Kareem Cowart came agonizingly close to a massive poker tournament win in 2024, finishing second in the $1 million guaranteed $500 buy-in at Borgatas Spring Poker Open for $145,642. Roughly a year-and-a-half after that near miss, Cowart found himself deep in another huge-field event with a hefty guarantee. This time around, though, he would not be denied.
Cowart overcame 3,693 total entries in the $2 million guaranteed Lions Of The Atlantic $600 no-limit hold’em tournament, earning $305,000 for the win.
“This feels amazing,” Cowart told Poker.Org live reporters covering the event. “It’s something really big off my vision board. I’ve come in second before, I’ve won smaller tournaments, but I wanted a big one, something that felt like proof.”
“I was manifesting this every day. During breaks, in the mornings, I was meditating, saying I already won. The last time I came in second in a big one, I did the same thing. So I repeated the process. Manifestation is real, man,” concluded Cowart, who is based out of New York, where he owns a construction company and manages rental properties.
From 3,693 To 1
The tournament ran from Oct. 8-19, with seven starting flights each at two properties: MGM National Harbor in Maryland and Borgata in Atlantic City. The final day played out at the later venue several days after the final starting days had wrapped to allow for travel, with over 300 contenders returning to play down to a champion.
Those who made it to day 2 locked up at least $1,550 for their efforts, with five-figures for the 15th through fifth-place finishers and six-figure paydays for the top four.
Accomplished tournament pro Daniel Buzgon placed fifth for $65,000, bringing his career haul to more than $3.9 million in the process. Buzgon got his final chips in with A♥J♥. He was up against the same hand in a different suit for Cowart (A♦J♦). Cowart flopped a diamond draw that came in on the river to see him win the pot and narrow the field to four.
Cowart then busted Sungwoon Yoo (4th – $100,000) and Anton Saich (3rd – $140,000) to enter heads-up play against Michael McGrath with the lead. The match didn’t last long. McGrath soon was all-in and at risk with pocket queens leading A-J suited again for Cowart. This time, an ace-high runout gave him aces and threes to win the pot and the title. McGrath secured $200,000 as the runner-up.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Kareem Cowart | $305,000 | 660 |
| 2 | Michael McGrath | $200,000 | 550 |
| 3 | Anton Saich | $140,000 | 440 |
| 4 | Sungwoon Yoo | $100,000 | 330 |
| 5 | Daniel Buzgon | $65,000 | 275 |
| 6 | Jhordy Sanchez | $50,000 | 220 |
| 7 | Benny Bianco | $36,000 | 165 |
| 8 | Joseph Stevens | $28,500 | 110 |
| 9 | Wen Jin | $22,100 | 55 |
Photo credit: BetMGM Poker X Account / Poker.Org.
