Florida’s Own Darryll Fish Wins WPT® Championship for $511,604

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. concluded its 2018 Lucky Hearts Poker Open (LHPO) late Wednesday evening. This year’s LHPO marked the first time pairing of WPTDeepStacks™ and WPT brands in the same series, and the $3,500 WPT® Championship boasted a final prize pool of more than $2.9 million, easily exceeding the $2 million guarantee.

Besting 911 entries in the Championship, Darryll Fish (31) of Cape Coral, Fla. took home the top prize of $511,604 plus a seat into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas, valued at $15,000.

“I don’t play for the title but it doesn’t mean I don’t want one and it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it,” said Fish. “It’s been a lot of years playing the WPT so it feels really good.”

A frequent player at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Wednesday’s win marked Fish’s third top-three finish and fourth cash in the property’s last five poker majors. He previously finished runner-up in the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship for $453,185; 33rd in the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event for $6,034; third in last November’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship for $168,920; and, of course, first in yesterday’s LHPO Championship for $511,604. In all, he’s earned $1,139,743 in Seminole Hard Rock championships dating back to April of 2017.

“[Seminole Hard Rock] feels like home,” said Fish. “Every poker player has their home casino and the one they feel most comfortable playing in…I’ve played poker here since I was 18 years old…For it to happen here, more than anywhere, is extra special for sure.”

Championship Final Table Results:

1st: Darryll Fish (Cape Coral, Fla.) $511,604 + Seat into WPT Tournament of Champions

2nd: Aleksandr Shevelev (Russia) $331,116

3rd: Andy Frankenberger (New York, N.Y.) $244,342

4th: Ness Reilly (Boston, Mass.) $182,249

5th: Brett Bader (Boca Raton, Fla.) $137,440

6th: Alan Krockey (Chicago, Ill.) $104,784

The 24-tournament LHPO kicked off on Thursday, Jan. 11 with the $1,100 WPTDeepStacks™ Series Opener. The event drew 1,366 entries, highlighting a final prize pool of more than $1.3 million.

Other signature event winners include:

• Scott Baumstein (New York, N.Y.), winning the $1,100 WPTDeepStacks Series Opener for $220,238 + $3,000 WPTDeepStacks Championship Package
• Stefan Schillhabel (Brighton, Germany), winning the $50,000 Super High Roller NLH for $493,000
• Justin Bonomo (Yorktown, Va.), winning the $25,500 High Roller NLH for $556,873
• Benjamin Tollerene (Mansfield, Tex.), winning the $5,000 NLH for $163,944

Poker action will return to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. with the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown on April 5 – April 18, 2018, headlined by a WPTDeepStacks prelim and a series-ending WPT Championship with a $3 million guarantee.

Future tournament information and poker hotel rates are available at SHRPO.com.

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 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 Bar & Grill, a Hard Rock-inspired spa, premium meeting and convention space and a 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. The casino offers 120 table games, 2,000 of the newest and most popular slots and a 37-table 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 179 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants.

For more information, call 800-937-0010, visit us online at casino.hardrock.com/hollywood, or follow us on Facebook: @SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly