2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Fla.
Event 10
$300 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em
Entries: 160
Prize Pool: $40,800
March 23, 2017
Scott Apgar is the champion of the $300 Seniors’ Event at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. The 56-year-old from Fort Lauderdale outlasted the field of 160 entries to claim his first live trophy and the top prize of $7,070 after a four-way deal.
By day, Apgar is a poker shift manager a local casino, so his opportunities to take a seat at the tables are few and far between. “It’s definitely a hobby,” he said of the game. “I pay big tournaments once a year, if I’m lucky. You think my wife’s gonna let me out for 12 hours?” he chuckled. “Come on.”
Apgar has been married to his wife, Loran, for 26 years, and the couple has two daughters, ages 17 and 21. This result represents just his second cash on record and by far the largest of his part-time career.
The 30-minute levels kept the action moving steadily from start to finish over the course of the 13-hour day. Winning a poker tournament is seldom an easy feat, and Apgar found himself in deep trouble with 36 players left, running ace-ten into ace-king for his tournament life. He managed to run down a straight, though, and the rest, as they say, is history.
“You gotta get lucky along the way,” he said. “No doubt about it.”
By the time the final 10 players combined around the final table, Apgar had worked his stack up into fourth place. He was responsible for the eliminations of Lisa Levy (10th place), Julio Silva (7th), and former chip leader Tom Robinson (6th) thereafter, moving into the top spot with five players remaining.
When Tom Dujmovich was eliminated in fifth place, the final four players took a break to have a look at the numbers. An agreement was quickly reached, and Apgar’s big stack secured him the title, the trophy, and the largest payout.
“I really love the game,” Apgar said as he posed for the winner’s photos. Despite the fact that it was nearly 1 a.m. at the end of a long day, his sense of humor remained well intact. “In most tournaments, you have massage girls,” he laughed. “In the Seniors tournaments, we need chiropractors.”
The champ doesn’t have much time to enjoy the victory; he’ll be back at work in a suit and tie tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.
This morning, rather…
Final Table Results:
1st: Scott Apgar – $7,070*
2nd: Carlos Sobenes – $6,690*
3rd: Jerome Hyafil – $5,621*
4th: Fariborz Zojaji – $5,439*
5th: Tom Dujmovich – $1,969
6th: Tom Robinson – $1,632
7th: Julio Silva – $1,418
8th: Mark Manesh – $1,273
9th: Arlene Dujmovich – $1,097
*Denotes four-way deal