In April, the new BestBet Jacksonville complex held itsfirst WPT televised event inside Florida’s largest poker room. After five grueling days of poker, Shawn Cunix stood victorious when his flopped set of threes held to win $400,000 and a seat into the $25K WPT Players Championship.
Facing a stacked final table that featured pros such as Tony Dunst and WPT Player of the Year points leader Will Failla, Cunix had to play through the pain of a broken collarbone, which he suffered a couple of weeks earlier saving his son’s life in an ATV accident.
“This has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life,” Cunix said. “If you put passion into anything, you’re capable of the unbelievable.”
The Jacksonville Spring Series (April 19-May 2) kicked off with a bang as 957 players registered for Event 1 and the action never slowed throughout the 13-event series. The largest poker room in Florida did not disappoint, handling the huge fields over the two-week tournament series. When it came time for the televised WPT BestBet Open main event, 320 players from across the country bought into the $5,000 event that boasted a $1.5 million prize pool.
As a player and a fan of poker, I can’t say enough about the way the BestBet staff handled the series and WPT main event. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience for my first time behind the scenes of such a prestigious event. A special thanks to Jeremiah Curtis, who provided results throughout the series and made me feel like a true VIP during the televised final table. The new BestBet complex has provided a boost to local businesses, a lowered crime rate and revitalization to a once-vacant area of Jacksonville.
— Troy Lennon is the Ante Up Ambassador for North Florida. Email him at anteuptroy@gmail.com.
Jacksonville Spring Series
BestBet Jacksonville, April 19-May 2
Event 1 • $340 NLHE
Entries: 957 • Prize Pool: $287,100
Scott Woodring, $33,660
Event 2 • $340 NLHE
Entries: 57 • Prize Pool: $13,000
Bobby Wynne, $4,667
Event 3 • $340 NLHE
Entries: 88 • Prize Pool: $26,400
Brian Sullivan, $7,272
Event 4 • $560 NLHE
Entries: 118 • Prize Pool: $59,000
Alan Percal, $10,997
Event 5 • $230 Omaha/8
Entries: 93 • Prize Pool: $18,600
Donnie Vann, $4,410
Event 6 • $340 NLHE
Entries: 131 • Prize Pool: $39,300
Rory McCoid, $3,482
Event 7 • $340 6-Max
Entries: 113 • Prize Pool: $33,900
Alex Toth, $9,774
Event 8 • $340 PLO/8
Entries: 116 • Prize Pool: $34,800
Trisha Hustus, $12,145
Event 9 • $560 NLHE
Entries: 115 • Prize Pool: $57,500
Amine Chabane, $10,995
Event 10 • $230 NLHE
Entries: 203 • Prize Pool: $40,600
Armando Cisnero, $6,810
Event 11 • $560 NLHE
Entries: 87 • Prize Pool: $50,000
Anthony Mak, $18,900
Event 12 • $340 Bounty
Entries: 94 • Prize Pool: $18,800
Joseph Smith, $6,000
Event 13 • $230 Bounty
Entries: 92 • Prize Pool: $13,800
Ben Carli, $3,312
$5K WPT Main Event
Entries: 320 • Prize Pool: $1.5M
Shawn Cunix, $426,100
