2021 WPT Tampa
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 11
$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Entries:  112
Prize Pool:  $37,520
June 16, 2021

H.O.R.S.E. is played as a rotation of five different poker games — Hold’em, Omaha-8, Razz, Stud, and Stud-8. But Aaron Lipstet had only ever played two of those five games before outlasting a field of 112 entries on Wednesday to win the title, the trophy, and $11,612.

“Winning feels pretty good,” said Lipstet, “considering I’ve never played a H.O.R.S.E. event, and have literally never played stud, stud-8, or razz.”

Lipstet seemed to adapt to the new games quickly, saying, “I was definitely playing more tight in those games to start with, but by the end of it, it seemed like there were some pretty obvious steal spots, so I was going for those. Other than that, I was being more careful in those rounds. Especially razz.”

And Lipstet remained modest about his new status as a H.O.R.S.E. champion.

“For me, it was a tough final table,” said Lipstet. “I feel like I was probably the second- or third-worst player at the table. I was just trying to do my best. I’m really happy that I got really lucky.”

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  1 of 112

Aaron Lipstet and Sam Sternfield played a big hand of Seven Card Stud where the put in about 320K each.

Aaron Lipstet:        (full house)
Sam Sternfield:        (two pair)

The order of the hole cards is uncertain, but Lipstet won the pot with his full house to knock Sternfield all the way down to just 3,000 — less than a third of an ante.

The next hand, Sternfield was forced all in for the ante, but finished with two pair, aces and kings, to double up to 6,000.

Aaron Lipstet:        (ace high)
Sam Sternfield:        (two pair)

The next hand, Sternfield was once again forced all in for the ante, and this time he finished with trip tens to double up to 12,000. He could now afford the ante and have 2,000 left over.

Aaron Lipstet:        (two pair)
Sam Sternfield:        (trip tens)

The next hand the game switched to Stud-8, and this time, Sternfield was forced all in for the bring-in:

Aaron Lipstet:        (full house)
Sam Sternfield:        (two pair)

Sternfield’s potential comeback fell short, as Lipstet won the final hand with a full house, threes full of sixes, to win the title, the trophy, and $11,612.

Congratulations to Aaron Lipstet!

1st:  Aaron Lipstet  –  $11,612 + Trophy
2nd:  Sam Sternfield  –  $7,177
3rd:  Cory Zeidman  –  $4,813
4th:  Dale Schmitz  –  $3,348
5th:  Henry Porcaro  –  $2,418
6th:  Ben Mauger  –  $1,816
7th:  A.J. Kelsall  –  $1,421
8th:  John Fahmy  –  $1,161
9th:  Homi Syodia  –  $991
10th:  Yuval Bronshtein  –  $991
11th:  Anthony Askey  –  $886
12th:  Hoyt Verner  –  $886

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 24:  40,000/80,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  2 of 112

During a round of Omaha-8, Cory Zeidman was all in with two pair and now low against Aaron Lipstet’s pocket aces and an A-4 low.

The river card paired the board to counterfeit Zeidman, and Lipstet scooped the pot with a higher two pair and the only qualifying low to eliminate Zeidman in third place.

Cory Zeidman  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($4,813)

These were the approximate chip counts after several minutes of heads-up play:

Aaron Lipstet  –  975,000  (12 BB)
Sam Sternfield  –  375,000  (5 BB)

And here are the payouts at stake, along with the players who have finished in the money so far:

1st:  $11,612 + Trophy
2nd:  $7,177

3rd:  Cory Zeidman  –  $4,813
4th:  Dale Schmitz  –  $3,348
5th:  Henry Porcaro  –  $2,418
6th:  Ben Mauger  –  $1,816
7th:  A.J. Kelsall  –  $1,421
8th:  John Fahmy  –  $1,161
9th:  Homi Syodia  –  $991
10th:  Yuval Bronshtein  –  $991
11th:  Anthony Askey  –  $886
12th:  Hoyt Verner  –  $886

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  30,000/60,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  3 of 112

The final three players return from break to begin Level 23, with increased limits of 30,000-60,000. Here are their approximate chip counts:

Seat 1.  Cory Zeidman  –  580,000  (10 BB)
Seat 2.  Aaron Lipstet  –  475,000  (8 BB)
Seat 3.  Sam Sternfield  –  300,000  (5 BB)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 448,000 (7 big bets), and the next player to bust will earn $4,813.

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  20,000/40,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  3 of 112

During a round of Omaha-8, with the board showing on the turn, Dale Schmitz got it all in from UTG/cutoff against Cory Zeidman on the button.

