said Kupin. “I was a runner-up once, so I came close. Every series I play the majority of tournaments, and I’ve been hunting for one for a while. Not to sound arrogant, but I knew it was coming. I’m just happy; I feel blessed.”

Poker isn’t the only thing going well for Kupin at the moment.

“I appreciate everything going on in my life right now,” said Kupin. “I feel comfortable with my friends, my relationship, my hobbies. Everything’s going great.”

Final Results:

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  1 of 109

Shortly after heads-up play began, Matthew Wolfson jokingly pitched a deal where Aaron Kupin would take the full first-place prize money, but Wolfson would get the title and the trophy.

“This is my home casino,” said Wolfson, “and I don’t have a trophy.”

Kupin replied, “This is my home casino too, and I don’t have a trophy either.

“But you’re a better poker player than me,” said Wolfson. “You’ll win one eventually.”

About 10 minutes into heads-up play, Wolfson got it all in preflop from the big blind for 80,000.

Aaron Kupin:  
Matthew Wolfson:  

The board came , and with no possible lows, Kupin won the pot — plus the title, $17,015, and his first Seminole Hard Rock trophy — with two pair, kings and sixes.

Matthew Wolfson finished as the runner-up, earning $10,585.

Congratulations to Aaron Kupin!

1st:  Aaron Kupin  –  $17,015 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  Matthew Wolfson  –  $10,585
3rd:  Donny Rubinstein  –  $6,300
4th:  Kevin M. Buck  –  $4,150
5th:  David Snitkin  –  $3,205
6th:  Jason Papastavrou  –  $2,635
7th:  Dominic Granteed  –  $2,230
8th:  Chris Labrie  –  $1,945
9th:  Gabe Ramos  –  $1,720
10th:  Steve Ekin  –  $1,720
11th:  Hoyt Verner  –  $1,515
12th:  Michael Deveronica  –  $1,515
13th:  Jeff Cookson  –  $1,345
14th:  Shane Daniels  –  $1,345

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 109

Donny Rubinstein (big blind) and Aaron Kupin (button) played a hand to the river on a board of , and built up a pot worth about 400,000.

At showdown, Kupin turned over for a full house, threes full of fours, along with a 5-4 low. Rubinstein mucked, and Kupin scooped the pot to build his stack up near a million in chips.

Aaron Kupin  –  950,000  (19 BB)
Donny Rubinstein  –  285,000  (6 BB)

About 15 minutes later, Rubinstein lost a three-way pot and was left with just 15,000 in chips.

Rubinstein was forced all in from the big blind for 15,000, Kupin raised from the button to 60,000, and Matthew Wolfson folded.

Aaron Kupin:  
Donny Rubinstein:  

The board came , and Rubinstein flopped a gutshot straight draw to potentially chop it, but only managed to pair his king on the river. There were no possible lows, and Kupin won the pot with his pocket aces to eliminate Rubinstein in third place.

Donny Rubinstein  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($6,300)

Here are the approximate chip counts for the start of heads-up play, followed by the remaining payouts:

Aaron Kupin  –  1,175,000  (20 BB)
Matthew Wolfson  –  450,000  (8 BB)

1st:  $17,015 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $10,585

Reminder:  In heads-up play, the button has the small blind and acts first before the flop.

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  3 of 109

Kevin M. Buck got it all in from the button for 105,000 against Matthew Wolfson in the cutoff, and they turned over their cards.

Matthew Wolfson:  
Kevin M. Buck:  

The board came , and Wolfson rivered a wheel (five-high straight) to scoop the entire pot and eliminate Buck in fourth place.

Matthew Wolfson  –  575,000  (12 BB)
Kevin M. Buck  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($4,150)

With three players remaining from a field of 109, the average chip stack is around 0000000 (0000000 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $6,300 each.

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  4 of 109

After a flop of , David Snitkin bet 25,000 from the cutoff, and Donny Rubinstein called from the button.

The turn card was the , Snitkin bet 50,000, Rubinstein raised, and Snitkin called all in.

Donny Rubinstein:    (eight-high straight, 8-6 low)
David Snitkin:    (two pair, diamond flush draw)

The river card was the , and Rubinstein scooped the pot with his straight and his 8-6 low to eliminate Snitkin in fifth place.

Donny Rubinstein  –  550,000  (11 BB)
David Snitkin  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($3,205)

With four players remaining from a field of 109, the average chip stack is around 410,000 (8 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $4,150 each.

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 109

After a flop of , Jason Papastavrou got it all in from the big blind for 16,000 against Matthew Wolfson, who was under the gun.

