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The World Series of Poker Circuit Seminole Hard Rock Tampa $1,700 Main Event reached its conclusion Monday night after three long days of play and what a story it created with a massive 1,162. Seminole Hard Rock Tampa will look to keep the tournament success rolling come December with the property's Winter Poker Open. Scheduled for Dec. 2-14, the WPO ups the ante quite a bit with a.

As live poker slowly creeps back amidst the ongoing pandemic, the successful completion of any poker series in the U.S. is news. At Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, the team wrapped up Pinktober over the weekend, its annual festival benefiting charity while awarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.

Across four numbered events, more than $650,000 in prize money was collected. Meanwhile, $1 from each of the 3,315 entries went to charity, with most benefiting the American Cancer Society, as befits an event in Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

That money represents a part of the property's overall goal of $50,000 raised in October.

“We are truly honored to once again provide support to those in need and we are especially proud to work with the American Cancer Society during PINKTOBER,” said Seminole Hard Rock Tampa President Steve Bonner in a press release. “We encourage guests to come out to support this cause, while spreading a message of strength, hope and awareness for those affected by this disease.”

Sweeley Claims Biggest Prize of Series

One of the two main tournaments held produced the biggest prize of the series, as the other ended in a deal while Event #2: $400 Buy-in NLH (Re-Entry) produced an outright winner.

With 854 entries thought four flights, a prize pool of $281,820 was up for grabs on the weekend of Oct. 11, and David Sweeley (pictured above) made off with the lion's share. He won $51,698 after topping Ricardo Tavares heads up.

That sum dwarfed the roughly $4,500 in winnings Sweeley had previously, according to The Hendon Mob.

John Dolan, Nick Palma and Zhen Cai were some of the notable names to cash in the event.

Three-Way Deal Ends Event #3

The massive multi-flight, Event #3 $200: Buy-in NLH (Re-Entry), gave players 11 chances to find a bag, and 1,786 entries were recorded to produce a prize pool of $283,974. According to the Seminole Hard Rock blog, that was the largest tournament the venue hosted since the COVID-19 shutdowns.

Some of those who cashed included WSOPC standouts Ricardo Eyzaguirre and Jeff Trudeau Jr., as well as Josias Santos.

After the elimination of Carlos Guerrero in fourth, the final three players of the all-Florida final table opted to deal. All would take home nearly identical sums, with Robert Aleman getting $33,920 while Burl McCraney and Nir Sharon each got $33,921, the latter named the official champ.

Hard Rock Casino Tampa Poker Tournament Schedule

_{*reflects three-handed deal}

Other Results

Another deal ended Event #1: $180 Buy-in NLH (Re-Entry), the opening $50K guaranteed. Joel Wadsworth Jr. snagged the biggest prize among the five who topped the 476-entry field, banking $9,138. Joshua Harrison, Mohamed Abdelmutaal, Michael Traficante and Reginald Bautista all won between $5,076 and $7,559.

Meanwhile, the wrap-up tournament, Event #4: $200 Buy-in NLH (Re-Entry), produced an outright winner in Brian Barros Vazquez. He claimed $7,682 and the commemorative guitar trophy for getting through the field of 199 in Sunday's single-day event.

Winter Poker Open on Tap Next

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa will look to keep the tournament success rolling come December with the property's Winter Poker Open. Scheduled for Dec. 2-14, the WPO ups the ante quite a bit with a $200,000 guarantee on the $1,700 Main Event. Check out the corresponding schedule on the SHRT website.

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Hard Rock Tampa Poker Tournament Schedule

Ever since the state legislature removed the limits imposed on its poker rooms, the poker industry in Florida has exploded. Those previous rules limited what stakes could be played for and limited how much could be on the table. In 2009, however, the legislature “uncapped” the poker rooms to allow them to play for pretty much any stakes they wanted. The result was a gold rush to the Sunshine State by poker players of all ilk.

Along with the major tournament circuits like the World Poker Tour (who now conducts their final three events in the state) and the World Series of Poker Circuit, expansion of poker rooms not only in tables but in ACTUAL number of rooms has been the norm. As of 2017, there are 24 poker rooms in the state, some associated with thoroughbred horse racing tracks, some in the Seminole Indian casinos and a couple (like bestbet Jacksonville) that stand alone while offering simulcast wagering on the ponies. In 2016, these rooms generated $147 million in revenues (a 231% increase over 2006 revenues); by comparison, the poker rooms in Nevada generated $117 million in revenues for the year.

If people are flocking to your business, it is only natural to want to update those surroundings. The Seminole Hard Rock Tampa isn’t as acclaimed as its brethren in Hollywood, FL, but it is making a name for itself as a poker destination. First came a massive renovation that saw the poker room move away from the casino floor into a special area of the casino. Those renovations were completed in January and they have made a great difference in the potential future success of the room.

Walking into the room on a Friday night around 7PM, I was expecting about half the 46 tables around the room to be in action. Imagine my surprise when every table – even the two tables in the “High Roller” lounge – was full of action. Sure, there was a tournament going on – a $200 buy-in event with a $10,000 prize pool guaranteed that eventually fielded around 70 entries – but there was no other explanation for the room to be as packed as it was. Walking to the board to pick a game, I saw why the tables were packed.

Hard Rock Tampa Poker Tournaments

The Hard Rock Tampa spreads a list of games, with Texas Hold’em (limit and no limit) as the most prevalent game but Omaha has a strong presence. If there were to be a call for some Stud games, I got the impression that they would spread that, too, IF there were enough people calling for it. There was also a wide array of stakes, from the $1/$2 for No Limit Hold’em to $2/$2 Pot Limit Omaha, a $2/$5 spread game (Hold’em) all the way up to what looked like a $30/$60 game (this was going on in the separate “High Roller” room). Having a game for everyone’s bankroll is key to bringing in the players, a fact not missed by the Hard Rock Tampa poker room staff.

Hard Rock Tampa Monthly Poker Tournament Calendar

Everything about the Hard Rock Tampa poker room was top notch. From the chairs at the table (plush and comfortable) to the amenities around the room, you could certainly tell that the Seminole Indian tribe spared no cost in improving its offerings. And it isn’t like they’ve jammed a bunch of tables into a room and put everyone elbow to elbow. The Hard Rock Tampa poker room has a full-service bar, a snack bar (burgers, sandwiches, and other offerings) and 40 HDTVs arranged around the room. Waitress service is quick and there’s even massage service for the players grinding away on the felt.

Hard Rock Tampa Poker Room Tournament Schedule

The Seminole Hard Rock Tampa has hosted some WPT DeepStacks events in the past, but they are deserving of a higher profile tournament schedule. Perhaps a WSOP Circuit roster of tournaments or maybe even a full-fledged WPT Main Tour stop (and where the hell are the smaller tours like the Heartland Poker Tour and the CardPlayer Poker Tour?) would be well-served to come to the poker room for a spell. The Seminole Hard Rock Tampa poker room is a must-play stop for players who come to Florida; with the wide array of games and stakes, the plush surroundings, and its ease of access (Tampa International Airport is nearby), the poker world is really missing something special.