Championship Finalist Justin Young from Henderson, Nevada Wins $654,161 and Finale Finalist David “Chino” Rheem from Los Angeles, California Wins $690,885. New WPT Campions Win a Seat In To the $15,000 Buy-In, WPT Tournament of Champions Held April 22 – 24
Editor’s Note: Photo L to R: Click here to download photos of Seminole Hard Rock poker Showdown WPT Championship winner Justin Young and Finale winner David “Chino” Rheem.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (April 22, 2016) – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino announces winners of two Season XIV World Poker Tour events, part of the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Justin Young of Henderson, Nevada walked away with $654,161 after winning first place in the $3,500 buy-in, $2 Million Guaranteed Championship held April 15-20. David “Chino” Rheem from Los Angeles, California won first place in the $10,000 buy-in, $2 Million Guaranteed WPT Finale held April 17-21, taking home the top payout of $654,885. In addition to the cash prize, both Young and Rheem won a seat in to the $15,000 buy-in, WPT Tournament of Champions held April 22 – 24, reserved for Season XIV Champions and WPT Champions Club™ members only bringing their total scores to $669,161 and $705,885.
Final tables for the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship and WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Finale took place in Paradise Live and were live streamed on www.WPT.com. Hard Rock Live will be home to the WPT Tournament of Champions final table. The WPT Tournament of Champions will be televised on Fox Sports Network, as well as live streamed on www.WPT.com.
The $3,500 buy-in Championship drew a total of 1,222 entries and a playing field that easily surpassed the $2,000,000 guarantee for a total prize pool at $3,910,400.
While Young was the most accomplished at the final table, Hyoung Chae of Lynnwood, Washington, led the action 10-handed. Over the course of an 11-hour session, Young flipped the script and busted Chae for a third place win of $297,336. In the heads-up round with Garrett Greer of Hemet, California, Young had a slight chip disadvantage that turned around after scoring an early double sending Greer in to the runner up position, for a win of $458,722.
“The tournament was great,” said Young. “Every player was really cordial and nice, and the floor was amazing. Everything was run very well the whole way through, and the Seminole Hard Rock staff listened to what the players were saying. I really appreciated that.”
1st – Justin Young – $654,161 + $15,000 TOC Seat (Henderson, NV)
2nd – Garrett Greer – $458,722 (Newport, CA)
3rd – Hyoung Chae – $297,336 (Bellevue, WA)
4th – Matthew Haugen – $220,207 (Ann Arbor, MI)
5th – Tim Reilly – $164,113 (Boston, MA)
6th – Ben Tarzia – $132,560 (Maple, ON)
7th – Sam Soverel – $110,357 (N. Palm Beach, FL)
8th – Andrey Plotnikov – $87,880 (Sacramento, CA)
9th – Cate Hall – $65,404 (Washington, DC)
The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown WPT Finale was held April 17 – 21. Attracting 342 players, the $10,000 buy-in quickly surpassed the $2,000,000 guarantee for a total prize pool of $3,249,000. A first place prize of $690,885 was set aside for the WPT Finale Champion. The tournament drew players from around the world including three-time NFL Super Bowl winner Richard Seymour, Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Tilly, Cricket Hall of Famer Shane Warne, and screenwriter/producer Matt Salsberg.
Six players survived to the WPT live-streamed final table with South Florida’s Richard Leger in the lead. Unable to beat third place, two-time WPT Champion David “Chino” Rheem eliminated Leger and went on to claim his third WPT title after defeating Aditya Prasetyo. Rheem is also coined the fourth player ever to record three World Poker Tour titles after Anthony Zinno, Gus Hansen and Carlos Mortensen.
“Every time I win, I say ‘that one feels good’, but this one feels real good.” Rheem said of his victory. “It’s been a couple years since seeing something as substantial in any type of tournament.”
1st – David “Chino” Rheem (Los Angeles, CA) $690,885+ $15,000 TOC Seat
2nd – Aditya Prasetyo (Cambridge, MA) $484,130
3rd – Richard Leger (Lighthouse Point, FL) $311,305
4th – Adrian Mateos (London, UK) $200,510
5th – William Benson (Mobile, AL) $154,585
6th – Bryan Piccioli (Allegany, NY) $127,905
The SHRP Showdown kicked off on March 31 with a $350 buy-in, $500,000 Guaranteed and $570 buy-in $1 Million Guaranteed events. On April 13, a $300 charity poker tournament presented by Seminole Hard Rock and the WPT Foundation, benefited the Jason Taylor Foundation. The total prize pool was $17,360. Half of each buy-in was donated to help the pro football legend’s non-profit organization support and create programs that facilitate the personal growth and empowerment of South Florida’s children in need by focusing on improved health care, education and quality of life.
A $25,500 buy-in, $1 Million Guaranteed Seminole Hard Rock Poker High Roller event took place on April 19 – 21. A total of 94 entrants played in the big game to create a prize pool worth $2,350,000. The event drew some of the top players in the world including WSOP Main Event Champions Joe McKeehen, Ryan Riess, and Greg Merson. David Malka outlasted French professional Sylain Loosli to win the High Roller title for $658,000. Runner up Loosli of Les Plages, FR walked away with 481,750.
Media Contact:
Yaffa Mizrachi, Public Relations Manager
E: Yaffa.Mizrachi@SeminoleHardRock.com
C: 954-895-6480, O: 954-327-7504
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, South Florida’s premier destination for fun and entertainment. 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.
About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, located minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beach, features a AAA Four Diamond resort with 469 luxury rooms and suites, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightlife, a lagoon-style pool and Beach Club, a Hard Rock-inspired spa, and premium meeting and convention space. As South Florida’s premier entertainment destination, Seminole Hard Rock hosts top-name acts at its 5,500–seat Hard Rock Live concert arena and offers more than 100 table games, 2,000 of the most popular slots and a stand-alone 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. The resort also features contemporary and casual eateries, including 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 155 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants.
For more information, call 954-327-ROCK or 800-937-0010, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, or follow us on Facebook: @SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly