2025 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 14
$1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  312
Prize Pool:  $302,640
January 12-14, 2025

There were three starting flights for Event 14 over the past two days, attracting 312 entries to generate a prizepool worth $302,640. Forty players survived those flights to make Day 2 and finish in the money.

Day 2 was a long one, running more than 13 hours, with more than four hours just for the battle between the final three players. It was a lot of small ball back-and-forth at that point, with only two all-in-and-call situations in those final four hours.

The first all-in situation came when Rafael Rodriguez shoved (Click here for details.)

The second all-in situation was the final hand, when Matthew Lambrecht shoved ace-six into Nicholas Chong’s queen-jack. (Click here for details.) With a queen on the flop and another queen on the river, Chong won the pot, the title, the trophy, and $60,340 with trip queens.

“I’m really happy, but really, really tired,” said Chong. “It was a long day today.”

Chong loves playing here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, and the biggest tournament cash of his career came here last year, when he finished second in Event #1 at the 2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open, earning $221,375.

Even though it was a six-figure payday, it was still a second-place finish, and coming out on top today was special for Chong.

“This is my first trophy here,” said Chong. “I’m really happy, and I wish to get more from the Hard Rock, both Tampa and here. This is my favorite casino for playing poker. It’s really lucky for me, and I never go home empty-handed.”

Results:

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 312

Nicholas Chong limped for 125,000, Matthew Lambrecht moved all in from the big blind for 2,525,000, and Chong called with .

Lambrecht turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Chong paired his queen on the flop and rivered trips to win the pot — and the trophy and $60,340 — with trip queens.

Matthew Lambrecht finished as the runner-up, earning $41,500.

Congratulations to Nicholas Chong!

1st:  Nicholas Chong  –  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  Matthew Lambrecht  –  $41,500
3rd:  Rafael Rodriguez  –  $31,000
4th:  Kevin DiPasquale  –  $23,100
5th:  Michael Garcia  –  $17,400
6th:  Cangir Elcin  –  $13,300
7th:  David DiBernardi  –  $10,200
8th:  Feiwen Wu  –  $7,900
9th:  Zhen Cai  –  $6,200

Stay tuned for a recap later tonight.

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

Matthew Lambrecht raised to 300,000, Nicholas Chong reraised from the big blind to 725,000, and Lambrecht four-bet all in for about 3,500,000, and Chong quickly folded. Lambrecht took the pot.

Nicholas Chong  –  4,925,000  (39 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  4,425,000  (35 bb)

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

The players return from their break to begin Level 30, with increased blinds of 75,000-125,000 and a 125,000 ante. Here are the official chip counts, followed by the final table payouts:

Nicholas Chong  –  5,950,000  (48 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  3,400,000  (27 bb)

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500

3rd:  Rafael Rodriguez  –  $31,000
4th:  Kevin DiPasquale  –  $23,100
5th:  Michael Garcia  –  $17,400
6th:  Cangir Elcin  –  $13,300
7th:  David DiBernardi  –  $10,200
8th:  Feiwen Wu  –  $7,900
9th:  Zhen Cai  –  $6,200

$1,100 Triple Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool:  $302,640  |   Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 312

Here are a couple of interesting hands from the final five minutes before the break.

Nicholas Chong raised to 250,000, and Matthew Lambrecht called from the big blind.

The flop came , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 150,000, and Lambrecht called.

The turn card was the , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 325,000, and Lambrecht called.

The river card was the , Lambrecht bet 550,000, and Chong thought for a while before he folded. Lambrecht took the pot.

Nicholas Chong  –  4,950,000  (50 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  4,400,000  (44 bb)

A few minutes later, Nicholas Chong again raised to 250,000, and Matthew Lambrecht called from the big blind.

The flop came , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 150,000, and Lambrecht called.

The turn card was the , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 275,000, and Lambrecht called.

The river card was the , Lambrecht checked, Chong bet 475,000, and Lambrecht thought for a while before he called and asked if Chong had an ace.

Chong showed to win the pot with a rivered pair of aces, and Lambrecht mucked.

Nicholas Chong  –  5,950,000  (60 bb)
Matthew Lambrecht  –  3,400,000  (34 bb)

Here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $60,340 + LHPO Trophy
2nd:  $41,500