The World Series of Europe may be taking place in Europe, but back in the U.S., Faisal Siddiqui has been flying the flag for the land where the World Series originated.
With more circuit events on the schedule than ever before in 2019, Siddiqui outlasted 302 other players, winning his first-ever WSOP Circuit ring, and $113,143 after defeating Joseph Malebranche heads-up.
The final day was full of drama, and kicked off with a quick elimination. Ryan Tamanini was short-stacked very soon after play began, propelling Malebranche into contention after doubling him up. He then moved all-in with pocket eights and was called by Ryan Jones, who ended the board with two-pair, more than enough to push Tamanini out of the race for the ring.
Mark Redding was next to bust, moving all-in for just under 20 bigs with ace-nine and losing a coinflip to the pocket sevens of Joseph Malebranche. Redding was followed out of the door by Joseph Cashen, who was forced to call rather than show when he displayed an ace after Ryan Jones had raised without Cashen taking notice. The hand went all the way to the river, and Cashen was cashing out when he had just ace-high against pocket aces.
After Shinya Shimada also busted to Ryan Jones, Michael Wang headed from the cardroom in 4th place, losing a monumental flip with ace-king shot down by the pocket queens of the eventual winner, Faisal Siddiqui, Wang busting in the next hand with just three blinds to his name.
Three-handed might have been a short period of power play, but instead, it was the opposite. Siddiqui had the chips, and Ryan Jones had built up a final table’s worth of inertia, but neither man could fully take control. It would be Jones who departed in third place for $49,810 when he lost with two pair under Siddiqui’s better two pair.
Heads-up flipped the tale yet again, taking just a few hands to bring the winner’s ring to the fore. Siddiqui defeated Malebranche in record time to get the job done and win the six-figure prize on offer, taking home $113,143, with Malebranche banking $69,925 for his runner-up finish.
WSOP Circuit Baltimore Main Event final table results:
| Place | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Faisal Siddiqui | $113,143 |
| 2 | Joseph Malebranche | $69,925 |
| 3 | Ryan Jones | $49,810 |
| 4 | Michael Wang | $36,089 |
| 5 | Shinya Shimada | $26,605 |
| 6 | Joseph Cashen | $19,961 |
| 7 | Mark Redding | $15,247 |
| 8 | Ryan Tamanini | $11,860 |
| 9 | Chris Grove | $9,399 |
