James “Archibald” Seaton clinched the title in the Lodge Winter Championship Series Main Event, hosted by the Lodge Card Club in Austin on March 3. The British poker pro took home the championship trophy and the top prize of $250,706, boosting his career live earnings past $571,000.
The $3,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament attracted 418 entries across seven starting flights, surpassing the $1 million guarantee to generate a final prize pool of $1,139,050. The top 45 finishers locked in a minimum payday of $6,265, with the money bubble bursting on Day 2. By the end of the day, only nine players remained.
Seaton entered the final table as the chip leader and held his ground as eliminations unfolded. WSOP bracelet winner Alex Keating was the first to exit in 9th place ($25,523), followed by Joshua Yoon (8th – $32,646) and Peter Park (7th – $42,082). Jason Hickey (6th – $54,831) and Anze Smajd (5th – $72,509) hit the rail next. Seaton then claimed his first knockout, eliminating WPT champion Darryll Fish (4th – $97,275) when his A-K overcame Fish’s pocket jacks.
With three players left, Seaton maintained his momentum. He knocked out Chun Kit (3rd – $131,896) after Kit’s Q-J lost to Seaton’s K-2 suited, which improved to a nut flush. That set up a heads-up battle against Jake White, with Seaton holding a commanding 7:1 chip lead.
The final hand saw Seaton raise with K♦10♣, while White defended with 9♣8♣. The board ran A♦K♥9♥ K♣3♠, giving Seaton trip kings. White check-called Seaton’s bets before finally calling his all-in shove on the river, only to see the bad news. White finished runner-up for $160,606, pushing his career earnings past $386,000.
Final Table Results:
- James Seaton – $250,706
- Jake White – $160,606
- Chun Kit – $131,896
- Darryll Fish – $97,275
- Anze Smajd – $72,509
With this career-best win, Seaton adds another major victory to his resume and cements his place as a rising force on the live tournament circuit.
