The surname ‘Singh’ originates from a Sanskrit term denoting a lion, a fitting moniker for Raminder Singh, who has emerged as a dominant force in Florida’s tournament poker arena. Despite prioritizing his role as a businessman over being an amateur poker enthusiast, the Delray Beach resident has amassed an impressive tally of almost 90 tournament victories over the past 11 years, with the majority achieved in his home state. His most recent triumph, which also stands as his most lucrative, occurred during the early hours of Wednesday, January 24, at the 2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open’s $3,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Singh clinched a career-best prize of $486,353, boosting his total recorded tournament earnings to nearly $2.8 million.
Reflecting on his victory, Singh expressed his satisfaction, stating, “It feels really great. I don’t usually play in big tournaments that span the week. I need to carefully plan my schedule to take time off work to participate. Normally, I don’t play in these events. But this time, my friends convinced me to join. I’ve been in good form, playing well, and I couldn’t miss this tournament.”
In addition to the substantial cash prize and the prestigious title, Singh also earned 1,440 Card Player Player of the Year points, solidifying his position as the event’s champion. This marked his second Player of the Year-qualified final table in 2024, following a fourth-place finish in a $400 turbo event earlier in the same festival. With a total of 1,493 points, Singh currently occupies the second spot in the 2024 Player of the Year standings presented by Global Poker.
The tournament attracted a massive field of 1,188 entries, surpassing the $2 million guarantee and culminating in a final prize pool of $3,801,600. The top 148 finishers received payouts, with the final seven participants securing six-figure winnings.
Spanning from January 19 to 23, the event witnessed intense competition, with Singh entering the final 16 contenders in a virtual tie for third place in chip counts, while Justin Datloff led the pack. Notable players such as 2021 Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno and two-time bracelet winner Sean Troha fell along the way to the official final table.
Among the accomplished players at the final table were six-time bracelet winner Brian Hastings (9th), bracelet winner Toby Joyce (8th), five-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser (7th), 2023 World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown third-place finisher Mitch Garshofsky (6th), and WPT champion Jonathan Jaffe (5th).
After the elimination of Datloff in fourth place, Singh found himself playing three-handed against Dan Martin and two-time bracelet winner Jesse Lonis. Following negotiations, the trio agreed to a deal that concluded the tournament. At the time of the deal, the chip counts were as follows:
- Raminder Singh: 27,100,000
- Dan Martin: 21,700,000
- Jesse Lonis: 10,600,000
As the chip leader, Singh received $486,353 and the title, while Martin earned $460,000, and Lonis secured $404,247 for the third-place finish. This victory propelled Martin to third place in the Player of the Year standings with 1,200 points, and Lonis moved to fourth with 1,104 points, building on his sixth-place finish earlier in the month.
