2016 Lucky Hearts Poker OpenSeminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino HollywoodEvent #15$250 HORSEEntries: 53Prize Pool: $11,130January 20, 2016 2h4j2

Hollywood, Fla. (January 21, 2016) — Jeff Cookson won the final primary event of the 2016 Lucky Hearts Poker Open early Thursday morning at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Cookson, a 51-year-old retiree from Weston, Fla., bested a field of 53 entries to earn $2,486 following an even three-way chop in the $250 HORSE tournament.

The 15-tournament LHPO series began about two weeks ago and kicked off with a 4,075-entry field in Event 1 marking the largest tournament in Florida poker history. From there, the headline shifted to the Main Event — a $1,100 WPTDeepStacks championship. The finale drew a field of 1,684 entries that shattered the guarantee to the tune of a $1,633,480 prize pool.

Cookson’s victory in Event 15 marked the closing ceremony of the LHPO. The performance earned Cookson his eighth career cash, fifth final table appearance and first major tournament victory.

That’s a wrap on the LHPO, but Seminole poker action begins again at the Hard Rock in April with the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown.

Event 15 final results:

1st: Jeff Cookson – $2,487
2nd: Hoyt Verner – $2,485
3rd: Harry Eisenberg – $2,485
4th: Michael Roseingrave – $1,113
5th: Darren Manser – $890
6th: Mike Dalton – $668
7th: Christian Ivens – $557
8th: Ben Matthews – $445