Lee Davy brings you a quick fire round up of the side event news at the World Series of Poker Circuit event in Foxwood’s Resort in Connecticut.
If anyone in North America was concerned over the future of live poker, the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) has helped to allay those fears with some record-breaking fields this season.
Yet as we head into the most expensive period of any poker players year (Vegas time), that enthusiasm seems to have waned as the WSOPC hauled ass into Foxwood’s Resort in Connecticut. The fields weren’t bad. Guarantees were met. But instead of smashing it, field sizes were creeping over the red line.
The series contained 12 gold ring events, and there are three stories to bring you up to speed on, with two events still left to end. The biggest star of the festival has been Valentin Vornicu who joined an elite band of four players to win six or more gold rings (Alex Masek, Chris Reslock and Ari Engel) after victory in Event #8: $580 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE).
Vornicu, who held previous wins in Hammond (2011), San Diego (2012), LA (2014), Black Hawk (2014), and Biloxi (2014) defeated a field of 154 entrants to win a top prize of $20,974. The $75k guarantee was reached. The final prize pool was $77,678. Vornicu’s live tournament earnings now stands at $215,000.
Two more players secured their third gold rings.
Ryan Eriquezzo was the first to do so after beating a field of 321 entrants in Event #1 $365 NLHE. Once again the $75,000 guarantee was breached with $96,525 heading into the coffers. Eriquezzo took $22,684 of that.
With his victory comes a seat in the WSOPC National Championships. You may remember he won that very tournament, back in 2012, to win his first-ever WSOP bracelet. According to the WSOP blog Eriquezzo destroyed the final table en route to his third ring.
“It’s been a rough year. I haven’t won a tournament since… I don’t even know when I last won a tournament.” Said Eriquezzo.
The other player to capture his third gold ring was Roland Israelashvili. You may remember Israelashvili tied with Humberto Brenes at the top of the 2014 WSOP cashes leaderboard with 10 apiece. Israelashvili took his total lifetime earnings over the $2.3m mark with victory in Event #6: $580 NLHE 6-Handed. He picked up $12,485 for the win. 91 entrants ensuring the $40,000 guarantee was reached.
At the time of writing only two events remain and Will ‘The Thrill’ Failla could capture the $124,370 first prize in the $1,675 Main Event. Play is down to the final 10-players, but The Thrill will come into the final table as the short stack. We will keep you abreast of that situation when it ends.
