On Sunday the 2014 Hollywood Poker Open Grantville Main Event in Pennsylvania drew to a conclusion and it was Bradley Yazici who eventually emerged the victor, outlasting 36 others to get the win and collect a $22,752 payday for his efforts.
The $1,800 buy-in HPO Grantville tournament kicked off on Saturday. With a relatively small field when compared to today’s tournaments, it only took 12 levels of play before only 9 players remained and a final table was set. One of the more recognizable players to be eliminated during the first day’s play of the tournament was 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion and now ambassador for the HPO Chris Moneymaker. He survived until level 9 of Day 1. He was crippled badly in a key hand when he ran into Vicki Russel’s quads and he couldn’t recover from this setback.
Day 2 of the Hollywood Poker Open Grantville Main Event commenced at level 13 with blinds at 700/1,400/100. A big confrontation occurred between two of the chip leaders. Jason Thomas entered the pot with a raise to 3,200 but Yazici responded with a three-bet to 7,500. Thomas wasn’t deterred by this and four bet to 16,000. Yazici decided to five-bet to 35,000, Thomas six-bet and made it 60,000, and Yazici replied with a seven-bet shove, and Thomas made the call. Yazici tabled KK’s and Thomas had AA’s.
In what seemed like was going to be a massive cooler hand especially after seeing a 9 high flop, things completely changed when a K came on the turn to the massive delight of Yazici. A 6 changed nothing on the river, sending Thomas to the rail and giving Yazici a huge chip lead. Then Kenneth Hock busted out in eighth place and Chi Do was out in seventh. The money bubble lasted several hours before it eventually burst and the last woman still remaining in the tournament was sent to the rail.
Surprisingly, Fritz Neunkirchner, who began Day 2 short stacked, made it into the money, finishing in fifth and collecting for his $5,389 efforts. Next was Summers’ elimination in fourth place. This took place during level 16 in quite brutal fashion as he got all of his chips in the middle as a pretty big favorite. Summers’ K-K was up against Yazici’s A-Q. It was looking good for Summers when the flop came down 2-6-J. The turn was a 4 which changed nothing but unbelievably there was an A on the river, giving Yazici the winning hand.
After returning from a break in play, Peter Kaemmerlen was eventually knocked out in third place, which meant Bradley Yazici and John Kostelac were the last men remaining and left to battle it out to determine a winner.
Heads up play continued through to level 18 with the blinds at 2,000/4,000/500. In the final hand, Kostelac opened to 12,000 on the button and Yazici replied with a three bet to 31,000, which Kostelac called. The flop came down Q-8-6, this didn’t slow down Yazici and he lead out for 32,000, which Kostelac called. The turn came down another 6, Yazici decided to now check, Kostelac sensed weakness in Yazici’s check and pounced by moving all-in for his remaining chips. Yazici snapped with a monster holding quad 66’s! Kostelac with 77’s was drawing dead, busting out in second place and receiving $14,968.
Bradley Yazici was crowned the 2014 Hollywood Poker Open Grantville Regional Champion and earned himself $22,752.