The 2021 Rock “N” Roll Poker Open (RRPO) is nearing its end game with the $3,500 World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship reaching its final table. Meanwhile, the side events continue to chug along including two big buy-in tournaments.
Click here for a look at the early side event winners.
Ali Imsirovic Denies Bryn Kenney a Title Defense
The RRPO Event #26: $25,500 High Roller, which ran November 29-30, attracted 102 entrants and offered up a $2,519,400 prize pool. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Giuseppe Iadisernia (10th - $68,025), Barry Hutter (11th - $65,505), Uri Reichenstein (12th - $62,985), Koray Aldemir (13th - $60,465), and Raul Martinez (14th - $57,945).
According to updates from the event, the title came down to Ali Imsirovic, who began the final table as chip leader, and defending champ Bryn Kenney, who won the same tournament back in December 2019 for $354,565.
Kenney began heads-up play holding a more than 2:1 chip lead over Imsirovic, and despite being fairly deep, it didn’t take long for the chips to go it. Imsirovic doubled with two red queens against the pocket eights of Kenney to take the chip lead. However, Kenney doubled back into the lead before Imsirovic rivered a straight to do the same.
From there, Imsirovic climbed his way to the top eventually winning it with king-six against king-deuce.
“It feels great,” Imsirovic told Seminole reporters after the win. “I was in for four bullets in this thing and it was looking grim. To come out on top feels amazing.”
It marked the 14th win of the year for Imsirovic in high roller events with a buy-in of $10,000 or higher.
“The field sizes are incredible here,” said Imsirovic. “It’s a lot of fun, the structures are really good, and I just really enjoy playing here.”
2021 RRPO $25K High Roller Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Imsirovic | $695,355 |
| 2 | Bryn Kenney | $503,880 |
| 3 | Anton Wigg | $314,925 |
| 4 | Vikenty Shegal | $216,670 |
| 5 | Martin Zamani | $141,085 |
| 6 | Stephen Song | $103,295 |
| 7 | Anthony Hu | $85,660 |
| 8 | Adam Hendrix | $73,065 |
| 9 | Gal Yifrach | $70,540 |
Duff Charette Wins Event #30: $5,000 8-Max NLH
Another big buy-in tournament took place on November 30 with Event #30: $5,000 Eight-Max NLH, which attracted 167 entries who created a $793,250 prize pool.
Among those to finish in the top 21 players and cash the tournament were Chad Eveslage (17th - $12,800), Erik Seidel (15th - $15,470), Ian O’Hara (14th - $15,470), Tim Reilly (10th - $21,085), Justin Zaki (6th - $31,690), and Anthony Hu (3rd - $81,390).
In just the second hand of heads-up play, Canada’s Duff Charette won a race holding ace-ten suited against the pocket nines of Martin Stausholm to win the tournament for $206,345.
“It was a crazy final table,” Charette told tournament reporters after the win. “I made a big fold early on with nine players left with jacks against the chip leader. I was third in chips at the time, so there were things I had to consider. It all worked out in the end.”
It marked the second-largest score of Charette’s career after the $210,478 he received for winning the 2016 DeepStacks Poker Tour Championship Calgary Main Event. The latest win moved Charette over $1 million in lifetime earnings according to The Hendon Mob.