Matthew Wolfson:    (open-ended straight draw)
Jason Papastavrou:    (diamond flush draw, double gutshot straight draw)

The turn card paired the board with the , the river card double-paired the board with the , and with no possible lows, Wolfson won the pot with a pair of jacks and his ace-queen to eliminate Papastavrou in sixth place.

Matthew Wolfson  –  500,000  (13 BB)
Jason Papastavrou  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($2,635)

With five players remaining from a field of 109, the average chip stack is around 325,000 (8 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $3,205 each.

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  6 of 109

Dominic Granteed moved all in from the cutoff for 38,000, David Snitkin called from the button, and Aaron Kupin called from the big blind. Any further betting would create a side pot.

The flop came , Kupin bet 20,000, and Snitkin called.

The turn card was the , Kupin checked, Snitkin bet 40,000, and Kupin thought for a while before he called.

The river card was the , Kupin checked, Snitkin bet 40,000, and Kupin called. With no possible lows, all three players turned over their cards.

Aaron Kupin:    (ace-high straight)
David Snitkin:    (ace-high straight)
Dominic Granteed:    (pair of fours)

Kupin and Snitkin chopped the pot with their identical straights, and Granteed was eliminated in seventh place.

Aaron Kupin  –  575,000  (14 BB)
David Snitkin  –  233,000  (6 BB)
Dominic Granteed  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($2,230)

With six players remaining from a field of 109, the average chip stack is around 273,000 (7 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,635 each.

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  16,000/32,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  7 of 109

Matthew Wolfson (small blind) and Chris Labrie (cutoff) put in 32,000 each to see a flop of , and then Labrie got it all in for his final 4,000.

Matthew Wolfson:    (seven-high straight, A-3 low)
Chris Labrie:    (double-gutshot straight draw, 3-2 low)

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Wolfson scooped the pot with his straight and his better low hand to eliminate Labrie in eighth place.

Matthew Wolfson  –  340,000  (11 BB)
Chris Labrie  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($1,945)

With seven players remaining from a field of 109, the average chip stack is around 234,000 (7 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,230 each.

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  8 of 109

It was a rough start to the final table for Gabe Ramos, who quickly found himself down to just 14,000 — only a bit more than the big blind.

Aaron Kupin raised from middle position to 24,000, Jason Papastavrou called from the hijack, and Ramos called all in from the button for 14,000. Kevin M. Buck also called from the big blind.

There was 62K in the main pot, and another 30K in the side pot. Any further betting would go to the side pot.

The flop came , and it checked to Papastavrou, who bet 12,000, leaving himself just 22K behind. Buck thought for a while before he folded, and Kupin tanked for a while before he called.

The turn card was the , Kupin checked, Papastavrou moved all in for 22,000, and Kupin called.

All three players turned over their cards:

Aaron Kupin:    (pair of queens, A-3 low)
Jason Papastavrou:    (ace-high flush, A-2 low)
Gabe Ramos:    (pair of sevens, open-ended straight draw, A-5 low)

Ramos was drawing dead, and the river card paired the board with the . Papastavrou scooped the entire pot with his flush and his A-2 low to eliminate Ramos in ninth place.

Jason Papastavrou  –  160,000  (7 BB)
Aaron Kupin  –  545,000  (23 BB)
Gabe Ramos  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($1,720)

With eight players remaining from a field of 109, the average chip stack is around 204,000 (9 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $1,945 each.

$600 Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  9 of 109

After the elimination of Steve Ekin in 10th place, the final nine players redraw for random seats at the final table. Here are their new seating assignments along with their approximate chip counts:

Seat 1.  Matthew Wolfson  –  138,000  (6 BB)
Seat 2.  Gabe Ramos  –  190,000  (8 BB)
Seat 3.  Dominic Granteed  –  120,000  (5 BB)
Seat 4.  Kevin M. Buck  –  104,000  (4 BB)
Seat 5.  David Snitkin  –  135,000  (6 BB)
Seat 6.  Donny Rubinstein  –  54,000  (2 BB)
Seat 7.  Aaron Kupin  –  560,000  (23 BB)
Seat 8.  Chris Labrie  –  58,000  (2 BB)
Seat 9.  Jason Papastavrou  –  75,000  (3 BB)

And here is the remaining prizepool at stake:

1st:  $17,015 + SHRPO Trophy
2nd:  $10,585
3rd:  $6,300
4th:  $4,150
5th:  $3,205
6th:  $2,635
7th:  $2,230
8th:  $1,945
9th:  $1,720

And the players who have finished in the money so far:

10th:  Steve Ekin  –  $1,720
11th:  Hoyt Verner  –  $1,515
12th:  Michael Deveronica  –  $1,515
13th:  Jeff Cookson  –  $1,345
14th:  Shane Daniels  –  $1,345

With nine players remaining from a field of 109, the average chip stack is around 182,000 (8 Big Bets).