The opening event of the 2017 Fun in the Sun Poker Open concluded Wednesday evening, and it was Steven Bennett who emerged the victor after a six-handed deal was reached.

The series’ $250 buy-in, $50,000 guaranteed prize pool kickoff event drew 481 entries over two starting flights, more than doubling the guarantee. Bennett was just 49th in chips of the surviving 66 players on Day 1. However, Day 2 was a much different story as Bennett steadily rose the chip counts as the field dwindled. He began the final table third in chips, but ascended to the top when he scored back-to-back eliminations. That left six players remaining, and they agreed to a deal shortly thereafter.

Residing in Deerfield Beach, the 48-year-old Bennett is a regular at the Seminole Hard Rock. He has many final tables made and first-place finishes dating back to 2012, and his win today helps him eclipse more than $530,000 in career tournament earnings.

*denotes six-handed deal

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 24: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Average Stack: 1,200,000 (40 bb)
Players Remaining: 6/481

The remaining six players agreed to a deal. Here were their chip counts at the time, followed by their subsequent payouts.

Steven Bennett – 2,370,000 (79 bb)
Matthew Lipchitz – 1,815,000 (61 bb)
Cameron Schur – 1,345,000 (45 bb)
Joel Harwood – 720,000 (24 bb)
Matt Axelrod – 655,000 (22 bb)
Arthur Grigoryants – 305,000 (10 bb)

As chip leader, Steven Bennett is officially the winner of Event 1 of the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock F.I.T.S.

Steven Bennett – $15,133
Matthew Lipchitz – $12,515
Cameron Schur – $10,298
Joel Harwood – $7,349
Matt Axelrod – $7,042
Arthur Grigoryants – $5,391

A tournament recap will be posted later tonight.

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 24: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Average Stack: 1,200,000 (40 bb)
Players Remaining: 6/481

On the immediate hand following Claudio Kalili’s elimination in eighth place, Jorge Gomez raised all in for about 510,000 from middle position. Steven Bennett called from the hijack with , racing with Gomez’s .

An ace landed on the flop, Gomez couldn’t catch up, and Bennett eliminated Gomez in seventh place.

Steven Bennett – 2,370,000 (79 bb)
Jorge Gomez – Eliminated in 7th Place ($3,298)

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 24: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Average Stack: 1,030,000 (34 bb)
Players Remaining: 7/481

Claudio Kalili raised to 80,000 from middle position, and Steven Bennett called from the cutoff.

The flop came , Kalili checked, Bennett bet effectively 215,000, and Kalili called all in.

Kalili:
Bennett:

Bennett led with a pair of sevens, and he held up through the turn and river to eliminate Kalili.

Steven Bennett – 1,600,000 (53 bb)
Claudio Kalili – Eliminated in 8th Place ($2,644)

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 24: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Average Stack: 900,000 (30 bb)
Players Remaining: 8/481

Cameron Schur raised from the button, Ory Hen reraised all in from the big blind for about 140,000, and Schur called.

Schur:
Hen:

The board fell , giving Schur a pair of aces to eliminate Hen in ninth place.

Cameron Schur – 1,570,000 (52 bb)
Ory Hen – Eliminated in 9th Place ($1,993)

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 24: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Average Stack: 800,000 (27 bb)
Players Remaining: 9/481

Haim Toorgeman raised all in from early position for 130,000, and Joel Harwood called from the big blind with , racing with Toorgeman’s .

The board came down , giving Harwood a pair of jacks to eliminate Toorgeman in 10th place.

Joel Harwood – 905,000 (30 bb)
Haim Toorgeman – Eliminated in 10th Place ($1,646)

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 24: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Average Stack: 720,000 (24 bb)
Players Remaining: 10/481

The players are in the midst of a 30-minute break. Play resumes at about 8:10 p.m.

Seat 1: Jorge Gomez – 540,000 (18 bb)
Seat 2: Steven Bennett – 1,155,000 (39 bb)
Seat 3: Arthur Grigoryants – 310,000 (10 bb)
Seat 4: Matt Axelrod – 695,000 (23 bb)
Seat 5: Matthew Lipchitz – 1,715,000 (57 bb)
Seat 6: Cameron Schur – 1,400,000 (47 bb)
Seat 7: Joel Harwood – 715,000 (24 bb)
Seat 8: Ory Hen – 145,000 (5 bb)
Seat 9: Claudio Kalili – 395,000 (13 bb)
Seat 10: Haim Toorgeman – 135,000 (4 bb)

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 23: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Average Stack: 721,500 (31 bb)
Players Remaining: 10/481

David Zaldivar raised all in from the button for 202,000, and Matthew Lipchitz called from the big blind.

Zaldivar:
Lipchitz:

The board came down , giving Lipchitz threes full of aces to eliminate Zaldivar in 11th place.

Matthew Lipchitz – 1,470,000 (61 bb)
David Zaldivar – Eliminated in 11th Place ($1,646)

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 23: 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante
Average Stack: 656,000 (27 bb)
Players Remaining: 11/481

$250 Big Stack (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guarantee | 
Prize Pool: $101,010
Level 22: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Average Stack: 601,000 (30 bb)
Players Remaining: 12/481

Matt Axelrod raised all in from the small blind, and Jose Silva called all in for about 175,000 from the big blind.

Axelrod:
Silva:

The board fell , no help to Silva, ending his run in 13th place.

Matt Axelrod – 785,000 (39 bb)
Jose Silva – Eliminated in 13th Place ($1,302)