Series co-headlined by $1,100 buy-in, $1 Million Guaranteed WPTDeepStacks™ and $3,500 buy-in, $2 Million Guaranteed WPT® Main Tour events; Satellite tournaments precede the action Jan. 9 and 10
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The 2017/2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker (SHRP) season continues beginning Jan. 11 with the Lucky Hearts Poker Open (LHPO) at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Primary events kick off with a $1,100 buy-inWPTDeepStacks™ opener featuring a $1 Million Guaranteed prize pool and close with a $3,500 buy-in WPT® Main Tour Championship boasting a $2 Million Guarantee. Preceding the action are two days of satellites on Jan. 9 and 10 in the property’s poker room.
“This marks our first time to pair the WPTDeepStacks and WPT brands in the same series, and we look forward to bringing something new to the South Florida market,” Seminole Hard Rock Tournament Director Tony Burns said regarding the series’ headliners.
The final table for the WPTDeepStacks opener will be live streamed on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and the final table for the WPT Championship will be live streamed on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
Other highlight events include new tournament additions to the 2018 LHPO schedule:
$50,000 Super High Roller NLH (Re-Entry) $1 Million Guaranteed, Wednesday, Jan. 17 – Thursday, Jan. 18
$25,500 High Roller NLH (Re-Entry) $1 Million Guaranteed, Monday, Jan. 22 – Tuesday, Jan. 23
Past LHPO series have seen $1,100 buy-in tournaments draw fields of more than 1,500 while last January’s $360 buy-in tournament attracted more than 4,700 entries. Notable champions include Jerry Wong (2017 Ultimate Re-Entry winner for $250,000), Salomon Ponte (2016 Main Event champion for $344,420) and 2016 SHRP Player of the Year David Prociak, who recorded two wins during last January’s LHPO series.
Seminole Hard Rock is offering poker hotel rates during the series starting at $179 per night. Additionally, the property is giving away one free $3,500 entry into the WPT LHPO Championship. For more information about the LHPO, visit SHRPO.com.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. once again draws record crowds
Michael Graffeo, 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts WPTDeepStacks Champion
Photo Credit: Photographer, Ralph Notaro, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hollywood
Editor’s Note: click here to download photo of Michael Graffeo of Boca Raton, Fla.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (January 25, 2017) – Michael Graffeo of Boca Raton, Fla. walked away with $290,687 after winning first place in the Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open (LHPO) WPTDeepStacks Main Event on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. The series finale carried a $1,100 buy-in, $1 million guarantee and featured three starting flights. A total of 1,509 players entered the event, creating a prize pool of $1,463,730. In addition to the six-figure prize, Graffeo was awarded a $3,000 WPTDeepStacks Championship package and a $5,250 seat in the $5 million guaranteed Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship, taking place this August.
“The tournament and structure were great,” Graffeo told WPTDeepStacks staff following the win. “The dealers and the staff are unbelievable. Seminole Hard Rock is a terrific place to play.”
Graffeo, 41, works in the mortgage industry and was born in Brooklyn, NY. He previously played poker semi-professionally and took a few-years hiatus from the game to raise his children. Graffeo recently moved to Boca Raton, Fla., and now plans to pursue poker more seriously. The Main Event was the first tournament he played in two months, and he bested a decorated final table.
The final table was livestreamed online with a 30-minute delay and showed players’ hole cards. The other players at the table were Dantonio Brown, Loni Harwood, Marc Levy, Charlemagne Benjamin, Timothy Banks, Timothy Miles, Luis Torres and Aaron Massey.
Final table results:
1st: Michael Graffeo – $290,687 2nd: Dantonio Brown – $178,209 3rd: Loni Harwood – $110,431 4th: Marc Levy – $93,049 5th: Charlemagne Benjamin – $77,127 6th: Timothy Banks – $62,081 7th: Timothy Miles – $47,766 8th: Luis Torres – $34,473 9th: Aaron Massey – $25,563
Kicking off the 2017 LHPO was a $360 Ultimate Re-Entry event. Last year, the tournament drew a field of over 4,000 players, marking the largest poker tournament in Florida state history at that time. This year’s installment saw a year-over-year attendance increase of nearly 700 entries putting the final player count at 4,756. Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood has since broke the Florida state attendance record following a 5,000-entry field in November. The Ultimate Re-Entry’s 4,756-player field is the second largest in the state’s history and the resort now holds the top three spots in tournament attendance records. Winning the event was Florida local Jerry Wong. Wong, best known for his appearance as a member of the November Nine, turned the $360 buy-in into $250,000.
The 2017 LHPO series ran from Thursday, Jan. 12 to Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. More information on the series, including complete results and winner photos, is available at www.SHRPO.com.
Media Contact
Yaffa Mizrachi, Director of Public Relations Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino O: 954-327-7504 | C: 954-895-6480 yaffa.mizrachi@seminolehardrock.com
About Seminole Hard Rock Poker
Seminole Hard Rock Poker (SHRP) is a year-long traveling tournament circuit that is inclusive of 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 guaranteed championship, the largest guarantee in history. In addition to SHRPO, the Hollywood SHRP series’ include 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 SHRP umbrella with their championships awarding points toward the SHRP Player of the Year race. The SHRP brand also runs events at Seminole Hard rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Seminole Cash Hotel Immokalee. For Hollywood updates, 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 177 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants.
