3-Bet- Shawn Nguyen Wins WPT RNRPO $360 PLO Hi-Lo Title, Matt Silva Takes Down $360 NLHE 6-Max & Martijn Gerrits Clinches WSOPC Ring at Planet Hollywood

Live tournament action continues to keep the felts warm at various international venues. While the 2018 Asian Poker League (APL) Series Vol. 3 has just culminated at Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, back in the U.S., the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has been host to some high-octane action with the 2018 World Poker Tour (WPT) Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open series that got underway on November 14. Shawn Nguyen grabbed the spotlight at the series recently, by winning the $360 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event. Nguyen bested a field of 89 entries to win $8,471.

Later, the $360 NLHE Six-Max event at the series crowned a champion in Matt Silva, who outlasted 108 entrants and snagged his second Hard Rock trophy and $7,790. Indian origin player Raminder Singh finished fourth ($2,640- ₹1.86 Lakhs) in the event.

Coming in from the 2018 World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) updates is news of Martijn Gerrits taking down the $400 NLHE (1-day) tournament at the WSOPC Planet Hollywood stop. Gerrits won his maiden WSOPC gold ring along with $13,213 in prize money.

Shawn Nguyen Wins 2018 WPT Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open $360 PLO Hi-Lo

The $360 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event at the 2018 World Poker Tour (WPT) Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open saw a total of 89 entries converging on the felts of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Shawn Nguyen was the last player standing at the event and for his win, Nguyen pocketed prize money worth $8,471.

“It was pretty great. I told Tony [Burns] that I was going to win it and I won it,” Nguyen said after his win. “I play a lot of PLO8. I play mixed games also, but not too much. Mostly PLO8.” The high-stakes regular at Hard Rock doesn’t call himself a professional poker player but admitted that it is his only source of income.

Nguyen entered the final table with a massive chip lead and ran over the final table sending six of the nine finalists to the rail. His performance in fact, proved to be the most dominating in the series thus far.

“I got no jobs,” Nguyen explained. “I am looking for a job, but nobody wants to hire me. So I got o play poker, right? Until I get hired, maybe I’ll find a job. But until then, I got to keep playing. If I had a job as good as Tony’s [Burns], maybe I won’t have to play poker. Until then, I’ll just keep trying my luck.”

Eliminations came breezily enough in the event as the field narrowed down to the final 10 by Level 17. Jeff Gershowitz (10^th for $774) ended up bubbling the final table.

Final Table Recap

Nguyen got going right at the start of the nine-handed final table. He scored three eliminations one after the other, knocking Leif Force out in ninth place, Mitchell Smith in eighth place and Matthew Bianchini in seventh place.

After Jason Reep was eliminated in sixth place by Barak Zaken’s set of aces, Mitchell Menes saw his tournament run end in fifth place, also at the hands of Zaken.

Alexander Lakhov was shown the door in fourth place by Nguyen who chipped up in the hand to then hold 75% of the chips in play.

The three-handed table saw Barak Zaken moving all-in for the remainder of his stack only to lose the hand to Nguyen who turned a flush to eliminate Zaken in third place.

The heads-up play between Walter Buss and Nguyen lasted only several hands and soon the final hand was dealt where on a flop of , Buss who was on the button committed 45,000 and Nguyen matched the bet from the big blind. The came on the turn and Nguyen led out 108,000, only to be called by Buss. The on the river saw Nguyen moving all in, prompting Buss to make the call. Nguyen announced a full house and tabled good enough to take down Buss’ . With Buss eliminated in second place, Nguyen was declared the champion!

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Shawn Nguyen – $8,471

2. Walter Buss – $5,073

3. Barak Zaken – $3,204

4. Alexander Lakhov – $2,069

5. Mitchell Menes – $1,602

6. Jason Reep – $1,268

7. Matthew Bianchini – $1,068

8. Mitchell Smith – $935

9. Leif Force – $847

Meanwhile, the series that kicked off on November 14 is slated to culminate on November 28.

Matt Silva Wins 2018 WPT Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open$360 NLHE 6-Max

The 2018 WPT Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open saw another event, i.e. the $360 NLHE 6-Max crowning a winner this past week. Matt Silva outlasted 108 entries to win his second Hard Rock trophy and $7,790.

