While the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL, may no longer be part of the World Poker Tour’s official schedule, this premier poker destination continues to host high-profile tournaments that attract world-class fields. Last week, the Foxens power couple, Alex and Kristen, dominated the $25,000 High Roller event, while the $3,500 Main Event for the 2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open delivered exceptional tournament action. In the end, local poker professional Raminder Singh emerged victorious from a massive field, claiming the championship trophy and a life-changing $486,353 payday.
Building a Record-Breaking Field
With a substantial $2 million guarantee, tournament organizers scheduled two starting flights to accommodate the expected large turnout. The Seminole Tribe’s concerns about meeting this hefty guarantee quickly evaporated as Day 1A alone nearly generated enough entries to reach the required prize pool.
The tournament structure allowed unlimited re-entries, which proved crucial for building the final numbers:
- Day 1A: 575 entries with 190 players advancing
- Day 1B: 613 entries with 200 players moving forward
- Total field: 1,118 entries creating a $3,801,600 prize pool
This impressive turnout nearly doubled the original guarantee, with 390 survivors competing for 149 paid positions in what would become one of the most competitive Lucky Hearts Main Event fields in recent memory.
Several notable poker professionals cashed before the final table showdown on Tuesday. The money list included respected players such as Daniel Smiljkovic, Stoyan Madanzhiev, Joe Serock, Viktor Ustimov, Josh Arieh, Kathy Liebert, Kristen Foxen, and Jean ‘Prince’ Gaspard. However, the real prize money awaited at the final table, where the action would prove nothing short of spectacular.
Final Table Fireworks: Singh’s Strategic Ascent
When the final table was set, poker fans recognized several familiar faces among the chip leaders. The seating arrangement featured:
- Justin Datloff: 11.2 million chips (chip leader)
- Jesse Lonis: 10.8 million chips
- Jonathan Jaffe: 9.25 million chips
- Benny Glaser: 7.7 million chips
- Raminder Singh: 6.35 million chips
- Brian Hastings: 2.45 million chips (short stack)
Despite starting in the middle of the pack, Singh immediately went on the offensive, targeting Glaser in two crucial early hands that would shift the tournament’s momentum.
Key Hands That Changed Everything
In the first pivotal confrontation, Singh and Glaser checked down to the river on a 10-10-9-4-7 board containing four hearts. When Glaser fired a river bet, Singh made a hero call with K-Q high, which proved superior to Glaser’s K-8 bluff attempt.
The second hand proved even more decisive. Singh flopped an ace-high flush that Glaser couldn’t match, propelling Singh over the ten million chip mark and establishing him as a serious contender.
After Lonis eliminated short-stacked Hastings in ninth place to assume the chip lead, the Singh-Glaser dynamic continued. On an A-J-3-8-8 board, Singh’s A-9 held up against another Glaser bluff, pushing Singh past twelve million chips.
The Turning Point: Singh Takes Command
The tournament’s decisive moment came when Singh eliminated Toby Joyce in eighth place. Joyce had just won a significant pot against Datloff when he decided to commit those newly acquired chips against Singh’s pocket jacks.
Joyce’s Big Slick (A-K) looked strong pre-flop, but Singh’s jacks held the advantage. When a jack appeared on the turn, Joyce was drawing dead, and Singh catapulted to the chip lead with nearly sixteen million chips.
This elimination marked Singh’s emergence as the tournament’s dominant force, setting the stage for his eventual victory.
Three-Handed Battle and Final Deal
The tournament eventually reached a three-way battle between Singh, Lonis, and Dan Martin. Despite Singh holding a slight chip advantage with 27.1 million compared to Martin’s 21.7 million and Lonis’s 10.6 million, the trio engaged in nearly five hours of intense three-handed play.
As the clock approached 5 AM on Wednesday morning, exhaustion began to factor into the players’ decision-making. Singh, recognizing the relatively even chip distribution and the late hour, initiated deal negotiations that would prove beneficial for all three remaining competitors.
Final Results and Prize Distribution
The three-way deal resulted in the following prize distribution:
- Raminder Singh: $486,353* (Champion)
- Dan Martin: $460,000*
- Jesse Lonis: $404,247*
- Justin Datloff: $229,900
- Jonathan Jaffe: $173,500
- Mitch Garshofsky: $132,300
- Benny Glaser: $102,000
- Toby Joyce: $79,400
* Indicates three-way final table deal
Singh’s victory represents not only a significant financial achievement but also demonstrates the high level of poker talent that continues to flock to the Seminole Hard Rock poker room, even without official WPT designation.
(Photo courtesy of Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood)