Event 29: Jeremy Costa Takes Home $250 Turbo Title

Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood
Event #29
$250 No Limit Hold’em Turbo 
Total Entries: 175
Prize Pool: $36,750

Jeremy Costa Wins $250 No Limit Hold'em Turbo
Jeremy Costa Wins $250 No Limit Hold’em Turbo

Jeremy Costa won the final open event of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the 40-year-old Massachusetts native.

Costa was in bad financial shape before the final event, but found a way to outlast a field of 175 players to take home the title and $10,657.

“To be honest with you, I was almost dead broke,” said Costa after his win. “I was just deciding if I was going to just go back and regroup before Borgata or if I was going to play this last one.”

Costa made the right decision. He is leaving the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with a five-figure score and his first career tournament win.

Costa has been surrounded by tournament success the last few weeks. His two roommates, Frankie Flowers and Charbel Azzi, booked a very successful series here in South Florida. Just 15 hours earlier, Flowers won a tournament of his own and Azzi made a deep run in the $3,500 WPT Main Evnet.

While many would be motivated by their friends’ success, Costa just continued to look within himself for the motivation to succeed.

“It was really just believing in myself and telling myself ‘You know what? there’s still one more tournament. If I got a chip and a chair, I’m going to try and win.’ That’s really what happened,” said Costa.

Away from the table, Costa is trying to put his money to good use. He started a company called Poker For a Purpose, which offers an understanding of the game for people who are looking for an alternative path in their life.

“You know, I didn’t have the greatest life growing up and stuff like that,” said Costa. “So I just want to give back to the community. This win will actually help me start doing that. I’ve got some motivational gear and some motivational things that I’ll be able to do now.”

Costa is from the northeast originally, but has been putting in lots of time at the tables at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa.

After having several close calls earlier in his poker career and a failed shot in the $3,500 WPT main event after satelliting in, he’s just grateful for the win.

“It’s just a blessing,” said Costa. “To be able to be here and win one of these trophies. It’s one of my favorite places to play and it just feels unbelievable.”

Here is a look at the results:

1st: Jeremy Costa – $10,657
2nd: Andy Spears – $6,248
3rd: Eric Kolodny – $3,675
4th: Jorge Gomez – $2,940
5th: Jerry Humphrey – $2,205
6th: Mario James – $1,838
7th: Michael Newman – $1,470
8th: Maurice Roy – $1,103
9th: Charles Dunker – $827
10th: Sheila O’Connor – $735
11th: Michael Lavoie – $735
12th: Adam Weinraub – $735
13th: William Massey – $643
14th: Francis Margaglione – $643
15th: Marsha Wolak – $643
16th: Thomas Neientimp – $551
17th: Thomas Gari – $551
18th: Richard Roeper – $551

Event 29 Final Results

Event 29: Andy Spears Leads Final 10

$250 No Limit Hold’em Turbo 
Level 22: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 175

The last open event of the series has been trimmed down to 10 and they have re-drawn for seats at the unofficial final table.

Andy Spears is leading the way with 528,000 in chips. Here is a look at the seating arrangement and chip counts for the final 10 players:

Seat 1: Maurice Roy – 102,000
Seat 2: Mario James – 142,000
Seat 3: Sheila O’Connor – 170,000
Seat 4: Michael Newman – 348,000
Seat 5: Jeremy Costa – 410,000
Seat 6: Andy Spears – 528,000
Seat 7: Jorge Grany – 134,000
Seat 8: Charles Duncrer – 68,000
Seat 9: Eric Kolodny – 346,000
Seat 10: Jerry Humphrey – 256,000

Here are the remaining payouts for the event:

1st: $10,657
2nd: $6,248
3rd: $3,675
4th: $2,940
5th: $2,240
6th: $1,838
7th: $1,470
8th: $1,103
9th: $827
10th: $735

Event 29: Payouts Released

$250 No Limit Hold’em Turbo
Level 17: 2,500/5,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 35 of 175

The payouts have been released for the $250 No Limit Hold’em Turbo. With 175 entries, the top 18 spots earn a cash.

A min-cash is worth $551, but the top spot takes home $10,657. Here is a look at the payouts:

1st: $10,657
2nd: $6,248
3rd: $3,675
4th: $2,940
5th: $2,205
6th: $1,838
7th: $1,470
8th: $1,103
9th: $827
10th: $735
11th: $735
12th: $735
13th: $643
14th: $643
15th: $643
16th: $551
17th: $551
18th: $551

Event 29: Prize Pool and Registration Finalized

$250 No Limit Hold’em Turbo
Level 15: 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 42 of 175

With the start of level 15, registration is closed and the prize pool is finalized. There are 175 entries in the last open event of the series, which generated a prize pool of $36,750.

The $25,000 guarantee prize pool was met and surpassed. The payouts will be released shortly.

Event 29: Turbo Closer

$250 Big Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 1: 25/50

The 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown has just about run its course. The series is down to one final, new open event on the schedule and it will be a fun, fast tournament. Event 29 is a $250 turbo with a $25,000 guaranteed prize pool and structure built to find us a champion before too long.

Entrants sit down to 15,000 big starting stacks and the levels jump every 15 minutes. Late registration is open until the start of Level 15 at 4pm and unlimited re-entries are available during that time. We should have a nice crowd taking another shot at a trophy and they are starting to take their seats.

  • $25,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
  • Players begin with 15,000 in chips and 15-minute levels
  • Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 15
  • This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
  • Event 29 Structure Sheet