The World Poker Tour (WPT) is one of the most prestigious and globally recognized poker tours, and among its most popular stops each year is the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, held in Hollywood, Florida. The championship event always draws one of the largest fields of the tour, and it was no different this time around.
With a $3,500 buy-in spread across two starting flights beginning on April 4, the event drew a massive 1,755 entries, generating a prize pool of $5,616,000, with payouts for the top 220 finishers.
Now, after four days of intense action, just six players remain in contention for the title. They’ll return to the felt on May 29 in Las Vegas, where the final table will be filmed for broadcast as part of WPT Season 23.
The Road to the Final Six
On Day 2, we saw a bubble burst two hours after the dinner break, with two players being eliminated as bubble boys, earning $3,200 each. Closing the day, Michael Nam was the chip leader with 3,510,000 chips or 140 big blinds, and only 103 players remained to battle it out on Day 3.
Day 3 was played until the final two tables were left, and 16 players were left in the race for the title, entering Day 4 after more than nine hours of play. Rafael Rodriguez was the chip leader with 3,510,000 chips or 140 big blinds, ahead of Art Peacock, who had 3,300,000 chips or 106 big blinds. Art Peacock was also the one who eliminated Scott Heiligman in 17th place to end the action on Day 3.
Day 4 lasted a bit less than Day 3, and we got our final table lineup after six hours of play after Art Peacock eliminated chip leader from the start of the day, Rafael Rodriguez, in seventh place for $126,000. Art Peacock took a dominant lead over the rest of the players with 27,150,000 chips or 109 big blinds, while the Shortest stack, Mitchell Hynam, will enter the final table with just 2,000,000 or 8 big blinds.
2025 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown TV Table Stacks
| Seat | Player | Country | Stack | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Art Peacock | US | 27,150,000 | 109 BB |
| 2 | Jeffery Fritz | US | 16,150,000 | 65 BB |
| 3 |  Mitchell Hynam | England | 2,000,000 | 8 BB |
| 4 | Jared Hemingway | US | 11,150,000 | 45 BB |
| 5 | Daniel Marcus | US | 22,150,000 | 89 BB |
| 6 |  Mihai Niste | Romania | 8,650,000 | 35 BB |
2025 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $776,000* |
| 2 | $515,000 |
| 3 | $380,000 |
| 4 | $285,000 |
| 5 | $215,000 |
| 6 | $164,000 |
* First-place amount includes the winner’s $10,400 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
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Preview of the Six Finalists
Art Peacock, who is entering the final table as the chip leader, is a seasoned poker player from the United States with $1,883,877 in total live earnings, and his most significant score came after he won $1,700 No Limit Hold’em – Moneymaker Main Event in 2024 for $358,700. Peacock also has a win in $1,700 No Limit Hold’em – WSOPC Main Event in 2025 for $230,794 and his first WSOPC Ring.
Daniel Marcus sits second in chips heading into the final table. The American pro has accumulated $928,756 in live earnings, including a standout $106,057 cash in a $1,600 Mystery Bounty event in 2024—his largest to date.
Jeffery Fritz, third in chips, also hails from the United States and has $266,491 in total live earnings. He made his first recorded live MTT cash in 2020 when he won a $750 NLH event for $60,261, still his top score so far.
Jared Hemingway, who is entering the final table as fourth in chips, is a poker player from the United States with $1,133,162 in total live earnings, with the most significant score of $163,024, after he came second in the WSOP Circuit $1,700 No Limit Hold’em—Main Event in 2018. Hemingway has won two WSOPC events, where he also won two WSOPC Rings.
Mihai Niste, representing Romania, enters fifth in chips but leads the field in lifetime winnings with $2,405,302. He recently scored $251,000 after finishing second in a Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event in Kyrenia, Cyprus this past January. Niste is currently ranked fourth in Romaina’s All-Time Money List.
Mitchell Hynam, who is entering the final table as sixth in chips and the shortest stack, is a poker player from England with $879,522 in total live earnings. His most significant score came from his win in €700 No Limit Hold’em—Galway Main Event for $86,563.
The final table will continue next month in Las Vegas on May 29, and it will be played until the champion is crowned. The entire finale will be captured on camera and featured in an upcoming televised episode of WPT Season 23.
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* Images courtesy of worldpokertour.com
