2021 Tampa Winter Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 3
$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 1,000
Prize Pool:  $335,000
December 2-5, 2021

The first multi-flight tournament of the 2021 Winter Poker Open had a fantastic turnout with an even 1,000 entries showing up for the $400 tournament over three flights. Our players combined to sail right past the $100,000 to put up a prize pool worth $335,000 and Andrea Ruosi earned the biggest chunk after a six-way final table deal.

The tournament had 101 players return for Day 2 already in the money and action was fast the entire day. They were down to the final table in a hurry as Mark Rupkin began running away with a huge lead.

He had a huge stack through the late-level breaks but he fell back to the pack when the nine last players hit the final table. That’s where Andrea Ruosi took over. He quickly built a huge stack of his own and sent Rupkin out in seventh place and stacked more than 8 million of the 20 million chips in play.

The last six players decided to divide up the remaining prize money with Ruosi earning $44,887 as the big stack and he captured the WPO Event 3 title.

Thanks to all of our players for such a great first weekend of the series.

Final table results:

1st: Andrea Ruosi – $44,887 *
2nd: Jarrod Stokes – $34,203 *
3rd: Dave Bennett – $34,034 *
4th: Lee Jang – $25,658 *
5th: Tony Zharnitsky – $24,971 *
6th: Steve Collins – $16,907 *
7th: Mark Rupkin – $9,160
8th: Ivan Yatsuk – $7,110
9th: Savahn Steadman – $5,600
* – Denotes results of six-way deal

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,000

After Mark Rupkin was eliminated in seventh place, the six remaining players decided to discuss a deal to split up the remaining prize money. They looked at ICM numbers, made some tweaks, and wrapped up the tournament.

Andrea Ruosi held 8,150,000 of the 20,000,000 chips in play to earn the biggest share $44,887 along and the WPO Event 3 trophy.

Andrea Ruosi – 8,150,000 (109 bb)
Jarrod Stokes – 3,875,000 (52 bb)
Dave Bennett – 3,825,000 (51 bb)
Li Tran – 1,850,000 (25 bb)
Tony Zharnitsky – 1,725,000 (23 bb)
Steve Collins – 575,000 (8 bb)

1st: Andrea Ruosi – $44,887
2nd: Jarrod Stokes – $34,203
3rd: Dave Bennett – $34,034
4th: Lee Jang – $25,658
5th: Tony Zharnitsky – $24,971
6th: Steve Collins – $16,907

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,000

Mark Rupkin open shipped for 1,200,000 from under the gun and it folded to Andrea Ruosi on the button. He quickly called and the blinds folded.

Ruosi:
Rupkin:

It was a race and Rupkin needed to improve to double. The dealer spread the board and our former chip leader was eliminated in seventh place for $9,160.

Andrea Ruosi – 8,150,000 (109 bb)
Mark Rupkin – Eliminated in 7th Place ($9,160)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,000

Seat 1: Andrea Ruosi – 6,650,000 (89 bb)
Seat 2: Steve Collins – 800,000 (11 bb)
Seat 3: Jarrod Stokes – 4,350,000 (58 bb)
Seat 5: Mark Rupkin – 700,000 (9 bb)
Seat 6: Dave Bennett – 3,825,000 (51 bb)
Seat 7: Li Tran – 1,550,000 (21 bb)
Seat 8: Tony Zharnitsky – 2,125,000 (28 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $63,710 + WPO trophy
2nd: $39,390
3rd: $28,680
4th: $21,140
5th: $15,790
6th: $11,950
7th: $9,160

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,000

Andrea Ruosi opened to 150,000 from the cutoff and Jarrod Stokes raised from the small blind to 480,000. Ivan Yatsuk moved all in for 565,000 from the big blind to get calls from both Ruosi and Stokes.

Both live players checked down the board and the cards were tabled.

Stokes:
Yatsuk:
Ruosi:

None paired their hole cards and Stokes took the pot with the bigger aces to send Yatsuk out in eighth place.

Jarrod Stokes – 4,350,000 (73 bb)
Ivan Yatsuk – Eliminated in 8th Place ($7,100)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 1,000

While the double knockout was going down on Table 22, Robert Compton was eliminated on Table 21. The last nine players redrew seats at the final table and cards are back in the air. Below is the player lineup and we will updates counts once they are settled.

Seat 1: Andrea Ruosi
Seat 2: Steve Collins
Seat 3: Jarrod Stokes
Seat 4: Ivan Yatsuk
Seat 5: Mark Rupkin
Seat 6: Dave Bennett
Seat 7: Savahn Steadman
Seat 8: Li Tran
Seat 9: Tony Zharnitsky

Remaining payouts:

1st: $63,710 + WPO trophy
2nd: $39,390
3rd: $28,680
4th: $21,140
5th: $15,790
6th: $11,950
7th: $9,160
8th: $7,110
9th: $5,600

10th: Robert Compton – $5,600
11th: Marcus Yofon – $4,470
12th: Dante Collier – $4,470

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  10 of 1,000

Things were quiet for a while.

Until they weren’t.

On Table 22, they lit off some fireworks when Marcu Yofon shipped for 650,000 and Dante Collier called at risk for his last 315,000. Mark Rupnik decided to come along to create the three-way pot with Rupnik having the other two covered.

Yofon:
Collier:
Rupnik:

Yofon was looking good for a double but Rupnik nailed the for a set of sixes. The board finished with the turn and river to give Rupnik the double knockout.

11th: Marcus Yofon – $4,470
12th: Dante Collier – $4,470
13th: Stephen Allen – $3,620

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 25:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  13 of 1,000

Aces were not kind to Ryan Luker today. He had them cracked and he ran into them and found himself down to 130,000. He moved all in from under the gun and picked up calls from Andrea Ruosi in middle position and Ivan Yatsuk in the big blind.

The flop came , Yatsuk bet 130,000 and Ruosi called. Both players checked the turn and river and all hands were tabled.

Ruosi:
Yatsuk:
Luker:

“Come on!” Luker half laughed.

He was ahead preflop but Ruosi paired his four on the flop and finished with a boat to send Luker out in 14th place.

14th: Ryan Luker – $3,620
15th: Nicholas Hart – $2,970
16th: Dmitriy Konikov – $2,970

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  16 of 1,000

It only two a couple post-dinner minutes for Event 3 to lose Travis Johnson from the tournament. Tournament staff broke Table 20 to leave with only two tables of players remaining with a shot at the title.

17th: Travis Johnson – $2,480

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  17 of 1,000

Cards are back in the air after the dinner break with 17 remaining and Mark Rudnik continues to lead with 2,720,000.

Blinds are now 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante and the average stack is about 1,175,000 (29 bb).