With only a week left until the WPT Season X Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown (April 18 – 23), WPT Blog decided to take a look back at the last year’s inaugural event.
The debut of the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown received tremendous accolades for a variety of reasons. Attendance was phenomenal, with 433 runners turning out for the $10,000 buy-in WPT Main Event. This created a huge prize pool of $4,156,800 and a first-place prize of $1,122,340.
The beautiful Seminole Hard Rock property hosted a wild and entertaining week of high-stakes poker. Play down took place in the Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena, an impressive venue of imposing size.
Florida was well-represented by famous local pros such as Jason Mercier, the Mizrachis and Harrison Gimble, who was only 20 years old at the time. In Florida, players aged 18 years and up are eligible to enter World Poker Tour events and many young competitors took to the felt hopeful of becoming a WPT Champion. While no one under 21 would reach the money, the last surviving U21 player received a special custom electric guitar.
On the felt, Michael “Squeaky” Winnett made a name for himself with some bold moves and non-stop table-talk. Before busting on Day 3, Squeaky exchanged words with WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage in regards to rule violations, with his outburst captured by cameras and included on the WPT TV show.
Off the felt, the action heated up at the lively WPT Players Party and under the sun during the Royal Flush Girls beach volleyball challenge.
Taylor Von Kriegenbergh came into the WPT final table as chipleader but his path to victory turned out to be a winding one, complete with ups, downs, surprises, and setbacks. The stacked WPT final table included tough Florida pro Justin Zaki, WPT Champion Tommy Vedes and WPT Ones to Watch Allen Bari. The roller-coaster action came close to producing history, as female poker player Abbey Daniels made a run at capturing the title and becoming the first-ever female WPT Champion of an open WPT Main Event. Abbey would bow out in fourth place following an impressive showing and a few unlucky hands.
On the final hand of play, Von Kriegenbergh got one last bit of luck as his Q8 made a full house to beat Kohlberg’s A10 and bring the twelve-hour and 220-hand final table to a close. The Seminole Hard Rock had the presidential suite waiting for Von Kriegenbergh after play ended. Here are the results from last year’s WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown final table:
1st: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh – $1,122,340
2nd: Curt Kohlberg – $586,109
3rd: Justin Zaki – $415,680
4th: Abbey Daniels – $286,819
5th: Allen Bari – $211,997
6th: Tommy Vedes – $166,272
For more information on this year’s WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, please visit –
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Details
Poker Pros Confirmed for WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
WPT Player Party
Becoming a WPT Champion
Royal Flush Girls Beach Volleyball