For more information, call 954-327-ROCK or 800-937-0010, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, or follow us on Facebook: @SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly
$360 Buy-In and $500,000 Guarantee Ultimate Re-Entry Tournament Returns Following a Record-Breaking Turnout of More Than 4,000 Entries in 2016
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (November 18, 2016) – Seminole Hard Rock Poker (SHRP) returns to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. with the Lucky Hearts Poker Open (LHPO) Jan. 12-25, 2017. Marking the fifth of 10 events on the 2016-2017 SHRP schedule, the 16-tournament LHPO features two headliners – the series-opening Ultimate Re-Entry with a $500,000 guarantee event and the live streamed $1 Million Guaranteed Main Event. Both tournaments are presented in partnership with WPTDeepStacks as the year-long tour kicks off its fourth season.
Boasting a $360 buy-in and $500,000 guarantee, the Ultimate Re-Entry is a one-of-a-kind event that solidified its spot on the LHPO schedule following a then-record turnout of more than 4,000 entries during the January 2016 series. Besting a record-setting field was Thai Ha of Pennsylvania who leveraged his buy-in into more than $230,000. The event will offer eight starting flights beginning Jan. 12. Players will earn $2,500 Multi-Stack Payouts for each day they bag, after their first. Those who advance will carry their largest chip stack forward and all Day 2 players are guaranteed a payout.
The $1 Million Guaranteed Main Event starts Jan. 19, featuring a $1,100 buy-in with three starting flights. Last year’s installment drew 1,684 entries, becoming the largest Main Event in WPTDeepStacks history. Overcoming the super-sized field was Canadian Salomon Ponte who earned $344,420 for his efforts. The 2017 Main Event will be live streamed with hole cards and commentary.
The LHPO is the second of four SHRP series to take place at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood this season. All series Championships are points eligible in the year-long SHRP Player of the Year (POY) race. Following the conclusion of the final series, the top POY points earner, wins a prize package valued at over $32,000. SHRP POY Details are available at HardRockPoker.com.
Satellite events for LHPO will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood beginning this month. For more information, including the tournament schedule and live streaming details, please visit us online at www.SHRPO.com and follow us on Twitter at @SHRPO and @SHRThePokerRoom.
About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, located minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beach, features a AAA Four Diamond resort with 469 luxury rooms and suites, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightlife, a lagoon-style pool and Beach Club, a Hard Rock-inspired spa, and premium meeting and convention space. As South Florida’s premier entertainment destination, Seminole Hard Rock hosts top-name acts at its 5,500–seat Hard Rock Live concert arena and 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. The resort also features contemporary and casual eateries.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Boiler
Seminole Hard Rock Poker (SHRP) is a year-long traveling tournament circuit that is inclusive of 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 guaranteed championship, the largest guarantee in history. In addition to SHRPO, the Hollywood SHRP series’ include 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 SHRP umbrella with their championships awarding points toward the SHRP Player of the Year race. The SHRP brand also runs events at Seminole Hard rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Seminole Cash Hotel Immokalee. For Hollywood updates, visit www.SHRPO.com. Join the conversation at #SHRPO, and tag us @SHRPO.
Live Streamed WPT® DeepStacks Hollywood Main Event Carrying a $1 Million Guarantee Takes Place January 14 – 18
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (Dec. 15, 2015) – Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open returns to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Jan. 7 – 20, 2016 with a WPT® DeepStacks Main Event carrying a $1 million guarantee. Held in the resort ballrooms, the series will feature 15 events with several secondary events and qualifiers. The Main Event final table will be held in Paradise Live and live streamed on WPTDSLive.com. The LHPO schedule can be found on www.SHRPO.com
The Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open WPT® DeepStacks Main Event will take place Jan. 14 – 18. The $1,100 buy-in will feature a $1 million guaranteed prize pool, 25,000 starting stack and three starting flights. Players may play any of the starting flights and are allowed a single re-entry each day if they are eliminated.
The series kicks off with excitement on Thursday, Jan. 7 with a $350 buy-in $500,000 Guarantee, Ultimate Re-entry No Limit Hold’em event. This event offers eight starting flights and players can win $2,500 Multi Stack Payouts for each additional flight they survive. Players will carry their largest chip stack for Day 2 play and all Day 2 players will be in the money.
The final week will bring great poker action with buy-ins ranging from $150 to $2,650. On Sunday, Jan. 17, two featured events include the $150 buy-in, No Limit Hold’em, $100,000 guarantee and the $2,650 buy-in, No Limit Hold’em, $500,000 guarantee.
Satellite events for the Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood starting December 2015.
