$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 14: 1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining: 19 of 106
The Flight A clock is paused with 10 minutes remaining and the last three tables will play five more hands before survivors bag up.
2018 WPTDeepStacks Tampa
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 1
$200,000 Guaranteed
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries: 797
Prize Pool: $398,500
June 7-10, 2018
The 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Tampa WPTDeepStacks series kicked off with a multi-day tournament that hit big marks along the way. Event 1 crushed the $200,000 Guarantee and Andrew Pacifico took home the biggest piece of the prize pool after going from short stack to final table domination. He earned more than $60,000 along with a seat in the $1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event.
Pacifico was down to only a half dozen big blinds late in the day but ran it up, hit the final table with the chip lead, and rode it to the victory.
“When you’re down to that short of a stack it’s very easy to play,” he commented after his win. “The first all-in I was behind but the next four all-ins I was ahead.”
“It put me in a position to kind of chill out and pick my spots.”
Event 1 featured six starting flights over the first three days of the series and they combined to put 797 entries into the game. The players generated a prize pool just shy of $400,000 and the last 100 players shared some of that money.
Day 2 saw 152 players return and each had a shot at the title. Pacifico held a top ten stack for the return after bagging the Flight E chip lead but there were plenty of tough players trying to chase him down. Wally Maddah, Vitor Coelho, Carlos Loving, Derek Bowers, and 2016 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event champion Anthony Astarita were among those vying for the title.
The tournament quickly made into the money before the first Day 2 break and there was a steady parade to the payout desk. Event 1 was down to 16 players at the dinner break and the final table not long after they returned.
Pacifico had the lead to start the final table but Yong Liu was not far behind. One big hand swung even more chips to Pacifico while it was a shocking end for Liu. His turned set ran into Pacifico’s turned straight sending Pacifico further out in front. He held 6.6 million of the 16 million in play with eight players still in contention.
“I had to recheck my cards,” Pacifico said of the hand. “I had to make sure I had the nuts. And I did.”
“I was actually pretty shocked that he had out. I thought he was drawing dead, I’m glad the board didn’t pair.”
Liu wasn’t drawing dead but he was out in ninth and Pacifico held 6.6 million of the 16 million in play with eight players remaining.
Paul Lenkeit saw his aces get cracked with seven players remaining and that set the table for some negotiations. Pacifico earned the title along with the lion’s share of the prize pool courtesy of his huge lead. His official payout was $60,395 plus his WPTDeepStacks Main Event seat.
“I guess I have to drive back down,” Pacifico laughed.
Pacifico transitioned from playing Magic the Gathering into poker after meeting some players who were involved with both. He’s been playing for two decades and was a professional for six years. Now he does real estate and poker training when he’s not at the tables.
It was a great start to the WPTDeepStacks series and we expect to maintain the momentum as we head into the three remaining tournaments.
Congratulations to Pacifico on his biggest career win and thanks to our players for kicking things off with a bang.
Final table results:
1st: Andrew Pacifico – $60,395 + $1,100 Main Event seat*
2nd: Nick Avena – $35,255 *
3rd: Charlie Kapetanakos – $34,111 *
4th: Juan Rodriguez – $30,779 *
5th: Oscar Lindo – $29,811 *
6th: Nick Luczyk – $18,755 *
7th: Paul Lenkeit – $11,902
8th: Ahmad Hamoush – $9,466
9th: Yong Liu – $7,098
10th: Robert Urspruch – $5,842
* – denotes results of a six-way deal
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28: 50,000/100,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 797
After Paul Lenkeit was eliminated in seventh place, the six remaining players went into serious negotiations to divide up the remaining prize pool. They took a few minutes to work out the deal with Andrew Pacifico holding a huge chip lead.
An agreement was reached with Pacifico earning $60,395 for the title along with the $1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event seat and the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa guitar trophy.
Tournament report to come later this evening.
