All posts by AlCantHang

2024 Showdown in Review

Another major series is in the books. A lot of money was paid out, and we had a packed house in the Grand Ballroom for the 2024 Poker Showdown. It was three weeks of tournaments, great times, and some memorable performances. We’re still waiting to crown a WPT Poker Showdown Champion, but 74 other trophies went home.

Events: 75
Entries: 22,393
Guarantees:  $10,000,000
Prize Pools: $20,827,350

Comparing the entry count to years past, this was the biggest series we have ever hosted. You guys really came out in force for it.

2024 Showdown – 22,393 entries
2023 Showdown – 22,035 entries
2022 Showdown – 20,359 entries
2022 SHRPO – 20,045 entries
2021 SHRPO – 19,881 entries

The $10 million in guaranteed money this series was the most we put up since we guaranteed more than $12 million during that 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (and $10 million of that was the Championship).

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship final table members

The series’ headliner was the 2024 WPT Poker Showdown Championship, which drew 1,869 entries and created a prize pool of nearly $6 million to crush the $3,000,000 guarantee. The big tournament played down to its six-handed final table and moves to Las Vegas to play for the title on May 29.

Raminder Singh

With all those events and all that money, we had plenty of memorable moments, starting with our all-time wins leader getting his 12th major SHRP trophy. Raminder Singh won the $600 Six-Max to extend his lead for the most wins in our history and add to his legendary legacy.

Michael Newman didn’t let Singh’s two-trophy lead stand for long; on the penultimate night of the series, he closed it out with a win in the $1,100 Purple Chip Bounty Turbo NLH for his 11th victory. Matt Bretzfield won his ninth title early in the series, so here’s a look at our updated top five all-time winner list:

Raminder Singh – 12 wins
Michael Newman – 11 wins
Yuval Bronshtein – 10 wins
David Shmuel – 9 wins
Matt Bretzfield – 9 wins

Ryan Hoenig did his best to jump into the top five in a single series. He joined a short list of five players who won three tournaments in the same series, but none of the others did it in back-to-back-to-back nights like Hoenig. Three days, three trophies combined with three second-place finishes, plus a fifth and sixth—crazy heater.

Ryan Hoenig

Other notable wins include Min Zhang winning her third trophy (each of them in a $1K Turbo NLH event), Steve Marin winning two of the Five-Card PLO tournaments on the schedule, and Hal Klein winning both Eight-Game Mix tournaments.

Ari Engel won two Showdown trophies (his fourth and fifth overall), Carlos Bermudez won his third title to go with his three May Deep Stack Poker Series wins, and Filippos Stavrakis took home his fifth trophy.

It was a fantastic series from start to finish, and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing, loyal, and fun-loving friends and players. We can’t thank you enough for the great turnouts and memories you made; we appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you again.

Next up for us, we have the 2024 May Deep Stack Poker Series in the Poker Room running from May 16 through May 27 with $680,000 in guaranteed money.

Event 1 ($400 NLH): Jesus Martinez – $169,690
Event 2 ($600 Stud): Ari Engel – $7,150
Event 3 ($600 6-Max): Ash Chehata – $12,592
Event 4 ($300 NLH): Dhimitri Lleshi – $7,087
Event 5 ($600 Seniors): Kevin MacDonald – $20,000
Event 6 ($600 Big O): Matthew Kaplan – $16,190
Event 7 ($300 NLH/PLO): Matt Bretzfield – $4,656
Event 8 ($600 O8): David Brooker – $13,736
Event 9 ($1K Bounty): Ya Yun Liu – $14,094
Event 10 ($300 Bounty): Arthur Holmes – $5,765
Event 11 ($1K PLO): Steven Marin – $15,066
Event 12 ($600 8-Game): Hal Klein – $14,425
Event 13 ($400 NLH): Chris Tryba – $34,000
Event 14 ($600 Triple Stud): Ari Engel – $12,130
Event 15 ($1K NL): Nick Yunis – $34,005
Event 16 ($400 PLO): Grigoriy Shvarts – $25,745
Event 17 ($300 Bounty): Pierre Xavier-Laurent – $7,360
Event 18 ($200 Big Stack): Alejandro Arana – $38,990
Event 19 ($400 HORSE): Sam Spira – $8,825
Event 20 ($600 Triple Stack): Kharlin Sued – $16,665
Event 21 ($400 Mixed PLO): Filippos Stavrakis – $9,725
Event 22 ($600 6-Max): Raminder Singh – $18,400
Event 23 ($400 Seniors): Arnold Erenstoft – $7,912
Event 24 ($600 Big O): Brandon Ageloff – $17,160
Event 25 ($300 Bounty): Jason Blodgett – $7,075
Event 26 ($600 NLH): Cuba Levenberry – $301,920
Event 27 ($600 2-7TD): Ryan Hoenig – $11,980
Event 28 ($1K NLH): Zachary Fischer – $24,399
Event 29 ($400 PLO): Carlos Bermudez – $10,870
Event 30 ($600 O8): Ryan Hoenig – $14,675
Event 31 ($300 Bounty): Micha Bitton – $7,275
Event 32 ($600 Badugi): Ryan Hoenig – $10,585
Event 33 ($400 Bounty PLO): Vincent Cafone – $6,923
Event 34 ($400 NLH): Adam Reese – $29,630
Event 35 ($600 Dealer’s Choice): Wayne Palitz – $11,225
Event 36 ($1K Triple Stack): Johnny Bromberg – $99,427
Event 37 ($600 Turbo PLO): David Eller – $17,826
Event 38 ($400 Seniors): Bob Mather – $8,899
Event 39 ($1K 8-Game): Hal Klein – $23,810
Event 40 ($10K Heads-Up): Chance Kornuth – $133,000
Event 41 ($600 Bounty NLH): Nicholas LaFata – $13,015
Event 42 ($600 Bounty PLO): Bobby Lupo – $12,755
Event 43 ($1K Turbo NLH): Min Zhang – 20,880
Event 44 ($600 6-Max NLH): Jackson Holtgraves – $14,890
Event 45 ($1K O8): Jim Collopy – $17,500
Event 46 ($10K NLH): Brian Yoon – $179,100
Event 47 ($400 6-Max PLO): Jeffrey Miller – $10,850
Event 48 ($400 NLH): Luther Tran – $10,610
Event 49 ($1K Turbo NLH): Michael Rocco – $22,280
Event 50 ($2K NLH): Art Peacock – $108,230
Event 51 ($1K HORSE): Volodymyr Kondratenko – $23,050
Event 52 ($50K Super High Roller): Jim Collopy – $291,000
Event 53 ($1K NLH): Joshua Heinzl – $57,455
Event 54 ($600 OE): Ben Miner – $11,789
Event 55 ($25K High Roller PLO): Jeremy Ausmus – $206,400
Event 56 ($300 Bounty): Charles Johnson – $5,943
Event 57 ($300 Charity): Stewart Chantler
Event 59 ($600 PLO8): Sheila O’Connor – $13,865
Event 60 ($300 NLH): Zhou Jiang – $4,605
Event 61 ($600 Big O): Luigi Santoro – $16,175
Event 62 ($200 Big Stack: Nicholas LaFata – $7,270
Event 63 ($400 NLH): Robert Gingher – $23,529
Event 64 ($10K NLH): Tony Sinishtaj – $302,500
Event 65 ($1K Mixed PLO): Dylan Lask – $23,085
Event 66 ($1K Turbo): David Jackson – $26,000
Event 67 ($600 Savage Average): Spencer Simpson – $16,460
Event 68 ($600 Triple Stud): Donny Rubinstein – $10,000
Event 69 ($25K High Roller): Brandon Wilson – $601,800
Event 70 ($1K Bounty): Michael Newman – $16,200
Event 71 ($400 NLH): Radu Roscot – $6,479
Event 72 ($400 2-7 TD): Jon Breneman – $4,155
Event 73 ($5K NLH): Diomig Delgado – $159,950
Event 74 ($600 6-Max PLO): Steve Marin – $14,500
Event 75 ($300 Bounty): Angelo Castaldi – $4,209

Championship: Final Table Lineup and Counts

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
Prize Pool:  $5,980,800  | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,869

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship S22

The WPT Poker Showdown Championship televised final table lineup is set with six players remaining, they have $176,000 locked up, and they will head to Vegas to play for the title plus $839,300 on May 29.

Seat 1.  Aaron Kupin  –  4,925,000  (25 bb)
Seat 2.  Jesse Lonis  –  12,350,000  (62 bb)
Seat 3.  Dylan Smith  –  28,400,000  (142 bb)
Seat 4.  Alex Queen  –  13,450,000  (67 bb)
Seat 5.  Landon Tice  –  13,700,000  (69 bb)
Seat 6.  Josh Reichard  –  20,575,000  (103 bb)

1st: $839,300 + Showdown trophy *
2nd: $550,000
3rd: $410,000
4th: $305,000
5th: $230,000
6th: $176,000

Photo by Joe Giron / PokerPhotoArchive.com / Courtesy of World Poker Tour

Championship: Dylan Linde – 7th Place ($136,000)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
Prize Pool:  $5,980,800  | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,869

Dylan Linde

Josh Reichard opened to 400,000 from middle position and Dylan Smith called from the button. Dylan Linde moved all in for 4,050,000 from the small blind and only Reichard stuck around.

Reichard: JhJc
Linde: TsTh

Linde was dominated by the bigger pair and the QsQd7d3h3s sent him out in seventh place.

Tournament staff paused the clock at 8:10 in Level 30, and our televised final table was set.

