2025 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 14
$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  312
Prize Pool:  $302,640
January 12-14, 2025

There were three starting flights for Event 14 over the past two days, attracting 312 entries to generate a prizepool worth $302,640. Forty players survived those flights to make Day 2 and finish in the money.

Day 2 was a long one, running more than 13 hours, with more than four hours just for the battle between the final three players. It was a lot of small ball back-and-forth at that point, with only two all-in-and-call situations in those final four hours.

The first all-in situation came when Rafael Rodriguez shoved into Nicholas Chong’s — Rodriguez caught an ace on the river, but it was too little, too late, as Chong had clinched the hand on the turn with a set of queens. Rodriguez was eliminated in 3rd place. (Click here for details.)

The second all-in situation was the final hand, when Matthew Lambrecht shoved ace-six into Nicholas Chong’s queen-jack. (Click here for details.) With a queen on the flop and another queen on the river, Chong won the pot, the title, the trophy, and $60,340 with trip queens.

“I’m really happy, but really, really tired,” said Chong. “It was a long day today.”

Chong loves playing here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, and the biggest tournament cash of his career came here last year, when he finished second in Event #1 at the 2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open, earning $221,375.

Even though it was a six-figure payday, it was still a second-place finish, and coming out on top today was special for Chong.

“This is my first trophy here,” said Chong. “I’m really happy, and I wish to get more from the Hard Rock, both Tampa and here. This is my favorite casino for playing poker. It’s really lucky for me, and I never go home empty-handed.”

Results:

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Structure  |  Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 312

Nicholas Chong limped for 125,000, Matthew Lambrecht moved all in from the big blind for 2,525,000, and Chong called with .

Lambrecht turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Chong paired his queen on the flop and rivered trips to win the pot — and the trophy and $60,340 — with trip queens.

Matthew Lambrecht finished as the runner-up, earning $41,500.

Congratulations to Nicholas Chong!

1st:  Nicholas Chong  –  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  Matthew Lambrecht  –  $41,500
3rd:  Rafael Rodriguez  –  $31,000
4th:  Kevin DiPasquale  –  $23,100
5th:  Michael Garcia  –  $17,400
6th:  Cangir Elcin  –  $13,300
7th:  David DiBernardi  –  $10,200
8th:  Feiwen Wu  –  $7,900
9th:  Zhen Cai  –  $6,200

Stay tuned for a recap later tonight.

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Structure  |  Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

Matthew Lambrecht raised to 300,000, Nicholas Chong reraised from the big blind to 725,000, and Lambrecht four-bet all in for about 3,500,000, and Chong quickly folded. Lambrecht took the pot.

Nicholas Chong  –  4,925,000  (39 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  4,425,000  (35 bb)

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Structure  |  Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

The players return from their break to begin Level 30, with increased blinds of 75,000-125,000 and a 125,000 ante. Here are the official chip counts, followed by the final table payouts:

Nicholas Chong  –  5,950,000  (48 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  3,400,000  (27 bb)

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500

3rd:  Rafael Rodriguez  –  $31,000
4th:  Kevin DiPasquale  –  $23,100
5th:  Michael Garcia  –  $17,400
6th:  Cangir Elcin  –  $13,300
7th:  David DiBernardi  –  $10,200
8th:  Feiwen Wu  –  $7,900
9th:  Zhen Cai  –  $6,200

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Structure  |  Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

Here are a couple of interesting hands from the final five minutes before the break.

Nicholas Chong raised to 250,000, and Matthew Lambrecht called from the big blind.

The flop came , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 150,000, and Lambrecht called.

The turn card was the , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 325,000, and Lambrecht called.

The river card was the , Lambrecht bet 550,000, and Chong thought for a while before he folded. Lambrecht took the pot.

Nicholas Chong  –  4,950,000  (50 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  4,400,000  (44 bb)

A few minutes later, Nicholas Chong again raised to 250,000, and Matthew Lambrecht called from the big blind.

The flop came , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 150,000, and Lambrecht called.

The turn card was the , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 275,000, and Lambrecht called.

The river card was the , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 475,000, and Lambrecht thought for a while before he called and asked if Chong had an ace.

Chong showed to win the pot with a rivered pair of aces, and Lambrecht mucked.

Nicholas Chong  –  5,950,000  (60 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  3,400,000  (34 bb)

Here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Structure  |  Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

Nicholas Chong limped for 100,000, and Matthew Lambrecht checked his option in the big blind.

Both players checked to the river on a board of , Lambrecht bet 100,000, Chong raised to 300,000, and Lambrecht reraised to 950,000.

Chong called, and Lambrecht showed for a flopped set of fours. Chong mucked, and Lambrecht won the pot to regain a slight lead.

Matthew Lambrecht  –  4,750,000  (48 bb)
Nicholas Chong  –  4,600,000  (46 bb)

Here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Structure  |  Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

Nicholas Chong raised to 75,000, Matthew Lambrecht reraised from the big blind to 250,000, and Chong called.

The flop came , Lambrecht bet 125,000, and Chong called.

The turn card was the , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 325,000, and Lambrecht called.

The river card was the , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 750,000, and Lambrecht quickly called with for two pair, queens and threes. Chong mucked, and Lambrecht won the pot — and took a narrow chip lead.

Matthew Lambrecht  –  4,800,000  (64 bb)
Nicholas Chong  –  4,550,000  (61 bb)

Here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Structure  |  Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

Matthew Lambrecht raised from the button to 150,000, Rafael Rodriguez moved all in from the small blind for about 1,600,000, and Nicholas Chong called or shoved from the big blind.

Lambrecht quickly folded, and Rodriguez showed . Chong turned over , and Rodriguez needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Chong turned a full house, queens full of threes, to clinch the pot and eliminate Rodriguez in third place.

Rafael Rodriguez  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($31,000)

Here are the updated chip counts for the start of heads-up play:

Nicholas Chong  –  6,000,000  (80 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  3,350,000  (45 bb)

And here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500

3rd:  Rafael Rodriguez  –  $31,000
4th:  Kevin DiPasquale  –  $23,100
5th:  Michael Garcia  –  $17,400
6th:  Cangir Elcin  –  $13,300
7th:  David DiBernardi  –  $10,200
8th:  Feiwen Wu  –  $7,900
9th:  Zhen Cai  –  $6,200

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

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Structure  |  Payouts
Level 28:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 312

Matthew Lambrecht raised from the button to 150,000, Nicholas Chong reraised from the big blind to 375,000, and Lambrecht moved all in for 2,625,000.

Chong tanked for a long time before he folded, and Lambrecht took the pot.

Seat 1.  Nicholas Chong  –  4,500,000  (60 bb)
Seat 2.  Matthew Lambrecht  –  3,125,000  (42 bb)
Seat 3.  Rafael Rodriguez  –  1,725,000  (23 bb)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is around 3,125,000 (42 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $31,000 each.