Showdown Press Releases

Daniel Weinman Wins $381,500 and 2018 Audi S5 in Monster WPT Tournament of Champions at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

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25-day Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, including Monster WPT Tournament of Champions, concludes with over 8,700 total entries generating more than $19 million in prize pools at Seminole Hard Rock

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (April 10, 2017) – The Monster WPT Tournament of Champions (WPT TOC) concluded Sunday, April 9 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood with Daniel Weinman of Oxon Hill, Maryland earning the event’s top prize of $381,500 and marking the close of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Weinman, a 29-year-old professional poker player, earned his entry in the event by winning a WPT title at the Borgata Winter Poker Open in January and parlayed the victory into a South Florida championship. On top of the riches, he was presented with a 2018 Audi S5.

The WPT TOC is a season-ending event open only to past WPT Champions. The $15,000 buy-in tournament drew 66 players, creating a total prize pool of $990,000. In addition, Monster added $100,000 to the purse, bringing the final money awarded to $1,090,000. Weinman also earned nearly $150,000 in added prizes which included the aforementioned Audi, Monster Element headphones, a Hublot watch and a custom poker table from BBO Poker Tables.

Finishing as the second-place winner was South Florida professional poker player, Michael Mizrachi. Mizrachi improved on his third-place finish in this same event last year, but came up one spot shy of another WPT title. The $218,000 score grew his total career earnings to over $15.5 million.

Final WPT TOC winners:

  • 1st: Daniel Weinman (Oxon Hill, MD) – $381,500* + 2018 Audi S5 Coupe
  • 2nd: Michael Mizrachi (Hollywood, FL) – $218,000
  • 3rd: Daniel Santoro (North Bellmore, NY) – $133,525
  • 4th: David Ormsby (Kanata, Ontario) – $95,375
  • 5th: Erik Seidel (Laughlin, NV) – $73,575
  • 6th: Dylan Wilkerson (Seattle, WA) – $57,225
  • 7th: Stefan Schillhabel (Brighton, Germany) – $49,050
  • 8th: Jesse Sylvia (West Tisbury, MA) – $43,600
  • 9th: Jonathan Jaffe (Longmeadow, MA) – $38,150

*Includes $15,000 seat in 2018 WPT Tournament of Champions

The WPT TOC final table took place at Hard Rock Live and was live streamed online at WPT.com and filmed for television. The coverage will encompass a three-part series expecting to air late August through September 2017.

The 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown began Thursday, March 16 and concluded Sunday night on April 9. The series was made up of 31 primary events and numerous other secondary events and satellites. In total, the 25-day poker festival saw more than 8,700 participants generate more than $19 million in prize pools.

Along with Weinman, the series’ other headliners were:

  • Ryan Riess (East Lansing, MI), winner of the $10,000 WPT Finale for $716,088
  • Tony Sinishtaj (Bronx, NY), winner of the $3,500 Championship for $661,283
  • Jason Mercier (Davie, FL), winner of the $25,500 High Roller for $794,600

The next major poker event at the Seminole Hard Rock is the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open beginning Thursday, August 3 and concluding Tuesday, August 15. Additional information is available at SHRPO.com.

Media Contact:

Yaffa Mizrachi, Director of Public Relations
E: Yaffa.Mizrachi@SeminoleHardRock.com
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. 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

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, a Hard Rock-inspired spa, premium meeting and convention space and a 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. The casino 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. 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 175 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants.

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