HOLLYWOOD, Fla., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Eric Afriat of Montreal, Canada walked away with $1,081,184 and the coveted WPT Championship trophy after winning first place in the televised WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship tournament series.  The tournament brought a record 1,795 entries, surpassing the $5 million guarantee and generating a $5,788,875 prize pool – the largest ever for a $3,500 buy-in tournament.  

"I always envisioned it, always felt I was going to win, but the fact after everything is over, it just sunk in that it's ridiculous what I just accomplished," said Afriat with tears in his eyes. "The biggest WPT in history, winning the tournament, having just magical cards for five, six hours, just can't get better than this."

The amateur player from North of the Border, came to South Florida and beat five poker pros to win the championship. Afriat defeated Mukul Pahuja of Coconut Creek, Fla. the hottest player on the World Poker Tour.

"It was a roller coaster day and to end up in second isn't the worst thing in the world," said Pahuja who earned $691,965 as runner-up. "It just hurts because it's the closest you can get to getting the title. Another close call, another big score though, so nothing to be too upset about."

Given the success of the annual Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown series, as well as surpassing the $5 million Guaranteed Championship prize pool, the property has announced the return of the second annual Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open $10 million Guaranteed Championship. The series will run from August 7-27, with the $5,300 buy-in for the Championship slated for August 21-27. 

To review the entire schedule, please visit www.SeminoleHardRockPokerOpen.com; Follow us on Twitter at @SHRPO, Hashtag #shrpo.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino invites you to PLAYHARD!  Play, stay, dine, and shop at South Florida's ultimate entertainment destination. Over 90 tables offer Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker, Casino War and Let it Ride on a nearly three-acre casino floor. Additionally, over 2,500 slots include the Native-American Casino linked Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. Separate high-limit rooms for table games and slots, in addition to a non-smoking room, are available for guests to enjoy. Loyal Player's Club members also have access to the exclusive VIP Plum Lounge and VIP Chef's Table show kitchen. The Poker Room at Seminole Hard Rock hosts various games and tournaments of Limit and No Limit Texas Hold 'em, 7-Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. Located inside the casino is Hard Rock Cafe -Hollywood, part of Hard Rock's 139 globally recognized rock 'n' roll restaurants. The Green Lodging Certified by the State of Florida, AAA Four Diamond-rated resort showcases 500 luxurious guest rooms, 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, Rock Spa, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightclubs, lounges and bars, boutique retail shops, the 350-seat Paradise Live theater and the 5,500–seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1 800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, facebook.com/seminolehardrockhollywood, twitter.com/SHRHollywood, instagram.com/semhardrockhollywood and youtube.com/semhardrockhollywood.

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