The British pro won $510,000 in the $5,300 buy-in event
Jake Cody, one of Britain’s most accomplished poker professionals, captured the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship in Florida, marking his largest tournament score in 14 years. The $5,300 buy-in event drew 889 entries, generating a tough final table that included Chris Hunichen, Stephen Song, and Jeremy Wien. Cody’s victory came with a payout of $510,850, pushing his lifetime live tournament earnings past the $5 million mark.
Cody, who famously became the youngest player to win poker’s Triple Crown — titles on the World Series of Poker (WSOP), World Poker Tour (WPT), and European Poker Tour (EPT) — now primarily focuses on cash games. He said he only plays about ten tournaments a year, typically when they’re local to where he is. His latest win was a rare return to the tournament spotlight.
At the final table, Chris Hunichen was the first to exit in ninth place. From there, Cody maintained momentum, navigating through a field of strong competitors. Against Stephen Song, Cody found himself in a major preflop confrontation with both players holding ace-king, resulting in a chopped pot. He described Song as one of the toughest opponents at the table and admitted he was careful about engaging in large pots with him.
When play reached three-handed between Cody, Song, and Wien, the chip counts were close enough for the trio to agree to a deal, locking up their earnings and awarding Cody the trophy as chip leader. The win adds to Cody’s list of major titles, though it still falls behind his $851,192 WSOP win in 2011 and the $1.21 million he earned for taking down EPT Deauville in 2010.
Cody said the victory felt great, especially holding the trophy, but emphasized that it wouldn’t alter his current focus on cash games, which remain his primary source of play.
