Casino City's Friday Five: WSOP champ and jackpots edition
For Daniel Weinman, that dream came true earlier this week at the World Series of Poker. In addition to the record-breaking win by the 35-year-old poker pro from Atlanta, we take a look at a few other stories from this week. The Rio in Las Vegas is set for a renovation, MGM Resorts and the Marriott announced a partnership, we saw several jackpot winners out of Caesars Palace, and a Florida casino paid out $1 million on a slot.
Let’s begin with some lucky winners:
5. Three guests win six-figure prizes at Caesars Palace
Over last weekend, three players won jackpots within 24 hours at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.
On Friday, 14 July, at 6 p.m., a Caesars Rewards member won $200,000 playing video poker.
Later that evening, another Caesars Rewards member left The Strip with $100,000 after winning a jackpot playing slots.
Then on Saturday, 15 July, at 3 p.m., a third Caesars Rewards member won $100,000 after winning a jackpot playing video poker.
Congrats to this lucky @CaesarsRewards guest who hit a $200,000 #Jackpot ??
— Caesars Palace (@CaesarsPalace) July 17, 2023
21+. Gambling problem? Call 800-522-4700. pic.twitter.com/I5bRlgyMF2
4. Seminole Casino Coconut Creek pays out $1 million jackpot
On Saturday, a local Florida resident hit a nearly $1.5 million jackpot on a Dragon Link slot machine at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.
The guest won the $1,493,111 jackpot on a $250 bet. The jackpot is the largest hit in any Broward County Smoke-Free casino this year.
Fiery win this weekend at nearly $1.5 MILLION! ?? #OnlyAtCoco pic.twitter.com/09TIhW3TOp
— Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (@CasinoCoco) July 17, 2023
3. MGM Resorts and Marriott International announce agreement
Marriott International and MGM Resorts International announced an exclusive long-term strategic licensing agreement and the creation of MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, which will encompass 17 of MGM’s resorts.
Beginning in October, several MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy resorts will be available for booking on Marriott’s robust digital platforms, including Marriott.com and the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app, with all properties expected to be available by the end of the year.
Of the 17 MGM resorts that will join MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, four properties (all in Las Vegas) will also be affiliated with existing Marriott collection brands: Bellagio Resort & Casino will join The Luxury Collection, Aria Resort & Casino will join Autograph Collection, Park MGM will become part of Tribute Portfolio, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will continue its affiliation with Autograph Collection.
.@MarriottIntl ?? MGM Resorts
— MGM Resorts (@MGMResortsIntl) July 17, 2023
MGM Collection with @MarriottBonvoy: The best of both worlds https://t.co/OSPu583Utm pic.twitter.com/rjp34N2qw7
2. Rio Las Vegas to undergo $850 million facelift
Let’s discuss how the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, located just off the Las Vegas Strip and best known for hosting both the WSOP for 16 years and the renowned Penn & Teller magic show, is not only sticking around, but it's also getting much-needed renovations.
Landlord Eric Birnbaum’s namesake company, Birnbaum’s Dreamscape, will utilize $850 million in capital to establish a real estate investment trust. That trust will assume ownership of the resort, as well as the hospitality and entertainment assets. The remaining funds will then be allocated toward all of the needed renovations.
In total, the 2,500 rooms in both towers will be updated and the casino floor will be expanded from 117,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet.
Renovations will also be made to the restaurants, reception, and the pool deck. As of now, there’s no start date for these renovations yet, but the Rio does plan to remain open during the construction.
1. Daniel Weinman wins record-breaking 2023 WSOP Main Event
After a much shorter than anticipated final day of the $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship at the 2023 World Series of Poker, Weinman walked away $12.1 million richer after claiming the $10,000 Main Event title.
The victory in the Main Event, which drew 10,043 players for a prize pool of $93,399,900, was nothing short of spectacular as he was two cards away from falling on Day 8 before hitting a two-outer.
It took just 164 hands at the final table for Weinman to secure the victory, making for the shortest Main Event final table in recent memory.
Day 10 was the quickest in history, clocking in at under three hours after the elimination of Adam Walton in third place for $4,000,000 and a brief heads-up battle between Weinman and Steven Jones, a real estate investor from Arizona whose poker hobby now brings him $6.5 million in total earnings.
Casino City’s Gary Trask was in Las Vegas for the final table and sat down with long-time WSOP Vice President, Jack Effel.
Daniel Weinman is the 2023 World Champion!
— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 17, 2023
Daniel takes home the largest payout in Main Event history, $12,100,000, by outlasting the record-breaking field of 10,043 players.
A huge congratulations to @notontilt09, your 2023 Main Event Champion. pic.twitter.com/EsU7x6MZOa