Silva came up against Hamid Kashvari heads-up. The duo had got into each other’s path earlier on the final table as well. With only four players remaining, Kashvari held the chip lead but Silva went on a heater and overtook Kashvarito enter heads-up play with near-even stacks. After a quick double up throughKashvari, Silva, who was in a hurry to catch a flight, offered a heads-up deal that Kashvari accepted.

“It was just a very long final table. He had me slightly outchipped and we played hands and I ended up winning,” said Silva after his win. “It sounds crazy, but it was a long final table and I just grinded it out I guess.”

The final table also featured Indian-origin player Raminder Singh, who eventually finished fourth ($2,640- ₹1,86,106).

The event allowed for a single re-entry and paid out the top 18 finishers.

Nir Peleg (8^th for $1,050) and Steven Cohen (9^th for $825) fell short of the final table, and after the elimination of Jose Costanzo (7^th for $1,050), the six remaining players converged on the final table.

Final Table Recap

Raymond D’Argenio was the first player to leave the final table in sixth place, followed by Mitchell Leksarczyk who crashed in fifth place. At this point, Kashvari led the pack with a stack of 470,000.

Indian-origin Raminder Singh then moved all in from UTG for 175,000 and Silva called on the button. Singh showed and was leading Silva’s . However the flop saw Silva surging ahead with a pair and a flush draw and the on the turn, followed by on the river bricked Singh’s chances, sending him out in fourth place.

Lukas Pribyl saw his pocket threes being run over by Kashvari’s king-three suited that improved to two pair on the board. As Kashvari picked up the monster pot, Pribyl was left with crumbs. In the very next hand, Pribyl found pocket threes dealt to him once again but he was dominated by Silva’s pocket eights. The board brought another pair for both players but Silva’s hand was superior and Pribyl was eliminated in third place.

The heads-up match between Hamid Kashvari and Silva saw the latter score a huge double up with his pocket aces crushing Kashvari’s ace-five. The chips exchanged hands several times before Silva proposed a deal. As part of the deal, Silva took $1,000 of the first place payout and gave it to Kashwari, while securing himself the title.

Final Table Results (USD)

1.Matt Silva – $7,790*

2. Hamid Kashvari – $6,715*

3. Lukas Pribyl – $3,825

4. Raminder Singh – $2,640

5. Mitchell Leksarczyk – $1,880

6. Raymond D’Argenio – $1,380

(*Denotes Heads-up deal)

Martijn Gerrits Wins 2018 WSOPC Planet Hollywood $400 NLHE (1-Day)

The Thanksgiving event at the 2018 World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Planet Hollywood was the $400 NLHE (1-Day). Emerging triumphant over a field of 143 runners was Martijn Gerrits, who won his maiden WSOPC gold ring along with $13,213 in prize money.

Gerrits has been on a winning streak at WSOP events lately. At the 2018 WSOP this summer, he made it to the semi-finals of the $10,000 Heads-up Championship, finishing third for $73,179. He followed it up with an impressive 15^th place finish in the Main Event for $475,000. Gerrits is also a familiar face at Asian tournaments, and has posted several scores at the 2018 Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila, and Japan High Roller Festival-Season 4.

A prize pool of $47,190 was created in the event and the top 15 players cashed a minimum $797. The unofficial ten-handed final table saw Joshua Turner in the lead with a stack of 450,000 while Gerrits was sixth in chips.

Final Table Recap

The final table saw John Scarpulla make an early exit in ninth place, while Phillip Latimer and Steven Bergeron were next to exit, in eighth and seventh place respectively.

Carlos De La Pena was eliminated in sixth place followed by Amir Turkzadeh in fifth place.

Joshua Turner’s elimination in fourth place narrowed the field down to the final three players and soon Kindah Sakkal joined the rail in third place.

Gerrits dominated the heads-up match against Paul Sokoloff to claim victory, while the latter was relegated to the rail and scored a runner-up finish.

Final Table Results (USD)

1.Martijn Gerrits – $13,213

2. Paul Sokoloff – $8,167

3. Kindah Sakkal – $5,895

4. Joshua Turner – $4,332

5. Amir Turkzadeh – $3,238

6. Carlos De La Pena – $2,462

7. Steven Bergeron – $1,903

8. Phillip Latimer – $1,495

9. John Scarpulla – $1,193