Dylan Smith was razor-focused on Day 5 of the 2024 WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship with one thought in mind: to best his fifth-place finish in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown earlier this year. “It was disappointing coming in with the major chip lead and then going out fifth," he told PokerNewsyesterday. "I feel very lucky to be able to potentially get redemption this quickly. So hopefully first this time.”
Smith got his wish as the 33-year-old Florida resident took down the championship event for $662,200 and his first WPT title as he defeated Matthew Beinner, the youngest player at the final table and the Day 4 chip leader.
The RRPO Championship drew 1,435 players for a prize pool of just under $4.6 million. Smith was joined at the final table by Francis Anderson (5th - $184,000) and Landon Tice (4th - $245,000), who also was looking for redemption after a runner-up finish in the aforementioned SHRPS Championship. The universe had other plans as an early cooler saw Tice running into Smith's aces, propelling the eventual champion to victory.
“I actually felt very locked in the entire day," he told PokerNewsand other media in a winner's interview. "I was intensely focused, which I think is why I’m so exhausted now.”
| SeatPlace | Player | Country | Prize (In USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Smith | United States | $662,200 |
| 2 | Matthew Beinner | United States | $440,000 |
| 3 | Florian Ribouchon | France | $325,000 |
| 4 | Landon Tice | United States | $245,000 |
| 5 | Francis Anderson | United States | $184,000 |
| 6 | Paul Domb | United States | $140,000 |
RRPO Final Table Was About Redemption
When he final-tabled the SHRPS earlier this year, Smith and his girlfriend made a road trip to Las Vegas to play out the rest of the event. Smith had home-court advantage this time around.
“I like playing it right away, just kind of in the flow of things ... For me, having a good morning routine, eating healthy and waking up in my own bed is really important. I feel like I play a lot better when that’s the case. So it gives me a pretty significant edge in this casino, I think," said Smith, who also finished 12th in the in the 2023 SHRPS Championship for $88,500.
Smith had his girlfriend on the rail cheering him on as he got heads-up against Beinner. Opposite the seating area, the 23-year-old's parents were watching the match intently. They told PokerNewstheir son has been obsessed with poker from a young age and had a few photos to prove it.
"Your son is a beast," Smith told Beinner's parents afterward. "He's going to win all the money over the next few years. Trust me."
Before the 30-minute delayed stream could even begin, Paul Domb went out in sixth place as he ran jacks into the kings of Beinner. It was a sign of coolers to come as Tice ran ace-king into Smith's aces soon after to be left with crumbs. He laddered past fifth-place finisher Francis Anderson (who PokerNewsspoke to on Day 4) before bowing out in fourth-place for $245,000.
Though he couldn't improve on his runner-up finish in the SHRPS Championship, Tice's chips went to the right player. He told PokerNewsthat he was rooting for Smith as both players made back-to-back finale tables at Seminole Hard Rock, which you can read more about here.
Tice's rooting for Smith was balanced out by Anderson cheering for Beinner. "I want to see you win this," he told the 23-year-old before leaving the table. It was fitting, then, when the two got heads-up after the elimination of France's Florian Ribouchon, who ran sixes into Beinner's nines to earn $325,000.
After a back-and-forth heads-up battle, the average chip stack dwindled and the two were all in with Beinner holding king-jack to the suited seven-six of his opponent. Smith flopped two pair and though Beinner picked up a gutshot on the turn couldn't improve to go out in second for $440,000.
In addition to the six-figure first-place prize, Smith earned entry into the $10,400 entry into this month's WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
https://twitter.com/WPT/status/1864471234634715470
That concludes PokerNewscoverage of an eventful RRPO Championship in South Florida. Now get ready for coverage throughout the WPT World Championship festival, which kicked off on Dec. 3 and runs through Dec. 23.
Head to YouTube for a stream of the final table action or check out the WPT live updates.
*Photos courtesy WPT & Laura Beinner