Josh Reichard  –  19,800,000  (99 bb)
Dylan Linde  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($136,000)

Spencer Simpson Wins Savage Average Outright for $16,460

2024 Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 67
$600 Savage Average NLH (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  124
Prize Pool:  $64,480
April 22-23, 2024

Spencer Simpson, Savage Average champ, with creator Matt Savage

Our first-ever $600 Savage Average tournament drew 124 entries for a prize pool worth $64,480. The final table returned for Day 2 to play for the title and Spencer Simpson walked away with the outright win for $16,460.

The tournament was designed to update the blinds based on the average stack, not on a clock. Players enjoyed having the average stack of the tournament be at least 50 big blinds from the time registration ended until Simpson had all the chips.

Congrats Spencer!

PlaceFirst NameLast NamePrize Amount
1SpencerSimpson$16,460
2PabloValdivieso$11,000
3MattYorra$8,100
4TanupatPunjarojanakul$6,100
5KhariHutchings$4,600
6DanHeimiller$3,500
7HuifangZhang$2,700
8MichaelPreston$2,100
9WillGivens$1,640
10DanielHamachek$1,640
11BrettApter$1,240
12TaylorCarlat$1,240
13Marcusel Huaick$1,040
14AndrewDudley$1,040
15AleksDimitrov$1,040
16CodyRich$1,040

Championship: David Mzareulov – 8th Place ($105,000)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
Prize Pool:  $5,980,800  | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,869

David Mzareulov

David Mzareulov open-shipped for 1,275,000 from middle position and Dylan Smith reshoved from the small blind to isolate.

Smith: Ad9c
Mzareulov: As6d

Mzareulov was dominated with the smaller ace and had no luck on the KdJs7s4h5s to go out in eighth place.

Dylan Smith  –  28,750,000  (144 bb)
David Mzareulov  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($105,000)

Championship: Jaroslaw Osinski – 9th Place ($83,000)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
Prize Pool:  $5,980,800  | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 1,869

Jaroslaw Osinski

Alex Queen opened to 400,000 from under the gun, Jaroslaw Osinski moved all in for 2,975,000 from middle position and Queen called.

Queen: AhQs
Osinski: KdQd

Osinki was in trouble with more kicker problems and couldn’t miracle a save on the AdKc9cJs7c board to go out in ninth place.

Alex Queen  –  13,100,000  (66 bb)
Jaroslaw Osinski  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($83,000)

Event 75: Closing it Out

$300 Quad Stack Black Chip Bounty (Re-Entry)
Structure
Level 1: 100/100 with a 100 ante

We put 75 trophy events on the Showdown schedule and it’s just about time for number 75. It gets underway at 5 pm with a $300 Quad Stack NLH that features $100 black chip bounties.

Players start with huge 40K stacks and the first eight levels last 15 minutes before they go up to 20 minutes in Level 9. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 12 at 8:30 pm.

  • Players begin with 40,000 in chips
  • Levels 1-8 last 15 minutes; Levels 9+ last 20 minutes
  • Late registration until start of Level 12 (8:30pm)
  • This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
  • Event 75 Structure Sheet

Championship: Nine Remain

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
Prize Pool:  $5,980,800  | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 1,869

Seat 1.  Aaron Kupin  –  8,000,000  (40 bb)
Seat 2.  Jesse Lonis  –  8,900,000  (45 bb)
Seat 3.  Dylan Smith  –  28,275,000  (141 bb)
Seat 4.  Dylan Linde  –  4,600,000  (23 bb)
Seat 5.  Alex Queen  –  9,150,000  (46 bb)
Seat 6.  Landon Tice  –  4,050,000  (20 bb)
Seat 7.  Jaroslaw Osinski  –  8,500,000  (43 bb)
Seat 8.  David Mzareulov  –  2,750,000  (14 bb)
Seat 9.  Josh Reichard  –  18,550,000  (93 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $839,300 + Showdown trophy *
2nd: $550,000
3rd: $410,000
4th: $305,000
5th: $230,000
6th: $176,000
7th: $136,000
8th: $105,000
9th: $83,000

Championship: Wasim Assaf Eliminated in 10th Place by Aaron Kupin

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
Prize Pool:  $5,980,800  | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 1,869

Wasim Assaf

Wasim Assaf open-shoved for 1,550,000 from the hijack and Aaron Kupin called from the big blind with the bigger stack.

Kupin: 6d6c
Assaf: Ad8c

Assaf was flipping to stay in the Championship but needed to improve to double up. But it was Kupin getting better with a flopped set of sixes on the Kd6s2h board and Assaf was eliminated in 10th place after the 5h turn and 2d river.

Tournament staff paused the clock to redraw seats at the final table, next stop is the televised final table lineup when six remain.

Aaron Kupin  –  8,000,000  (40 bb)
Wasim Assaf  –  Eliminated in 10th Place  ($83,000)