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

“The camaraderie of players in mixed games is why I quit hold’em years ago.”

That quote came from Chris Labrie of Tampa, Florida, after winning the $400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (OE) event Friday night in a five-way deal. It was the first trophy of Labrie’s poker career.

“I really appreciate all the guys I’ve played with over the years that have really helped me improve my game,” said Labrie. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without them. I’ve just been blessed.”

A game like OE has a much different vibe than the hold’em events that attract massive fields, and that’s part of the appeal for Labrie.

“When you play in a hold’em field, you can sit at a table and not know half the players,” said Labrie. “But in these kind of games, you know everybody. You may not know their names, but you’ve at least played with them before.”

On the flip side, those same factors often lead to stronger competition.

“It was a really tough final table,” said Labrie. ” The lead changed many times, and I was very impressed with everybody at the table. I didn’t think I was going to end up here, because I really wasn’t near the top in chips until the end.”

Labrie called out one of his opponents as particularly tough — runner-up Miami John Cernuto, a poker legend with three WSOP bracelets and more than $6 million in career earnings.

Labrie also praised Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

“The staff and dealers here are fabulous,” said Labrie. “To win here for the first time is as good as it gets. I just got back from Vegas, but far and away I love coming down here.

“Hopefully this is the first trophy of many to come,” said Labrie.

Final Results:

* Indicates results of a five-way deal.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  25,000/50,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 81

The final five players returned from a break and quickly agreed to an ICM deal to split up the remaining prizepool. These were their official chip counts:

1.  Chris Labrie  –  278,000  (6 BB)
2.  Miami John Cernuto  –  234,000  (5 BB)
3.  Shane Daniels  –  177,000  (4 BB)
4.  Bobby Leff  –  162,000  (3 BB)
5.  Steve Allen  –  126,000  (3 BB)

As chipleader, Chris Labrie was declared the champion, receiving the title and the trophy. Here are the modified payouts they agreed to:

1st:  Chris Labrie  –  $5,328 + SHRPO trophy
2nd:  Miami John Cernuto  –  $4,754
3rd:  Shane Daniels  –  $4,010
4th:  Bobby Leff  –  $3,814
5th:  Steve Allen  –  $3,344

Congratulations to Chris Labrie!

Stay tuned for a recap from this event, which will be posted later tonight.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 81

During a round of Stud-8, Bobby Leff limped for 20,000, Hoyt Verner raised all in for 35,000, and Leff called.

Bobby Leff:  ()    ()
Hoyt Verner:  ()    ()

Leff started off with split aces to put him in the lead, and picked up two pair on 4th street, while Verner improved to a heart flush draw with three cards to come.

But Leff made a full house on 6th street, nines full of aces, to clinch the pot. When the final cards were dealt, Verner wasn’t able to complete his flush anyway.

Leff won the pot with an even better full house, aces full of nines, to eliminate Verner in sixth place.

Bobby Leff  –  162,000  (4 BB)
Hoyt Verner  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($1,360)

With five players remaining from a field of 81 entries, the average chip stack is around 194,000 (5 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $1,700 each.

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

During a round of Stud-8, Steve Allen limped for 15,000, Michael Dreese moved all in for 20,000, and Allen called.

Michael Dreese:  ()    ()
Steve Allen:  ()    ()

Allen started off with split aces on 3rd street for a pretty big lead, and Dreese picked up a pair of nines on 5th street to pick up some outs for the high, but disqualify him for the low.

Allen’s split aces held up the entire way for him to win the pot and eliminate Dreese in seventh place.

Steve Allen  –  220,000  (7 BB)
Michael Dreese  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($1,125)

With six players remaining from a field of 81 entries, the average chip stack is around 162,000 (5 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $1,360 each.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  7 of 81

During a round of Stud-8, Hoyt Verner bet 12,000 on 4th street, Tom Walter called, and Shane Daniels called.

On 5th street, Verner bet 24,000, Walter raised all in for 32,000, and Daniels folded. Verner called, and they turned over their hole cards.

Hoyt Verner:  ()    ()
Tom Walter:  ()    ()
Shane Daniels:  ()  

Verner started with aces in the hole, and then his next five cards brought him a jack-high straight.

Meanwhile, Walter started with a 6-4-3, and picked up a 7-6 low draw on fifth street, but couldn’t find another low card.

Walter finished with nothing but king high, and Verner won the pot with his jack-high straight to eliminate Walter in eighth place.

Hoyt Verner  –  230,000  (10 BB)
Shane Daniels  –  180,000  (8 BB)
Tom Walter  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($950)

With seven players remaining from a field of 81 entries, the average chip stack is around 139,000 (6 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $1,125 each.

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

During a round of Omaha-8, Chris Labrie limped UTG+1 for 10,000, Hoyt Verner limped from middle position, Marty Raschkovan limped from the cutoff, Shane Daniels completed the small blind, and Bobby Leff checked his option in the big blind.

The flop came , and it checked to Labrie, who bet 10,000. Verner called, and Raschkovan called all in for 9,000. Daniels and Leff both called the 10,000.

At that point there was 95,000 in the main pot, and another 4,000 in the side pot. Any further betting would contribute to the side pot.

The turn card was the , , and it checked to Verner, who bet 20,000. Daniels and Leff both folded, and Labrie called.

The river card was the , Labrie checked, Verner bet 20,000 (with just 1K left behind), and Labrie called.

All three players turned over their cards:

Chris Labrie:    (two pair, eights and fours, 8-6 low)
Hoyt Verner:    (five-high straight)
Marty Raschkovan:    (pair of queens)

Verner scooped the entire pot with a wheel to nearly triple his stack and eliminate Raschkovan in ninth place.

Hoyt Verner  –  180,000  (9 BB)
Chris Labrie  –  115,000  (6 BB)
Marty Raschkovan  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($875)

With eight players remaining from a field of 81 entries, the average chip stack is around 122,000 (6 Big Bets). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $950 each.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  8,000/16,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  9 of 81

After the elimination of Lenny St. Germain in 10th place, the final nine players had a redraw for random seats at the final table. Here is the lineup:

Seat 1.  Marty Raschkovan  –  23,000  (1 BB)
Seat 2.  Miami John Cernuto  –  152,000  (10 BB)
Seat 3.  Shane Daniels  –  215,000  (13 BB)
Seat 4.  Bobby Leff  –  95,000  (6 BB)
Seat 5.  Michael Dreese  –  149,000  (9 BB)
Seat 6.  Chris Labrie  –  162,500  (10 BB)
Seat 7.  Hoyt Verner  –  82,000  (5 BB)
Seat 8.  Tom Walter  –  55,000  (3 BB)
Seat 9.  Steve Allen  –  70,000  (4 BB)

And here are the remaining payouts they’re playing for:

1st:  $8,745 + SHRPO trophy
2nd:  $5,290
3rd:  $3,290
4th:  $2,225
5th:  $1,700
6th:  $1,360
7th:  $1,125
8th:  $950
9th:  $875

With nine players remaining from a field of 81 entries, the average chip stack is around 108,000 (7 Big Bets). The final 11 players will finish in the money, guaranteed at least $760 each.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  8,000/16,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  10 of 81

It took a little more than two full levels of hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble — at least 30 hands — before the bubble burst, and it came with two players busting at the same time. Perhaps it softened the blow since they chopped a min-cash between them.

T-11th:  Matthew Wolfson  –  $380
T-11th:  Kevin Love  –  $380

As soon as one more player is eliminated, the final nine players will redraw for random seats at the final table, and then play down to a winner tonight.

With 10 players remaining from a field of 81 entries, the average chip stack is around 97,000 (6 Big Bets). The final 11 players will finish in the money, guaranteed at least $760 each.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 15:  4,000/8,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  17 of 81

The players returned from break to begin Level 15, with increased betting limits of 4,000-8,000.

There are only two players above 100K in chips:

1.  Bobby Leff  –  135,000  (17 BB)
2.  Chris Labrie  –  107,000  (13 BB)

With 17 players remaining from a field of 81 entries, the average chip stack is around 57,000 (7 Big Bets). The final 11 players will finish in the money, guaranteed at least $760 each.

$400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 12:  2,000/4,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  33 of 81

The players returned from break to begin Level 12, with increased limits of 2,000-4,000.

A scan of the field during the break turned up three players with at least 65K in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Yuval Bronshtein  –  70,100  (18 BB)
2.  Chris Labrie  –  69,700  (17 BB)
3.  Mike Dreese  –  66,000  (17 BB)

With 33 players remaining from a field of 81 entries, the average chip stack is around 29,500 (7 Big Bets). The final 11 players will finish in the money, guaranteed at least $760 each.