1st: Andrew Pacifico – $60,395 + $1,100 Main Event seat
2nd: Nick Avena – $35,255
3rd: Charlies Kapetanakos – $34,111
4th: Juan Rodriguez – $30,779
5th: Oscar Lindo – $29,811
6th: Nick Luczyk – $18,755
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 797
Paul Lenkeit opened from the button and Charles Lenkeit moved all in from the small blind for 1,390,000. Nick Luczyk folded his big blind and Lenkeit quickly called with a similar stack.
Kapetanakos: 
Lenkeit: 
Kapetanakos was in trouble but the table came alive when the dealer spread the hearty 
flop. The 
turn changed nothing but the table erupted after the 
rivered finished the flush for Kapetanakos. Lenkeit had his aces cracked, he was left with 15,000 and hit the rail soon after.
Charles Kapetanakos – 2,950,000 (37 bb)
Paul Lenkeit – Eliminated in 7th place ($11,902)
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 797
Juan Rodriguez open-shoved from under the gun for 705,000 and the move made it around to Oscar Lindo in the big blind.
“I didn’t look,” Lindo asked him. “You want to sweat it together?”
Lindo slow peeled for the both and they both knew he was calling.
Lindo: 
Rodriguez: 
Rodriguez was in danger of going out in seventh place but the 
flop moved him ahead. The board finished 
and 
to send Rodriguez the double up.
Juan Rodriguez – 1,520,000 (19 bb)
Oscar Lindo – 1,800,000 (23 bb)
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 797
The players took a quick 15-minute break from the final table and Ahmad Hamoush immediately open-shoved for approximately 800,000 when they returned. It folded around to Paul Lenkeit in the big blind and he called.
“You got me,” Hamoush said.
Lenkeit:
Hamoush: 
Hamoush had an over and hearts but missed the save when it came 
to exit in eighth place.
Paul Lenkeit – 2,300,000 (29 bb)
Ahmad Hamoush – Eliminated in 8th place ($9,466)
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 797
A huge pot developed between a couple big stacks when Yong Liu opened to 150,000 from middle position, Oscar Lindo called next to act, and Andrew Pacifico called in the big blind. The flop came 
and Liu continued for 100,000 after Pacifico checked.
Lindo folded, Pacifico called, and the turn came 
. Pacifico checked again, Liu bet 235,000 and Pacifico checked-raised to 805,000. Liu moved all in for his 1,400,000 behind and Pacifico called.
Pacifico:
Liu: 
Liu looked a little ill when he saw the hands. His turned set was behind Pacifico’s turned straight and he could not find a river boat on the river for the surprising exit.
Andrew Pacifico – 6,600,000 (110 bb)
Yong Liu – Eliminated in 9th place ($7,098)
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26: 30,000/60,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 797
Paul Lenkeit opened to 125,000 from early position and picked up calls from Nick Avena on the button, Yong Liu in the small blind, and Oscar Lindo in the big. Liu bet 200,000 after the 
flop and Lindo folded. Lenkeit moved all in for 520,000 and Avena released. Lui thought for a moment and called the extra 320,000.
Lenkeit: 
Liu: 
Lenkeit was ahead with his pair versus two overs and picked up his double after the 
turn and 
river.
Paul Lenkeit – 1,540,000 (26 bb)
Yong Liu – 1,850,000 (31 bb)
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 797
Yong Liu opened to 130,000 and Robert Urspruch called all in for his last 60,000. The rest of the table released and Liu earned a rebate on his raise.
Liu: 
Urspruch: 
“Courtesy double up,” Liu joked right before he hit the 
flop. He improved to trip sixes on the turn and Urspruch was sent out after the 
river.
Yong Liu – 2,300,000 (46 bb)
Robert Urspruch – Eliminated in 10th place ($5,842)
$570 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25: 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 797
Yong Liu opened to 130,000 from the cutoff and Oscar Lindo three-bet to 300,000 from the small blind. The big blind released and Liu announced: “all in”. Lindo quickly called with a monster.
Lindo:
Liu:
Lindo was in great shape for the double and the 
board caused him no problems.
Oscar Lindo – 2,240,000
Yong Liu – 2,450,000