Andrew Wilson led the chip count heading into the final day of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO) $3,500 Main Event. After a wild day of poker, he emerged victorious, pocketing over $780,000 and doubling his lifetime live poker earnings with a single win.
The final table featured some of poker’s most seasoned veterans. Chad Eveslage, Josh Kay, Gediminas Uselis, and Brian Altman were all present. All are WPT regulars with a long resume of accomplishments.
Wilson is also no rookie, despite spending the majority of his time in Europe. According to Hendon Mob, he earned around $620K in live tournament earnings. With the RRPO win, he earned an additional $785,800.
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A Near-Wonderful Victory
Wilson was unsure whether he would travel from England to the Seminole Hard Rock in Florida for the tournament. He was watching the World Cup with his family when he decided to jump in at the last minute.
That decision paid off handsomely. He found himself staring at the possibility of a major coup as the field of 1,541 continued to shrink to the final table.
Players who have won multiple WPT titles joined him on the felt. Undaunted, he dug in and played smartly while others faltered.
Uselis, who won the race last year, couldn’t hold on and finished fifth. He attempted to force a pot while holding A-10, but collided with Wilson’s K-K and crashed.
Wilson and Kay were the last two standing after several battles and the exchange of nearly entire stacks. When Kay tried to bully his way through a hand with a weak 7-7 he picked up on the flop, the eventual winner had a sizable chip lead and position.
Kay shoved, not realizing his opponent was still holding K-K. Kay would have to settle for second place and $525K if no help arrived on the turn or river.
Wilson not only won a large sum of money, but he also received a couple of bonuses. One is a seat in next month’s $10,400 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. The other is having his name inscribed permanently on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.
Major Victories for Europe
Wilson was not the only European poker player to win big in the RRPO. Sergio Ado of Spain was crowned champion of the $25K RRPO event, his second victory at the Seminole Hard Rock this year.
This past August, Ado won the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship for $900,100. He may have found his new favorite poker room thanks to his consistent success at the casino.
The tournament had 85 participants, but only 12 of them shared the $2,099,500 prize pool. On Day 3, the final nine survivors gathered around the table, with Ado coming in fifth place.
Fortunately for him, Ado settled in and began climbing right away. Ray Qartomy and Chance Kornuth were eliminated in the first round after colliding with Alex Livingston and Scott Margereson, respectively. Right after that, the eventual winner received his first double-up, giving him new life.
He was now working confidently toward victory, but a couple of bad beats brought him back down to earth. With only Ado, Justin Saliba, and Margereson left, they struck a deal based on their stacks. Ado took home the win, the trophy, and $500K, while Margereson and Saliba took home $413,746 and $402,634, respectively, for finishing second and third.
