{{Short description|English/Polish poker player (1943–2021)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox poker player | name = Nic Szeremeta | image = | image_size = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth year|June 1943}} | death_date = {{nowrap|{{Death date and age|2021|1|25|1943|06|df=yes}}}} | birth_place = | wsop bracelet count = | wsop money finishes = | wsop main event best finish rank = | wsop main event best finish year = | wpt titles = | wpt final tables = | wpt money finishes = | ept titles = | ept final tables = | ept money finishes = 1 }}
'''Nic Szeremeta''' (1943 – 25 January 2021) was a [[poker]] player of English and Polish descent, the publisher of ''Poker Europa'' magazine,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sandells |first=Paul |date=12 July 2006 |title=Interview with Nic Szeremeta |url=https://uk.pokernews.com/news/2006/07/nic-szermeta-interview-1343.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209213928/https://uk.pokernews.com/news/2006/07/nic-szermeta-interview-1343.htm |archive-date=9 February 2021 |website=[[PokerNews]]}}</ref> and creator of the ''[[Late Night Poker]]'' television series (and commentator with [[Jesse May]] during its first three series).
==Early life== Szeremeta's father, who used to play draw poker himself, was a rear gunner who went missing during [[World War II]]. Nic was brought up by his mother in Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire in the post-war years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orpe |first=Michelle |date=1 April 2014 |title=Orpe’s Top Ten: Nic Szeremeta |url=https://learn.pokernews.com/news/2014/04/orpe-s-top-ten-nic-szeremeta-3737.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413183715/http://learn.pokernews.com/news/2014/04/orpe-s-top-ten-nic-szeremeta-3737.htm |archive-date=13 April 2014 |website=[[PokerNews]]}}</ref>
He began playing poker in 1962 during college, where he ran a game from his room. He was eventually asked to leave due to a French [[au pair]] being found in his bed.
==Career== He formed his own newspaper "The Weekender" in Torbay and magazine publishing group in 1980/81 and sold it in 1989.
At the age of 47, he found it difficult to get work, so he bought a betting office. It lost money despite a reasonable turnover, yet was sold at a profit.
In 1995, he was made secretary of the European Poker Players' Association. He was permanently on the poker circuit until 1998 when he began editing ''Poker Europa'' magazine. In 1999 he created ''Late Night Poker'' and has been credited for contributing to the poker boom in the UK,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nic Szeremeta challenges orthodox thinking in October's Bluff Europe |url=https://www.igamingbusiness.com/nic-szeremeta-challenges-orthodox-thinking-octobers-bluff-europe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619234431/https://www.igamingbusiness.com/nic-szeremeta-challenges-orthodox-thinking-octobers-bluff-europe |archive-date=19 June 2019 |website= iGaming Business}}</ref> although he eventually left the show due to a money dispute and disagreement about the show's direction.
He also helped create the [[World Heads-Up Poker Championship]]. Nic has played poker in over 10 countries to date. In his retirement years, one of his favourite destinations to play poker is Vienna where he achieved his most recent live cash.
Szeremeta was the Independent Newspaper's poker correspondent from 1999 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Szeremeta |first=Nic |date=19 February 2016 |title=How a labelling system could make gambling safe |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/betting-poker-player-s-guide-gambling-safely-a6885316.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/betting-poker-player-s-guide-gambling-safely-a6885316.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>
His daughter Kate, a former piano teacher, also plays poker and appeared in the first "Late Night Poker" episode.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35nZJVmZbH4|title=Late Night Poker first episode 1999|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> He currently resides in the town of [[Torquay]] in the southwest of England.
Szeremeta was the first non-American to win the World Series of Poker Media Event in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.homepokergames.com/wsop/1996/event-number-24|title=1996 WSOP (World Series of Poker) - Charity - No-Limit Hold'em Press Invitational|website=www.homepokergames.com}}</ref> He is also a keen 7 card stud player and managed to win the Amsterdam Master's Classic (stud tournament) in 1995,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nic Szeremeta's profile on The Hendon Mob |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=266 |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=[[The Hendon Mob Poker Database]] |language=en}}</ref> which was his biggest live tournament cash ($18,046).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Master Classics of Poker 1995, Limit Seven Card Stud |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=21025 |access-date=24 March 2024 |website=[[The Hendon Mob Poker Database]] |language=en}}</ref>
Szeremeta's most successful year in terms of poker came in 2006 where he cashed $51,901. As of 2019, his total live tournament winnings stood at $206,659.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nic Szeremeta |url=https://www.globalpokerindex.com/poker-players/nic-szeremeta-266/ |access-date=30 March 2024 |website=[[Global Poker Index]]}}</ref>
== Personal life == Szeremeta died on 25 January 2021, aged 77.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pitt |first=Matthew |date=9 February 2021 |title=Poker Says Goodbye to Late Night Poker's Nic Szeremeta |url=https://uk.pokernews.com/news/2021/02/poker-says-goodbye-to-late-night-poker-s-nic-szeremeta-40224.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209180118/https://uk.pokernews.com/news/2021/02/poker-says-goodbye-to-late-night-poker-s-nic-szeremeta-40224.htm |archive-date=9 February 2021 |access-date=3 November 2021 |website=PokerNews.com |language=en-gb}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20050625232834/http://www.gamblingtimes.com/writers/nszeremeta/ Szeremeta columns for The Gambling Times] * [http://uk.pokernews.com/news/2006/7/nic-szermeta-interview.htm UKPokerNews interview] *[https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-players/20131-nic-szeremeta/results Card Player profile] *[https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=b&n=266 Hendon Mob profile] *[https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=17375 WSOP profile]
{{European Poker Lifetime Achievement Award Winners}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Szeremeta, Nic}} [[Category:1943 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:English poker players]] [[Category:Polish poker players]] [[Category:Poker commentators]] [[Category:British gambling writers]] [[Category:Mass media people from Torquay]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Torquay]]