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
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.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the eventual champ; Weigel had to get lucky against Tampa legend Karl Manouchakian. With 11 players remaining, the two played the biggest pot of the Championship up to that point when he ran big slick into Manouchakian’s kings.
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
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.
flop. The 
board to send Melert out in fourth place.
and Apter was eliminated in fifth place.