The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood wrapped up its 2025 Poker Showdown on Wednesday, April 9, following an impressive three-week run. The series, which began on March 19, featured 74 trophy events and drew over 20,000 total entries—marking the fifth time in the event’s history that entries surpassed this milestone. In total, the tournament awarded more than $20 million in prize pools.
WPT Poker Showdown Championship
The WPT Poker Showdown Championship drew 1,755 entries, producing a final prize pool of over $5.6 million, easily surpassing its $3 million guarantee. After weeks of intense competition, the field has narrowed to six players who will reconvene on Thursday, May 29, in Las Vegas for a televised final table.
Championship Final Table Chip Counts
- Seat 1: Art Peacock – 27,150,000 (109 bb)
- Seat 2: Jeffery Fritz – 16,150,000 (65 bb)
- Seat 3: Mitchell Hynam – 2,000,000 (8 bb)
- Seat 4: Jared Hemingway – 11,150,000 (45 bb)
- Seat 5: Daniel Marcus – 22,150,000 (89 bb)
- Seat 6: Mihai Niste – 8,650,000 (35 bb)
Remaining Payouts
- 1st: $776,000 (includes entry to the WPT World Championship)
- 2nd: $515,000
- 3rd: $380,000
- 4th: $285,000
- 5th: $215,000
- 6th: $164,000
Series Highlights
The opening event, the $400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold ’em, drew an impressive 4,265 entries, resulting in a prize pool exceeding $1.4 million. Michael Newman of Nanuet, NY, claimed victory, earning $103,274.
Other notable winners include:
- Femi Fashakin (Orlando, FL) – $600 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry) for $156,565
- Jake Cody (Rochdale, England) – $2,200 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry) for $93,900
- Cherish Andrews (Chambersburg, PA) – $25,500 High-Roller NLH (Re-Entry) for $408,265
- Jonathan Jaffe (Longmeadow, MA) – $10,000 Heads-Up NLH for $100,000
- Brek Schutten (Grand Rapids, MI) – $5,000 Deep Stack Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry) for $185,400
Charity Event Success
The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown also hosted the Larry Frank Memorial Charity Event Benefiting Make-A-Wish Southern Florida on Thursday, April 3. Held in honor of Larry Frank, the event saw 140 entries and generated a prize pool of $15,000, plus $9,200 in non-cash prizes. Matthew Zarcadoolas of Fort Lauderdale, FL, took home the top prize of $6,000, along with a $3,500 seat in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship.
