Event 1 of the 2023 Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open was the second-largest tournament field size in state history, as 7,532 entries across eight starting flights created a prize pool of $2,485,560.

A six-way deal was reached at the final table and Richard Saunders was the chip leader at the time, making him the official Event 1 winner for $192,398.

Saunders’ path to victory began with bagging an above-average stack in his Day 1 flight. Of the 753 returning Day 2 players, Saunders was 215th in chips. By the second break of Day 2 with about 171 players remaining, Saunders was the chip leader and it was smooth sailing from there. He finished the day sitting comfortably 9th of the remaining 34 players who advanced to Day 3.

He steadily chipped up throughout Monday’s action and was second in chips when the final table was reached. With eight players remaining, Saunders eliminated Nicholas Velentzas in eighth place and took the chip lead in the process.

A deal was eventually reached between the final six players and the victory was officially Saunders’, continuing a nice streak that includes winning a guitar-pick trophy at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa in September.

*denotes six-way deal

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 38:  400,000/800,000 with a 800,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 7,532

The last six players decided to take a look at the ICM numbers after Moises Jattin was eliminated. They counted down their stacks, ran the math, and quickly agreed to a deal to divide up the remaining prize pool.

Richard Saunders had a big chip lead, took the lion’s share, and it our 2023 RRPO Event 1 champ.

Here’s a look at the counts and the updated payouts:

Richard Saunders – 38,900,000 (49 bb)
Ridley Jecrois – 29,200,000 (37 bb)
Jose Gonzalez – 27,200,000 (34 bb)
Federico Salas – 25,700,000 (32 bb)
John Deignan – 15,400,000 (19 bb)
David McLennan – 14,300,000 (18 bb)

1st: Richard Saunders – $192,398
2nd: Ridley Jecrois – $173,984
3rd: Jose Gonzalez – $169,594
4th: Federico Salas – $166,137
5th: John Deignan – $137,393
6th: David McLennan – $133,639

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 38:  400,000/800,000 with a 800,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 7,532

Moises Jattin open-shoved it for 8,700,000, and it folded to Ridley Jecrois in the big blind. He double-checked the count, thought briefly, and called to put Jattin at risk.

Jecrois:
Jattin:

Jattin had two live, suited cards for a chance to double up but the entire was blank and he was eliminated in seventh place.

Ridley Jecrois – 29,200,000 (37 bb)
Moises Jattin – Eliminated in 7th Place ($47,225)

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 38:  400,000/800,000 with a 800,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 7,532

Seat 1: Moises Jattin – 10,700,000 (13 bb)
Seat 3: Federico Salas – 27,100,000 (34 bb)
Seat 4: Jose Gonzalez – 23,800,000 (30 bb)
Seat 5: Ridley Jecrois – 19,500,000 (24 bb)
Seat 7: John Deignan – 13,700,000 (17 bb)
Seat 8: David McLennan – 16,900,000 (21 bb)
Seat 9: Richard Saunders – 38,900,000 (49 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $304,900 + RRPO Trophy
2nd: $212,640
3rd: $157,400
4th: $126,700
5th: $99,425
6th: $72,080
7th: $47,225

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 7,532

Nicholas Velentzas open-shipped for 7,600,000 and it folded to Richard Saunders in the small blind. He thought for a moment, called with the much bigger stack, and Moises Jattin folded his big.

Saunders:
Velentzas:

Velentzas needed to catch an ace or some miracle cards but blanked the board to go out in eighth place.

Richard Saunders – 35,800,000 (60 bb)
Nicholas Velentzas – Eliminated in 8th Place ($34,800)

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36:  300,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 7,532

Richard Estep came to the final table with the shortest stack and wasted no time taking a shot to double up. He open-shipped for 3,600,000 from the button, Federico Salas called in the small blind and Jose Gonzalez folded his big.

Salas:
Estep:

Estep needed to catch to stay in the game, caught a small sweat on the flop but blanked the turn and river to exit in ninth place.

Federico Salas – 28,700,000 (57 bb)
Richard Estep – Eliminated in 9th Place ($24,855)

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36:  300,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 7,532

Seat 1: Moises Jattin – 22,700,000 (45 bb)
Seat 2: Richard Estep – 3,600,000 (7 bb)
Seat 3: Federico Salas – 24,100,000 (48 bb)
Seat 4: Jose Gonzalez – 12,900,000 (26 bb)
Seat 5: Ridley Jecrois – 29,200,000 (58 bb)
Seat 6: Nicholas Velentzas – 8,000,000 (16 bb)
Seat 7: John Deignan – 9,200,000 (18 bb)
Seat 8: David McLennan – 13,400,000 (27 bb)
Seat 9: Richard Saunders – 25,800,000 (52 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $304,900 + RRPO Trophy
2nd: $212,640
3rd: $157,400
4th: $126,700
5th: $99,425
6th: $72,080
7th: $47,225
8th: $34,800
9th: $24,855

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36:  300,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 7,532

Action folded to Craig Nix in the small blind and he moved all in for 6,800,000. Moises Jattin was in the big blind and snapped a call.

Jattin:
Nix:

“Oops,” was about all Nix could say after running into aces.

The board ran out to send Nix out in tenth place and set the Event 1 final table.

Tournament staff paused the clock to redraw seats.

Moises Jattin – 22,700,000 (45 bb)
Craig Nix – Eliminated in 10th Place ($24,855)

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36:  300,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  10 of 7,532

Action folded to Richard Saunders in the small blind and he raised to 1,700,000. Richard Estep took a few minutes to think about it in the big blind, moved all in for 3,800,000 and Saunders called.

Estep:
Saunders:

It looked like another chopped pot, and then it got interesting on the two-spade flop.

“I got the bigger spade,” Estep said. “Put another spade out there.”

The dealer put the on the turn and followed that with the for the unlikely four-card spade flush double for Estep.

Richard Estep – 8,100,000 (16 bb)
Richard Saunders – 28,500,000 (57 bb)

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Payouts
Level 36:  300,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  10 of 7,532

Table 8
Seat 1: Richard Estep – 7,200,000 (14 bb)
Seat 2: Ridley Jecrois – 15,500,000 (31 bb)
Seat 3: — Empty —
Seat 4: — Empty —
Seat 5: Federico Salas – 20,500,000 (41 bb)
Seat 6: Nicholas Velentzas – 12,500,000 (25 bb)
Seat 7: — Empty —
Seat 8: — Empty —
Seat 9: Richard Saunders – 36,800,000 (74 bb)

Table 16
Seat 1: Jose Gonzalez – 6,800,000 (14 bb)
Seat 2: Craig Nix – 10,900,000 (22 bb)
Seat 3: — Empty —
Seat 4: — Empty —
Seat 5: — Empty —
Seat 6: Moises Jattin – 10,200,000 (20 bb)
Seat 7: John Deignan – 11,700,000 (23 bb)
Seat 8: — Empty —
Seat 9: David McLennan – 18,700,000 (37 bb)

1st: $304,900 + RRPO Trophy
2nd: $212,640
3rd: $157,400
4th: $126,700
5th: $99,425
6th: $72,080
7th: $47,225
8th: $34,800
9th-10th: $24,855
11th: Zachary Eichenbaum – $18,640
12th: Courtney Rowe – $18,640
13th: Maksim Lebedev – $13,670
14th: Asher Neaman – $13,670
15th: Richard Yau – $13,670
16th: George Hortelano – $10,690
17th: Frank Lopez – $10,690
18th: Welther Marmol – $10,690