WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open: A Decade of Thrilling Action

The WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) has been a staple in the poker world since its inception in 2013. The first major series in Seminole, Florida, took place in 2013, with Kevin Eyster winning the main event with a $5,000 buy-in.

In 2014, the buy-in for the main event was reduced to $3,500, and Erik Afriat won the tournament, earning $1,081,184. The number of entries decreased to 1,476 in 2015, and Griffin Paul won the main event, earning exactly $1,000,000. In 2016, the guarantee was reduced to $2 million, and it was exceeded almost twice; Justin Young won the main event. Additionally, Chino Rheem won the $10,000 event, and David Malkin won the $25,500 high roller event.

The 2017 series started on March 16 with low buy-in events, with the $360 tournament attracting over 3,000 entries. Henry Micham and Vittorio Marone won the $360 and $570 tournaments respectively. The veterans tournament, which attracted 160 players aged 50 and above, was highlighted by a dynamic random number generator (RNG). The $50,000 super high roller event attracted notable professionals like Rainer Kempe and Dietrich Fast, with Dietrich Fast and Adrian Mateos sharing the prize in the heads-up, while Rainer Kempe finished third. Joe McKeehen won the $2,200 8-max tournament, his first prize of the year. Dietrich Fast placed 44th in the $3,500 tournament and 33rd in the $10,000 tournament. Ryan Riess won the $10,000 event, defeating 348 opponents. Tony Sinishtay won the main event with a $3,500 buy-in, collecting 1,207 entries. Jason Merceir won the $25,500 high roller event, which attracted 116 entries.