14-day series concludes with 17 six-figure winners; South Florida heavily represented at televised final table

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. concluded its 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown series in the early morning hours of Thursday. The series marked the second time pairing WPTDeepStacks™ and WPT® brands in the same festival, the first being January’s Lucky Hearts Poker Open.

With 1,309 total entries, the $3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship featured a final prize pool of $4,188,800, easily exceeding the $3 million guarantee. It was Scott Margereson of the United Kingdom who emerged victorious, taking home the top prize of $696,740 inclusive of a seat into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas, valued at $15,000. Margereson, 25, is an accomplished online pro currently residing in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

The 2018 WPT Poker Showdown, which ran as part of the tour’s Season XVI, marked the fifth largest Championship in WPT history. That puts the Seminole Hard Rock first (1,795 entries in 2014), second (1,476 entries in 2015) and fifth on the WPT’s all-time attendance list.

Championship Final Table Results:

1st: Scott Margereson (Chesterfield, U.K.) $696,740*

2nd: Faraz Jaka (Delray Beach, Fla.) $454,496

3rd: Brian Hastings (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) $336,466

4th: Joey Couden (Coconut Creek, Fla.) $251,523

5th: Matt Stout (Las Vegas, Nev.) $189,880

6th: Jeff Fielder (Des Moines, Iowa) $144,775

*Inclusive of a seat into WPT Tournament of Champions

In addition to being live streamed online, the WPT Poker Showdown Championship was filmed for television for future airing.

The 22-event Poker Showdown kicked off in the new Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock on Thursday, April 5 with the $570 Deep Stack series opener. The event drew more than 3,000 entries, highlighting a final prize pool of more than $1.5 million.

Signature event winners from the 2018 Poker Showdown include:

• Steven Bennett (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), winning the $570 Deep Stack opener for $186,308
• Michael Tureniec (Stockholm), winning the $1,100 WPTDeepStacks for $143,324
• Brandon Adams (Gulf Breeze, Fla.), winning the $25,500 High Roller NLH for $370,000
• Peter Walsworth (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.), winning the $5,000 NLH for $141,976

During the series, 17 players cashed for $100,000 or more.

Poker action will return to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. with the Deep Stack Series on May 17 – May 28, 2018, followed by the property’s signature series, the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) kicking off on August 2, 2018.

Future tournament information and poker hotel rates are available at SHRPO.com.

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About Seminole Hard Rock Poker

Seminole Hard Rock Poker encompasses four major poker series held annually at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. In August 2013, the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) was introduced to poker players around the world and featured a $10 million guarantee championship, the largest guarantee in history. In addition to the SHRPO, Seminole Hard Rock Poker series’ includes the Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open (January), Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown (April) and Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N’ Roll” Poker Open (November). All four series fall under the SHRPO umbrella with tournament news, live updates and championship live streaming. Visit www.SHRPO.com. Join the conversation at #SHRPO, and tag us @SHRPO.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is South Florida’s iconic entertainment destination located minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beach. The AAA Four Diamond-rated resort features 469 luxury guest rooms and suites, award-winning restaurants, a lagoon-style pool and Beach Club Bar & Grill, a Hard Rock-inspired spa, premium meeting and convention space and Hard Rock Event Center – the 3,600-seat entertainment venue that is home to some of South Florida’s top concerts, comedy shows and events. The casino offers 120 live table games, 2,000 of the newest and most popular slots and a 37-table poker room. Fine dining options include Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, the resort’s signature steakhouse, and Kuro, a luxe and socially vibrant restaurant offering new-style Japanese cuisine. In the heart of the hotel is L Bar, a sophisticated, contemporary lounge showcasing handcrafted classic cocktails with a twist. Contemporary and casual eateries, include Blue Plate, the hotel’s 24-hour diner-inspired restaurant; Constant Grind, a gourmet coffee and pastry shop; and the ever-famous Hard Rock Cafe – Hollywood, part of Hard Rock’s 181 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants.

For more information, call 800-937-0010, visit us online at casino.hardrock.com/hollywood, or follow us on Facebook: @SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly