This Week's Big Winner: Pavel Plesuv Wins WPT Seminole Rock N Roll Poker Open Main Event

Pavel Plesuv has won the 2018 World Poker Tour Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open $3,500 no-limit hold’em main event. The 30-year-old resident of the Czech Republic defeated a field of 898 total entries in the event to win his first WPT title and the top prize of $504,820.

Plesuv also earned 1,368 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. This was his second title of 2018, having won the $3.5 million guaranteed $3,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em event at the Venetian DeepStack Championship Poker Series this summer for $640,062. With five final-table finishes, 5,084 POY points and $2,456,715 in year-to-date earnings, Plesuv has climbed into tenth place in the overall POY race standings.

Plesuv, a former billiards professional turned poker player, came into the final day of this event as the chip leader with six players remaining. Here are five key hands that propelled him to victory.

Tournament: WPT Rock N Roll Poker Open
Buy-In: $3,500
No. of Entries: 898
Prize Pool: $2,873,600
1st Place Prize: $504,820

The Action

At the unofficial nine-handed final table, Gilbert raised to 125,000 from the cutoff and Plesuv three-bet to 400,000. Rann then went into the tank before four-betting to 1,100,000. Gilbert folded and Plesuv shoved for 4,405,000. Rann called in for a little less with A K, and saw that he was flipping against Plesuv’s pocket queens. The dealer spread a board of 8 6 3 2 J and Rann exited the tournament in ninth place, banking $48,985.

The Action

Plesuv raised from the small blind to 400,000 and Joseph defended his big blind. The flop fell 8 7 3 and Plesuv checked. Joseph bet 600,000 and Plesuv check-raised to 1,700,000. The turn was the 9, and both players checked. The river was the 5 and Plesuv bet 3,000,000. Joseph eventually made the call but mucked his hand after being shown Plesuv’s 10 6 for a turned straight.

The Action

Gilbert raised to 250,000 from the cutoff and Plesuv called from the button. Gierse then shoved for 4,950,000 from the big blind, forcing a fold from Gilbert. Plesuv called, however, with pocket nines. Gierse had two overcards with A Q, but failed to connect with a board of 7 6 3 3 6. He pocketed $179,710 for his fourth-place finish, while Plesuv collected more than two-thirds of the chips in play.

The Action

Plesuv raised to 400,000 form the small blind and Joseph made the call from the big blind. The flop fell 10 7 6 and Plesuv continued with a bet of 550,000. Joseph called, and the turn was the 3. Plesuv bet 1,300,000, and Joseph raised to 3,500,000. Plesuv then moved all in. Sitting with only half of his stack behind, Joseph committed the rest of his chips before tabling Q 9 for a flush draw with an overcard. Unfortunately for him, Plesuv held K K, killing his overcard outs. The river was the A, and Plesuv scooped a huge pot to take a nearly 6:1 chip lead into heads-up play. Joseph earned $240,945 for his third-place showing.

The Action

Gilbert raised to 750,000 on the button and Plesuv moved all-in. Gilbert called off the rest of his stack with pocket nines and Plesuv revealed A J for two overcards. The board fell A Q 3 J Q and Plesuv made two pair to scoop the final pot of the tournament. Gilbert was awarded $326,565 for his runner-up finish, while Plesuv earned the trophy, the title, and the $504,820 first-place prize.

Final Table Results

1. Pavel Plesuv — $504,820
2. James Gilbert — $326,565
3. Jeremy Joseph — $240,945
4. Marius Gierse — $179,710
5. Chris Kennedy — $135,505
6. Ravi Raghavan — $103,310
7. Roberto Bendeck — $79,650
8. Brent Kallman — $62,110