2021 RRPO Event #30 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duff Charette | $206,345 |
| 2 | Martin Stausholm | $138,145 |
| 3 | Anthony Hu | $81,390 |
| 4 | Richard Zipes | $49,540 |
| 5 | Gergely Kulcsar | $38,235 |
| 6 | Justin Zaki | $31,690 |
| 7 | James Peters | $27,450 |
| 8 | William Buerosse Jr | $24,195 |
2021 RRPO Winners Thus Far
| *Date | Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize* | |||
| November 17-21 | Event #1: $400 Deep Stack NLH | 6,196 | $2,044,680 | Michael Laufer | $160,734 | |||
| 17-Nov | Event #2: $400 Limit Omaha 8 | 116 | $53,625 | Jay Kerbel | $11,315 | |||
| 17-Nov | Event #3: $200 Double Green Chip Bounty | 158 | $17,380 | Gabriel Ramos | $3,000 | |||
| 18-Nov | Event #4: $400 H.O.R.S.E. | 115 | $38,525 | Sal Pipitone | $9,068 | |||
| 18-Nov | Event #5: $600 Double Black Chip Bounty | 158 | $82,950 | Dean Salisbury | $8,000 | |||
| 19-Nov | Event #6: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 | 125 | $41,875 | John Binns | $9,000 | |||
| 20-Nov | Event #7: $400 Omaha 8/Stud 8 | 93 | $31,155 | Barak Zaken | $9,590 | |||
| 21-Nov | Event #8: $400 Deep Stack NLH | 510 | $204,000 | Robert Brandl | $23,178 | |||
| November 21-22 | Event #9: $1,100 Deep Stack NLH | 189 | $183,330 | Jesse Lott | $46,020 | |||
| November 22-24 | Event #10: $600 Deep Stack NLH | 972 | $505,440 | Loni Hui | $85,355 | |||
| 22-Nov | Event #11: $400 Six-Max PLO | 144 | $48,240 | Long Nguyen | $12,040 | |||
| November 22-24 | Event #12: $150 Big Stack NLH | 372 | $44,640 | Scott Murawa | $8,165 | |||
| 23-Nov | Event #13: $400 Black Chip Bounty PLO | 107 | $25,145 | Nancy Birnbaum | $7,460 | |||
| 23-Nov | Event #14: $400 Six-Max NLH | 100 | $33,500 | Philip Whitaker | $6,095 | |||
| 24-Nov | Event #15: $200 Double Green Chip Bounty | 249 | $27,390 | Andrey Kolchkov | $3,104 | |||
| 25-Nov | Event #16: $150 Holiday Triple Stack NLH | 259 | $31,080 | Rosario Simone | $3,221 | |||
| November 26-December 1 | Event #17: $3,500 WPT RRPO Championship | 1,566 | $5,011,200 | $778,490 | ||||
| 26-Nov | Event #18: $150 Big Stack NLH | 289 | $34,680 | Dwayne Nyholt | $5,622 | |||
| 27-Nov | Event #19: $600 Mixed Pot-Limit Omaha | 85 | $44,625 | Joseph Patalano | $11,443 | |||
| 27-Nov | Event #20: $600 Double Black Chip Bounty Turbo | 123 | $40,590 | Brandon Wilson | $11,415 | |||
| 28-Nov | Event #21: $400 Black Chip Bounty NLH | 390 | $91,650 | Maikel Cruz | $14,718 | |||
| November 28-29 | Event #22: $1,700 Purple Chip Bounty NLH | 275 | $275,000 | Luke Brereton | $62,220 | |||
| 28-Nov | Event #23: $600 Deep Stack Turbo NLH | 58 | $30,740 | Mike Graffeo | $8,855 | |||
| 29-Nov | Event #24: $1,100 Deep Stack NLH | 337 | $326,890 | Vinny Giuliano | $68,840 | |||
| November 29-30 | Event #26: $25,500 High Roller | 102 | $2,519,400 | Ali Imsirovic | $695,355 | |||
| 29-Nov | Event #27: $400 Black Chip Bounty NLH | 150 | $35,230 | Micha Hoedemaker | $7,685 | |||
| November 29-30 | Event #28: $2,200 Deep Stack PLO | 123 | $246,000 | Fred Goldberg | $71,075 | |||
| 30-Nov | Event #29: $400 Seniors 50+ | 170 | $56,950 | Zoltan Czinkota | $11,045 | |||
| 30-Nov | Event #30: $5,000 Eight-Max NLH | 167 | $793,250 | Duff Charette | $206,345 |
