Seminole Casinos pays another bad beat jackpot

HOLLYWOOD, Florida -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The Seminole Mega Bad Beat Poker Jackpot – a six-casino approach to larger, more frequent bad beat jackpots that Seminole Gaming began just 71 days before – has been hit again for the third time, bringing the total payouts to a whopping $879,307. The $366,534 jackpot occurred at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa at 10 p.m. on Feb. 9.

Jonathan Hernandez from Las Vegas was the big winner of $183,264 when his four 10s were beaten by Spade Royal Flush. Terry Alan Baglama from Plant City, Fla. took home $109,959 for his Royal Flush. The remaining seven players at the table won $10,473 each.

A poker bad beat is when a player has an apparently unbeatable hand yet loses to a better hand. Fifty percent of the Seminole Mega Bad Beat prize pool is awarded to the qualifying losing hand; 30 percent to the qualifying winning hand; and 20 percent divided among the remaining players.

The debut Seminole Mega Bad Beat Jackpot of $365,408 was at the Seminole Casino, Hollywood on Jan. 3. Approximately 48 hours later it was hit again, at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, for $147,365. Here is how the winnings break down:

· Jan. 3: Roderick Jones' won $182,705 with a 10-high Straight Flush in Clubs, beating Harvey Langer's King high Straight Flush in Clubs at Seminole Casino, Hollywood. Langer took home $109,622.

· Jan. 5: Wesley P. won $73,680 with a Hearts Royal Flush over Keith E., who had four Kings at Seminole Hard Rock, Tampa. Keith E. won $44,208. The seven remaining players each won $10,440.

· Feb. 9: Jonathan Hernandez took home a cool $183,264 with his four 10s, beaten by Terry Alan Baglama's Royal Flush, also at Seminole Hard Rock, Tampa. Baglama won $109,959. The seven remaining players each won $10,473.

"The Seminole Mega Bad Beat Poker Jackpot is exceeding all our expectations in terms of hits in such a brief timeframe, as well as in total payouts," said Jeffrey Hook, vice president of marketing for Seminole Gaming. "Where else can you hope to win this kind of money in a poker bad beat?"

The Seminole Mega Bad Beat Jackpot was launched on Dec. 1, funded by a $1 contribution from each pot of $10 or greater at the poker rooms in six Seminole casinos: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Seminole Casino Immokalee, Seminole Casino Brighton, and Seminole Casino, Hollywood. Once it is won, the jackpot immediately resets at $100,000; something done only at Seminole casinos in Florida. Seminole Casino, Immokalee has its own unique payout system, whereby each live poker player in their casino at the time of a Seminole Mega Bad Beat hit receives $100, no matter where it hits.

The Seminole Mega Bad Beat Jackpot rules are straightforward: Only the top two hands at the showdown are eligible and both hands must be the best possible combination of five cards. The minimum losing hand is four 10s. At least four players must be dealt for the table to qualify. Multi-table tournaments are excluded. Single table tournaments are eligible until fewer than four players remain. Players must play their hands independently. Management reserves the right to declare a jackpot null and void due to any irregularities and/or collusion, and its decisions are final.

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Seminole Casinos pays another bad beat jackpot