Cory Zeidman:    (jack-high straight, two pair)
Dale Schmitz:    (trip sevens)

Neither player could make a possible low, and Zeidman was in the lead with his straight. Schmitz needed to make a full house to stay alive.

The river card double-paired the board with the , and the straight held up for Zeidman to win the pot and eliminate Schmitz in fourth place.

Cory Zeidman  –  575,000  (14 BB)
Dale Schmitz  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($3,348)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 448,000 (11 big bets), and the next player to bust will earn $4,813.

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  16,000/32,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  4 of 112

During a round of Stud-8, Henry Porcaro got it all in on third street against Sam Sternfield.

Sam Sternfield:      
Henry Porcaro:      

Sternfield won the high side with a spade flush on sixth street, and he won the low side with an 8-7 low to scoop the pot and eliminate Porcaro in fifth place.

Sam Sternfield  –  455,000  (14 BB)
Henry Porcaro  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($2,418)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 336,000 (11 big bets), and the next player to bust will earn $3,348.

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  16,000/32,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  5 of 112

During a round of Seven Card Stud, Ben Mauger got it all in on third or fourth street against Aaron Lipstet.

Aaron Lipstet:      
Ben Mauger:      

Mauger was way behind on sixth street, but when he flipped over the king to make an ace-high straight, he thought he had won it, because both he and Lipstet missed the heart flush draw that Lipstet picked up, until Cory Zeidman pointed it out.

That’s when Lipstet peeled his final card to see the ace of hearts, giving him an ace-high flush to win the pot and eliminate Mauger in sixth place.

Aaron Lipstet  –  380,000  (12 BB)
Ben Mauger  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($1,816)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 269,000 (8 big bets), and the next player to bust will earn $2,418.

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  6 of 112

During a round of Omaha-8, A.J. Kelsall got it all in from the cutoff for about 35,000, and he was up against Cory Zeidman in the big blind.

Cory Zeidman:  
A.J. Kelsall:  

The board came , and the pocket jacks held up for Zeidman to win the high, and his A-2 was also good for the low. Zeidman scooped the pot to eliminate Kelsall in seventh place.

A.J. Kelsall  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($1,421)

With six players remaining, the average chip stack is about 224,000 (9 big bets), and the next player to bust will earn $1,816.

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 20:  12,000/24,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  7 of 112

During a round of Omaha-8, four players see a flop of , and it checked to A.J. Kelsall, who bet 12,000 from the button. John Fahmy called all in from the small blind for 11,500, Dale Schmitz called from the big blind, and Sam Sternfield called from the cutoff.

The turn card was the , and all three players checked.

The river card was the , Schmitz checked, and Sternfield bet 24,000. Kelsall called, and Schmitz folded.

These were their cards, in descending order of chip counts:

Sam Sternfield:    (five-high straight, 5-4 low)
A.J. Kelsall:    (two pair, 6-5 low)
John Fahmy:    (pair of fives, 7-6 low)

Sternfield turned over a wheel to scoop the entire pot, eliminating Fahmy in eighth place.

John Fahmy  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($1,161)

With seven players remaining, the average chip stack is about 192,000 (8 big bets), and the next player to bust will earn $1,421.

$400 H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 19:  10,000/20,000 Limits
Players Remaining:  8 of 112

After the elimination of Homi Syodia in ninth place, the final eight players redraw for random seats at the final table.

Here is the lineup, along with updated chip counts and the value in big bets (BB):

Seat 1.  Dale Schmitz  –  174,000  (9 BB)
Seat 2.  Cory Zeidman  –  141,500  (7 BB)
Seat 3.  Ben Mauger  –  172,000  (9 BB)
Seat 4.  Henry Porcaro  –  109,500  (5 BB)
Seat 5.  Aaron Lipstet  –  212,000  (11 BB)
Seat 6.  Sam Sternfield  –  365,500  (18 BB)
Seat 7.  A.J. Kelsall  –  50,000  (3 BB)
Seat 8.  John Fahmy  –  117,500  (6 BB)

And here is the prizepool they’re playing for:

1st:  $11,612 + Trophy
2nd:  $7,177
3rd:  $4,813
4th:  $3,348
5th:  $2,418
6th:  $1,816
7th:  $1,421
8th:  $1,161

9th:  Homi Syodia  –  $991
10th:  Yuval Bronshtein  –  $991
11th:  Anthony Askey  –  $886
12th:  Hoyt Verner  –  $886

With eight players remaining, the average chip stack is about 168,000 (8 big bets).