Though he wasn’t the most well-known poker pro at the final table of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Poker Showdown, Scott Margereson showed he had what it took to become a champion.
The $3 million guaranteed championship event, which took place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, brought out some of the biggest names in the poker scene, many of which Margereson had to battle through if he was to hoist the WPT Championship trophy and collect his nearly $700,000 first place prize.
The final table saw Margereson contend with the likes of two-time WPT DeepStacks Champion Jeff Fielder, Matt Stout, the previously “retired” Brian ‘Stinger88’ Hastings, and top-tier poker nomad, and WPT Season VIII Player of the Year, Faraz Jaka.
Jaka, who ended up battling heads up against Margereson, took home $454,496 for his runner-up finish, his largest recorded cash since his third-place finish at the PokerStars PCA back in 2012.
For Margereson, a one-time top 20 online player who hails from the UK, the victory marked the largest cash of his roughly six-year career.
“I’ve run incredible this year,” Margereson told the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open blog. “It feels a little ridiculous to win this much money, but it’s huge.”
The field at the 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown was huge. 1309 runners generated a $4.18 million prize pool that shattered the $3 million guarantee. One of the reasons the tournament was such a success was in no small part due to the venue in which it took place. The Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida is a favorite among poker players. Not just for the look and feel of the poker room itself and the tournaments and cash game offerings, but for how they treat their players in general.
Full results:
| Event | Player | Tournament | Winning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Bennett | $570 Deep Stack RE | $186,308 |
| 2 | Bruce Freedman | $300 Seniors RE | $9,768 |
| 3 | Graeme Bagg | $300 O8 RE | $5,100 |
| 4 | Seth Weinberg | $360 PLO RE | $8,875 |
| 5 | William Black | $300 Turbo RE | $10,500 |
| 6 | Matthew Yorra | $360 Six-Max Single RE | $17,534 |
| 7 | Gabriel Ramos | $300 O8/Stud 8 | $4,061 |
| 8 | Michael Tureniec | $1,100 WPTDeepStacks | $143,324 |
| 9 | Matt Kaplan | $360 PLO8 RE | $8,416 |
| 10 | Steve Rash | $1,650 Purple Chip Bounty Single RE | $40,026 |
| 11 | Justin Young | $2,200 Eight-Max RE | $81,795 |
| 12 | Scott Margereson | $3,500 Championship | $696,740 |
| 13 | Matt Vinke | $360 Black Chip Bounty RE | $9,500 |
| 14 | Brandon Adams | $25,500 High Roller RE | $370,000 |
| 15 | Kris Tate | $2,200 PLO RE | $54,080 |
| 16 | Peter Walsworth | $5,000 One-Day RE | $141,976 |
| 17 | Brian Altman | $570 Single RE | $26,108 |
| 18 | James Scott | $150 Re-Entry | $14,574 |
| 19 | Paul Domb | $2,200 Turbo RE | $33,540 |
| 20 | Jeff Cookson | $360 HORSE | $5,499 |
| 21 | Matthew Zarkadoolas | $360 RE | $11,500 |
| 22 | Joseph Cheong | $1,100 Turbo RE | $29,503 |
Hard Rock Casinos
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino family of properties expands well past its well-received Hollywood, FL location, accommodating players in many gaming-friendly locals including Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, Vancouver, BC, Canada and an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – there is a Hard Rock Hotel just about anywhere a gamer would like to go.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino complete list:
- Hollywood, fl
- Las Vegas
- Atlantic City
- Tampa
- Punta Cana
- Biloxi
- Lake tahoe
- NorthField Park
- Sioux City
- Vancouver
With 11 total properties, the Hard Rock Casinos attempt to bring a high intensity gaming experience paired with a customer-first attitude. Of course, poker is on the menu, but for those players who like to dabble in other forms of entertainment, the Hard Rock Casinos offer just about every game under the sun including blackjack, baccarat and slot machines galore.
Built around a modern rock motif, fans can explore each property and see a collection of some of the greatest rock memorabilia on the planet just before going to see a variety of musicians who make tour stops at the properties on a regular basis.
With the forthcoming opening of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, not only will the brand have its roots planted in yet another iconic gaming territory, it will be able to do business in a way they have never been able to before.
NetEnt Helps Expand The Brand Online
Just because players are likely to catch a classic rock band performing at any given Hard Rock Casino doesn’t mean that the company is stuck in the past. In an effort to continues to expand its brand into the future, the company has recently signed a deal to bring their brand of gaming into the online space.
The forthcoming Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City has signed a customer agreement with NetEnt, a provider of digital casino solutions. The pair will be efforting to bring the Hard Rock experience to the regulated online casino and poker market in New Jersey.
“We are delighted to partner with NetEnt, known for its innovating and forward-thinking gaming solutions. Detent’s market-leading game titles and digital casino expertise will help us drive online casino growth with our own iconic Hard Rock brand,” said Kresimir Spajic, SVP Online Gaming at Hard Rock International.
The union is a win-win for the two companies. The Hard Rock pushes into the future of the regulated online casino space while NetEnt Americas LLC picks up a massive established brand to add to the NetEnt casinos list.
“I am thrilled about the prospects of working together with Hard Rock to offer our award-winning games to their online casino players in New Jersey, said Bjorn Krants, Chief Commercial Officer of NetEnt. “Hard Rock has a strong global brand and I look forward to supporting them to grow their online casino business.”
Grand Opening On The Horizon
Along with the signed deal with NetEnt, the Hard Rock family of Casino’s has finally announced just when the New Jersey property will open to the public.
On June 28, 2018 the Hard Rock Atlantic City experience will continue the tradition of providing players a top-tier live entertainment experience. Just off the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk, the 17-acre location hopes to be rife with unparalleled night life, drinks and dining and a music and entertainment venue that will host touring acts.
Already announced are artists like *The Voice*’s country icon Blake Shelton, alt-rock pioneers Third Eye Blind, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots as well as Counting Crows, Steely Dan and Frankie Valli. In total, the venue is planning on 300 nights of live entertainment over the course of the year.
Poker In The Garden State
While there is no doubt the Hard Rock will be able to entertain those taking a trip to the Jersey Shore, one of the questions will be if they can duplicate the success of their sister hotel in Hollywood, FL. With online poker being fully regulated in New Jersey and the Hard Rock expanding into the online gaming space, it seems like the formula for success is at their fingertips.
