Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood concluded its 2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown series on Thursday with a winner in the $3,500 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown WPT Championship. Crowned champion was James Carroll of Las Vegas earning a $715,175 first prize inclusive of a $15,000 WPT Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions.

“It feels great,” Caroll told the WPT following the win. “It’s surreal. It feels fantastic. I’m very happy right now.”

New to Season XVII, the WPT Poker Showdown Championship culminated at HyperX Esports Arena at the Luxor in Las Vegas, where the final six players played in front of a live audience and a slew of television cameras for future airing on FOX Sports Regional Networks. The final table structure placed Seminole Hard Rock Poker front and center in the industry.

With 1,360 total entries, the WPT Poker Showdown Championship featured a final prize pool of $4,352,000, easily exceeding the $3 million guarantee. Additionally, the strong turnout marked the fourth largest field in WPT Main Event tour history.

Originally from Boston, Carroll is 38 years old and has been playing poker professionally for 10 years. His victory last night marks the second WPT title on his resume, previously having won the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars in 2014 in California. Last night’s win also goes down as the second-largest score of his career with reported earnings now approaching $4 million.

Championship Final Table Results:

1st: James Carroll (Las Vegas, Nev.) – $715,175*
2nd: Eric Afriat (Canada) – $465,120
3rd: Maria Ho (Los Angeles, Calif.) – $344,960
4th: Jerry Wong (Davie, Fla.) – $257,815
5th: Ami Alibay (Canada) – $194,610
6th: Chad Eveslage (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – $148,380

*First prize is inclusive of a $15,000 Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions seat

Poker action will return to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. with the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) Aug. 1 – Aug. 13, 2019. Unique to South Florida, SHRPO is known for its one-of-a-kind finisher – The Big 4. The Big 4 is a collection of four-tournament finales that feature staggered structures, timed so the events play down simultaneously in front of a live audience. Tournament promotions include the property’s signature “Win a Seat” program where participants can visit SHRPO.com to enter for a chance at a $5,250 entry into the championship.

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

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 Hollywood

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is the flagship casino resort of Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.  It isa world-renowned entertainment, gaming and hospitality destination that features a AAA Four Diamond-rated luxury hotel; expansive gaming offerings including first-in-class slots, high-stakes table games and South Florida’s premier poker room; spa and fitness center; award-winning dining and nightlife; and the popular Hard Rock Event Center which hosts celebrity performances, comedy acts and sporting events. A $1.5 billion expansion slated to open October, 2019, will bring 638 luxury guestrooms to the first-ever, guitar-shaped Guitar Hotel and 168 upscale guest accommodations, including unique swim-up suites, in the  adjacent Oasis Tower at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.  The project will also unveil a lush, “Bora Bora” style lagoon with private cabanas and butler service; a 42,000 square-foot Rock Spa®; a 13.5 acre lazy river recreational water experience for swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding; 16 dining outlets and 20 bars and lounges; an expansive gaming floor housing 3,100 slots, 193 table games and a 45-table poker room; 120,000 square feet of premier meeting and convention space including a 38,000 square-foot, carpeted exhibition hall; and a 26,000 square-foot retail promenade.  The highly anticipated 6,500 seat Hard Rock Live entertainment venue will showcase A-list entertainers, comedy acts, Broadway performances, sporting events and live broadcast productions. The integrated resort is located on 87 acres of the Hollywood SeminoleReservation along State Road 7 (U.S. Highway 441), and is 10 minutes from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and 30 minutes from downtown Miami and Miami International Airport. For more information, visit us online at casino.hardrock.com/hollywood, call 800-937-0010 or follow us: Facebook: SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly.