2022 Pinktober Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
$1,700 Pinktober Championship (Re-Entry)
$400,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  358
Prize Pool:  $537,000
October 14-17, 2022

The 2022 Pinktober Poker Open Championship headlined the two-week festival, and it drew a great group of players. After getting through a tough field and a talented final table, Matthew Leecy won the Championship outright for $111,240.

The $1,700 buy-in tournament drew 358 entries to push the $400,000 guarantee into a prize pool worth $537,000. That is the biggest PPO Championship prize pool in our history, and the last 45 players earned some money.

Leecy bagged the biggest stack coming back for Day 2 on Sunday, and he closed the day with the chip lead coming back for the final table on Monday. But it wasn’t all easygoing for Leecy; several times along the way he lost the lead and dropped to the bottom of the counts.

“I came in as an overwhelming leader,” Leecy said after his win. “But with six people left, I was last.”

“Having the history, being a little older now, knowing it’s not going to be perfect,” he continued. “The tournament doesn’t have to go perfect for you to win it, but you have to keep your head.”

Even with a big lead starting the final table, it wasn’t an easy path to victory for Leecy with Debbie Lee taking a commanding lead of her own with half the chips when it was four-handed.

Leecy battled back, got hot at the right times, and took the title with an outright win against runner-up Jebhar Patterson.

This is Leecy’s second major Tampa title, another guitar to go along with the one he picked up for his Tampa Poker Classic Main Event win in 2019.

Results:

• Complete PPO Championship results (PDF)

2022 Pinktober Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 12
$250 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$10,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  121
Prize Pool:  $24,805
October 17, 2022

The last tournament on the 2022 Pinktober Poker Open schedule was the always popular Seniors 50+ Event. The tournament drew 121 entries and Gisela Staton, all the way from California, captured the last title of the series along with $6,435 for the outright win.

The great Monday afternoon crowd doubled the $10,000 before the first break and combined for a prize pool worth $24,805. The last 16 players were paid, and the field hit the money shortly before the dinner break after a long bubble.

Staton conquered a tough final table that included 2021 PPO champ Steve Trizis, and she took the title late in the evening.

Congratulations Gisela!

Results:

$1,700 Pinktober Championship (Re-Entry)
$400,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante

Jebhar Patterson lost 800K in a pot almost as soon as they came back from break and had to take a shot. He opened to 650,000 from his button and Matthew Leecy announced all in. Patterson thought for a few minutes and called at risk for about 3,500,000.

Leecy:
Patterson:

Patterson was a big favorite to double back near the lead but Leecy took the lead when he paired his ace on the flop. The board finished with the turn and river and Leecy earned every chip in the Championship.

1st: Matthew Leecy – $111,240 + Guitar trophy
2nd: Jebhar Patterson – $73,950

3rd: Debbie Lee – $54,340
4th: David DiBenardi – $40,340
5th: Yazdi Mehta – $30,250
6th: Sanjib Acharya – $22,910
7th: Richie Smith – $17,530
8th: Jamie Smith – $13,540
9th: Alain Medesan – $10,550

$1,700 Pinktober Championship (Re-Entry)
$400,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 358

Matthew Leecy and Jebhar Patterson continued to battle it out for the title and grabbed a ten-minute break from the action to regroup. Leecy leads and the blinds start to catch up to both.

Seat 6: Jebhar Patterson – 5,725,000 (23 bb)
Seat 7: Matthew Leecy – 8,600,000 (34 bb)

1st: $111,240 + Guitar trophy
2nd: $73,950
3rd: Debbie Lee – $54,340
4th: David DiBenardi – $40,340
5th: Yazdi Mehta – $30,250
6th: Sanjib Acharya – $22,910
7th: Richie Smith – $17,530
8th: Jamie Smith – $13,540
9th: Alain Medesan – $10,550

$1,700 Pinktober Championship (Re-Entry)
$400,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 358

Both are playing tough and it’s still a close battle for the PPO Championship title as the blinds go up again.

Seat 6: Jebhar Patterson – 6,900,000 (35 bb)
Seat 7: Matthew Leecy – 7,425,000 (37 bb)

$1,700 Pinktober Championship (Re-Entry)
$400,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 358

With the board reading , Jebhar Patterson bet 650,000 and Matthew Leecy called. The river was and Patterson reached for some chips and bet 1,100,000. Leecy thought for several minutes, tossed out a chip to call, and Patterson showed for trip eights.

Leecy double-checked his cards and put them in the muck.

After the hand, blinds were increased to 100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante.

Seat 6: Jebhar Patterson – 6,800,000 (45 bb)
Seat 7: Matthew Leecy – 7,525,000 (50 bb)

2022 Pinktober Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 11
$2,500 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  34
Prize Pool:  $100,000
October 16-17, 2022

While the Pinktober Poker Open Championship was playing down on one side of the Poker Room, we offered up a nice $2,500 buy-in tournament on the other. After beating a tough final table, Jason Min walked away with the title and $28,455 after a three-way deal.

Congrats Jason!

Results:

* – denotes results of a three-way deal

$1,700 Pinktober Championship (Re-Entry)
$400,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 358

With the board reading , Jebhar Patterson bet 250,000 and Matthew Leecy raised to 750,000. Patterson called, the river was and Patterson checked.

Leecy bet 1,225,000 and Patterson thought for several minutes before calling. Leecy showed for trip fives and Patterson mucked.

Jebhar Patterson – 3,900,000 (31 bb)
Matthew Leecy – 10,425,000 (83 bb)

After the hand, blinds were increased to 75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante.

$1,700 Pinktober Championship (Re-Entry)
$400,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 358

Jebhar Patterson opened to 200,000 from his button, Matthew Leecy raised to 600,000 and Patterson called. The flop came , Leecy bet 500,000 and Patterson called.

The turn was , Leecy checked Patterson bet 500,000 and Leecy called. The river finished the board and both players checked. Leecy showed for a pair of nines and Patterson mucked the big pot to Leecy.

Seat 6: Jebhar Patterson – 6,100,000 (61 bb)
Seat 7: Matthew Leecy – 8,225,000 (82 bb)