$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) $200,000 Guaranteed | Structure Level 11: 1,500/2,500 with a 2,500 ante Flight A Players Remaining: 62 of 198
Registration closed for Flight A of WPO Event 1 with 198 entries putting more than $65K toward the $200,000 guarantee with a big weekend coming up to crush that number.
Flight A will continue until only 25 players remain and they will advance to Day 2 on Sunday at 11 am in the money. Players must back chips to cash in the tournament.
$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) $200,000 Guaranteed | Structure Level 1: 100/200 with a 200 ante
The Winter Poker Open is finally here and we kick things off at 11 am with a $400 multi-flight No-Limit Hold’em tournament that features a $200,000 guarantee and six starting flights. It’s a great way to get the series underway and we look forward to seeing everyone.
Players start with 30,000 in their stacks and the first 19 levels last 30 minutes, increasing to 60 after that. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 9 at 3:30 pm.
Flight A will continue until only 12.5% of the field remains and survivors will advance to Day 2 on Sunday at 11 am in the money.
$200,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
Players begin with 30,000 in chips
Levels 1-19 last 30 minutes; Levels 20+ last 40 minutes
Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (3:30pm)
The 2023 Pinktober Poker Open was our last major series of the year and it was a fantastic two weeks in the Poker Room. In addition to handing out some big prize pools, the series raised thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society.
Another notable win was $600 Deep Stack champ Karl Manouchakian. He won the trophy, went deep in the Championship, and now sits only a few thousand dollars away from topping $1,000,000 earned in his career.
Karl Manouchakian
You can find results for all PPO events below, and we look forward to seeing you at our next major series in January.
The Tampa Winter Poker Open was moved from early December to late January. Running from January 24 through February 5 with nine trophy events.
2023 Pinktober Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Florida $1,100 PPO Championship (Re-Entry) $200,000 Guaranteed Entries: 298 Prize Pool: $283,100 October 26 – 30, 2023
Frank Weigel, 2023 PPO Champion
The $1,100 buy-in Championship headlined the 2023 Pinktober Poker Open with three starting flights and many great players. After calling his shot earlier in the tournament, Frank Weigel dominated a tough final table to win the title outright for $60,190.
The PPO Championship drew 298 entries over three flights, and Weigel made it through on Friday evening. While putting his chips into the bag, he left a message for your media guy.
Weigel wrote us a note saying he was going to win it; three days and a lot of hands later, Weigel was the player posing with the PPO Guitar trophy at the end.
“It feels awesome, always feels good,” Weigel said afterward. “And this one feels really good.”
An ace on the flop put Weigel into the chip lead, and Manouchakian was left with a surprising 11th-place finish.
“That was the hand that changed everything,” Weigel recalled. “We were playing five-handed, and I’m not getting away from ace-king there. I got lucky, got an ace, and rode the momentum from there.”
“You have to get lucky two or three times to win a big tournament,” he finished.
Weigel began the final table second to WSOP bracelet winner Brett Apter. While the rest of the table was knocking each other around, he stuck to his strategy until it was time to switch it up.
“My strategy was to play very tight, let them shoot themselves in the foot a little,” Weigel said. “With about five left, I said I was going to get more aggressive. I got a lot of cards at the end, and the big hands held.”
Weigel collected his second major SHR Tampa title to go along with his $1,100 Deep Stack victory during last year’s PPO series, and he also owns a May Little Slick win. He banked $60,190 for his 2023 PPO Championship title, plus the accomplishment of calling his shot and making it happen.
Congrats Frank and thanks to all of our players for making this another successful series!
Final table results:
1st: Frank Weigel – $60,190 + PPO Trophy 2nd: Harry Binda Jr – $40,070 3rd: Vincent Cafone – $29,190 4th: Shane Melert – $21,550 5th: Brett Apter – $16,130 6th: Doug Marro – $12,240 7th: Anthony Bertuccio – $9,410 8th: Bo Gray – $7,340 9th: Aaron Thivyanathan – $5,800
2023 Pinktober Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Florida Event 8 $250 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry) $10,000 Guaranteed Entries: 149 Prize Pool: $30,545 October 30, 2023
$1,100 PPO Championship (Re-Entry) $200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 27: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Frank Weigel
Frank Weigel had a big lead going into heads-up play and only extended it over the first few hands. Harry Binda Jr was down to 425K, moved all in from his button, and Weigel called.
Weigel showed and was surprised when Binda Jr told him he was ahead. He shoved with and was in trouble.
“Run it clean one more time dealer!” Weigel asked.
The flop came followed by the turn. It looked like a chopped pot, both with fours and deuces, but the river gave them both two pair tens and fours, and their kickers played.
An odd but fun hand to end the PPO Championship with Binda Jr earning $40,070 as the runner-up and Weigel taking home $60,190 for the title.
Final table results:
1st: Frank Weigel – $60,190 + PPO Trophy 2nd: Harry Binda Jr – $40,070 3rd: Vincent Cafone – $29,190 4th: Shane Melert – $21,550 5th: Brett Apter – $16,130 6th: Doug Marro – $12,240 7th: Anthony Bertuccio – $9,410 8th: Bo Gray – $7,340 9th: Aaron Thivyanathan – $5,800
$1,100 PPO Championship (Re-Entry) $200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 27: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 29
Harry Binda (left) versus Jr Frank Weigel (right)
The heads-up match for the PPO Championship title is underway with Frank Weigel holding a big lead. They will play out Level 27 and go to 30-minute levels for the rest of the match.
Seat 4: Harry Binda Jr – 1,450,000 (15 bb) Seat 7: Frank Weigel – 7,500,000 (75 bb)
$1,100 PPO Championship (Re-Entry) $200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 27: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 29
Vincent Cafone
Frank Weigel opened to 250,000 from the small blind, Vincent Cafone shipped from the big blind and Weigel quickly called.
Weigel: Cafone:
They were racing for a huge pot and Weigel’s jacks held on the board. Cafone was eliminated in third place and heads-up for the Championship got underway.
Frank Weigel – 7,500,000 (75 bb) Vincent Cafone – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($29,190)
and was surprised when Binda Jr told him he was ahead. He shoved with 
and was in trouble.
followed by the 
river gave them both two pair tens and fours, and their kickers played.
board. Cafone was eliminated in third place and heads-up for the Championship got underway.