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Hollywood, FL (April 21, 2016) – Chino Rheem secured a special place in World Poker Tour® history on Thursday, winning the WPT® Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Finale to become just the fourth player to ever win three WPT Main Tour events. Rheem joins fellow three-time WPT Champions Gus Hansen, Carlos Mortensen, and Anthony Zinno, and with the $705,885 first-place prize, Rheem now boasts more than $3.4 million in career WPT earnings.
“This one feels real good,” Rheem said after the win, smiling. “Because of where I’m at in life, [this tournament] is probably number one.”
Rheem topped a field of 342 players at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, FL, ultimiately defeating Aditya Prasetyo during heads-up play. Prasetyo earned $484,130 for his efforts, which is more than ten times his previous career earnings on the World Poker Tour.
With the win, Rheem also earns a seat into the historic Monster® WPT Tournament of Champions beginning on Friday, and he will join WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship winner Justin Young among others. In Season VII, Rheem defeated Young heads up in the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic to earn his first WPT title.
“I personally think I play better when I play against better players,” Rheem said of the Monster WPT Tournament of Champions. “Tomorrow’s tournament is definitely not a soft field, it’s going to be tough. I just hope whatever run good I used in this I still have some left over, then I can carry it on to tomorrow.”
Spaniard Adrian Mateos also reached the final table, but the 21-year old phenom was unable to capture poker’s Triple Crown with a World Poker Tour victory. Mateos bowed out in fourth place, earning $200,510.
Final Table Results
1st Chino Rheem, $705,885
2nd Aditya Prasetyo, $484,130
3rd Richard Leger, $311,305
4th Adrian Mateos, $200,510
5th William Benson, $154,585
6th Bryan Piccioli, $127,905
With 342 players, the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Finale cleared the $2 million guarantee by nearly $1.5 million. Among the players who cashed but failed to reach the final table were Ari Engel, Season VII WPT Player of the Year Faraz Jaka, Season XIII Hublot WPT Player of the Year Anthony Zinno, and WPT Champions Club members Jared Jaffee, Dietrach Fast, Jonathan Little, and David Paredes.
Other notables include global cricket icon Shane Warne, WPT co-commentator Mike Sexton, Raw Deal host Tony Dunst, and WPT Champions Club members Joe Hachem, Matt Salsberg, Marvin Rettenmaier, Keven Stammen, and Yevgeniy Timoshenko.
Coverage of Friday’s Monster WPT Tournament of Champions begins at noon on WPT.com. The six-handed final table will be filmed for broadcast on FOX Sports Networks and will be live-streamed on Twitch.tv and Pluto.tv.
WPT Media Contact
Rich Ryan – [email protected]
About World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour (WPT) is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 14th season, which airs on FSN in the United States. Season XIV of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com, a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 35 states across the United States. ClubWPT.com also sponsors Season 3 of the new WPT Alpha8 series of super-high roller poker tournaments which is currently in production and which airs on FOX Sports 1 in the United States. WPT participates in strategic brand license, partnership, and sponsorship opportunities. WPT Enterprises Inc. is a subsidiary of Ourgame International Holdings, Ltd. For more information, go to WPT.com.
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