Enter to win a seat in to the $1 Million Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open” Championship. Visit www.shrpo.com/WinASeatLHPO
Registration is currently open. To participate, players must obtain a free Wild Card at the Player’s Club or in the poker room. More information, schedule and contest rules can be found at www.SHRPO.com
For more information and for schedule, please visit www.SHRPO.com. Follow us on Twitter at @SHRPO and @SHRThePokerRoom, #SHRPO
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 Hotel & Casino Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, located minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beach, features a AAA Four Diamond resort with 469 luxury rooms and suites, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightlife, a lagoon-style pool and Beach Club, a Hard Rock-inspired spa, and premium meeting and convention space. As South Florida’s premier entertainment destination, Seminole Hard Rock hosts top-name acts at its 5,500–seat Hard Rock Live concert arena and 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. The resort also features contemporary and casual eateries, including 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 155 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants.
For more information, call 954-327-ROCK or 800-937-0010, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, or follow us on Facebook: @SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly
WPTDeepStacks Kicks-Off 2015 Tour During 21-Event Series
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (December 10, 2014) – The Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open (LHPO) returns to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida January 22 – February 11, 2015 held in the resort’s ballrooms. The series will feature 21 main events along with several secondary events and qualifiers. The exciting live poker action culminates with the Seminole Hard Rock WPT Lucky Hearts $3 Million Guaranteed Championship begins February 5 – February 11, with a $3,500 buy-in and three starting flights. The live streamed Championship final table will be held at the resort’s Paradise Live theater in Seminole Paradise. LHPO schedule can be found at www.SHRPO.com
The annual series kicks-off on January 22 at 11a.m. with a four-day $570 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em event featuring a $1,000,000 Guaranteed prize pool with six starting flights.
Super Bowl weekend will bring even more action with the WPTDeepStacks (WPTDS) which will kick-off its 2015 tour at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. WPTDS is a one-of-a-kind partnership between the world’s most established poker tour, WPT® and the world’s fastest growing poker tour, DSPT.The $1,100 buy-in, $300,000 Guarantee WPTDeepStacks-Hollywood will start January 29 at 12 p.m. in the resort’s ballrooms.
Other highlight tournaments include a $350 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em, $250,000 Guarantee with five starting flights, from January 25 – January 28 and a two-day $150 buy-in No Limit Hold’em $150,000 Guarantee with eight starting flights from January 28 – January 31.
Satellite events for the Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood January 22 – February 7, 2015.
Registration for all LHPO events will be open December 15, 2015. To participate, players must obtain a free “Wild Card” at the Player’s Club or in The Poker Room at Seminole Paradise. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information and schedule visit www.SHRPO.com.
$100,000 Buy-In World Poker Tour® Event Runs January 17-18, 2015
Hollywood, FL (December 8, 2014) – After making its worldwide introduction in August 2013 during the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open series, WPT Alpha8™ returns to Hollywood, Florida for another televised $100,000 buy-in event at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 17 and 18, 2015. WPT Alpha8 Florida will feature poker’s top professional players competing alongside the world’s wealthiest amateurs, with unlimited reentries and a massive prize pool. Last year, American Steven Silverman won the historic first WPT Alpha8 event at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, earning more than $890,000.
“WPT Alpha8 Florida is another significant poker event that supports our continued efforts of bringing the best in poker play anywhere in the U.S., here, to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. We are excited to have Seminole Hard Rock as a part of the WPT Alpha8 tour for 2015, and for the opportunity to showcase our new resort amenities opening this winter,” said General Manager of Poker Operations for Seminole Gaming, Larry Frank.
WPT President Adam Pliska adds, “Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is the historic site of our first-ever WPT Alpha8 event, and we are proud to be returning in Season II. We understand that several professional poker players and high rollers will be in and around Florida during the month of January, and WPT Alpha8 Florida offers a convenient way for these players to compete for a massive prize pool in a televised tournament with a fantastic structure from WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage.”
For those who want to compete in the exclusive tournament without having to ante up $100,000, they can try their luck at winning a seat into WPT Alpha8 Florida by playing in one of several event qualifiers.
QUALIFIER SCHEDULE: Step I Qualifier ($130 buy-in): January 4, 8, and 9 at 6 p.m. and January 9 at 12 p.m. Five seats guaranteed into the January 14 Step II Qualifier.
Step II Qualifier ($1,100 buy-in): January 14 at 12 p.m. Five seats guaranteed into the January 16 Step III Qualifier.
Step III Qualifier ($10,300 buy-in): January 16 at 12 p.m. Two seats guaranteed into WPT Alpha8 Florida on January 17.
Freeroll Tournament (January 9):
Players qualify by playing 60+ hours of poker in the Seminole Hard Rock poker room from December 1 through January 4. First and second place finishers receive a $10,300 entry into the Step III Qualifier on January 16. The 3rd to 21st-place finishers receive a $1,100 entry into the Step II Qualifier on January 14.
Now in its second season, WPT Alpha8 is a global series of super high-roller poker tournaments broadcast on FOX Sports 1. All tournament structures are designed by WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage, to ensure plenty of play at all levels throughout the event. The World Poker Tour® cameras provide in-depth coverage of all the play down to the final table, offering viewers four hours of unparalleled insight into the strategies and gamesmanship that sets the world’s best players apart from everyone else.
For registration information, visit The Poker Room.
