Seat 1: Joao Marcos Alves (1,200,000)
Joao Marcos Alves hails from St Augustine and has been playing poker for 15 years. He began his poker journey in home games, which laid the foundation for his experience in the game. Alves's biggest result to date is a $5,000 tournament win. Outside of poker, he is a business owner.
Seat 2: James Harris (450,000)
James Harris is from Jacksonville, Florida, and has been playing poker for a decade. He began his poker journey in home games, which sparked his interest in the competitive side of the game. Harris's most notable achievement in poker came when he placed 234th out of 4,000 participants in the WSOP Seniors event in 2026. Outside of poker, he works as a Technical Trainer for JEA.
Seat 3: Blake Ellinghaus (600,000)
Blake Ellinghaus, hailing from Plainfield, Illinois, has been playing poker for seven years. He began his poker journey in live home games held in a garage. Earlier this year, Blake achieved his biggest result by taking first place in a Daytona event, earning approximately $35,000. When he's not at the poker table, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, taking her on walks and vacations.
Seat 4: Caleb Powell (2,700,000)
Caleb Powell, from Jacksonville, Florida, and has been playing poker for a decade. He initially got into the game through live games and has since transitioned to playing full-time, having previously worked as a dealer. Powell's most significant achievement in his poker career so far is a $120,000 win in Las Vegas.
Seat 5: Douglas Schoen (780,000)
Douglas Schoen lives in Daytona Beach and has been playing poker for seven years. He initially got into the game through the Orlando Felt pub scene and local tournaments. His most significant achievement in poker came when he secured a second-place finish at the June 2025 Summer Series in Daytona Beach, earning over $24,000. Schoen transitioned from a career as a derivatives trader to working as a poker dealer in Orange City.
Seat 6: Andrea Zedo (560,000)
Andrea Zedo, hailing from Maitland, FL, has been playing poker since 2007. She began her poker journey in home games, gradually honing her skills over the years. Her most notable achievement to date is a significant result in the $10,000 Mystery Bounty event in Orange City. Outside of poker, Andrea works as an Account Executive. Despite her accomplishments, she humorously notes that she hasn't won enough money to earn a nickname yet.
Seat 7: Stephen Hughes (230,000)
Stephen Hughes, from Fernandina Beach, Florida, and has been honing his poker skills for 20 years. He initially began his poker journey by playing tournaments but eventually transitioned to cash games, although he still participates in tournaments occasionally. Hughes's most notable poker achievement is a $52,000 tournament win.
Seat 8: Hunter Wroten (450,000)
Hunter Wroten hails from St. Augustine, Florida, and has been playing poker since 2004. Primarily an online player, Wroten achieved his biggest result in live poker by winning the bestbet $400 opener, earning $72,000. Outside of poker, he owns a landscape installation company.
Seat 9: Andrew DiFeo (3,700,000)
Andrew DiFeo, hailing from Saint Augustine, has been playing tournament poker for two years. Although he dabbled in the game during his college days, it wasn't until recently that he began to pursue it more seriously. DiFeo's most notable achievement came when he secured nearly $70,000 in a Venetian tournament, concluding with a heads-up chop for the first place prize.
Outside of poker, DiFeo works as a car dealer, primarily representing the Hyundai brand. Known among his friends as a go-to source for the latest in the tournament scene, he is as passionate about following poker as others are about the NFL.
