The first-ever WSOP.com Online Circuit Series was a resounding success with thousands of entrants amassing more than $1.6m in prize money, as Shawn Daniels and Ryan Leng book spots in the World Series of Poker Global Casino Championships.
The recent PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), partypoker POWERFEST, and 888Poker’s XLEclipse demonstrated that the online poker market is as wet as a cut.
It’s an incredible moment in poker’s timeline.
Can you imagine how the numbers would have stacked up had the Americans been allowed to play without fear of stumping up a hefty fine and spending a few months doing porridge? In many ways, it feels like a FIFA World Club Championship without any European teams.
Over time, things will change.
Yeah, we may be dead by then, and our children’s children’s children will be competing against Musks’ Martians before the right blend of American politicians signs the right document, but it’s important to think of ‘stepping stones.’
One of those stepping stones was the World Series of Poker’s (WSOP) decision to host an entire leg of the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) online.
13-events.
13 gold rings slung onto your doorstep by doped up paperboys.
Here is a review of the significant moments:
WSOP.com Online Circuit Major Moments
Not one of the 13-events failed to meet its guarantee. 3,528 entrants and 1,770 rebuys created a $1,645,103 prize pool, making the $700,000 guarantee look as tiny as a termite’s tea party.
As is modus operandi for a tournament series (POWERFEST excepted), the WSOP reserved the most substantial guarantee for the Main Event.
$525 buy-in.
$200,000 Guaranteed.
439 players entered, 243 of them dug deep to find another bullet in the bottom of their fluff-filled pockets, and at the end of the day, these two duked it out for the honours.
Shawn “SayGoodNight” Daniels v Ryan “Adopt_aDogg0” Leng.
Leng was the undoubted star of the series.
Not only did the WSOP bracelet winner, and the winner of $1.3m in live tournament earnings, make it to the end zone of the Main Event he did so after winning Event #8: $1,000 buy-in, $75,000 GTD NLHE 6-Max High Roller (Re-Entry), beating 130 entrants to steal the $56,201.75 first prize.
Leng was brilliant, but he still came up short against Daniels, who banked $83,545 in prize money for the win, and a 2019 WSOP Global Casino Championship $10k seat to boot. Leng will join him after winning the Online Casino Championship. Not only did Leng win the HR, but he made three final tables, securing $113,199 in prize money.
Leng didn’t win two titles, but Alan “kazumatsui” Sternberg did. The World Poker Tour (WPT) Champions Club member, took down Event #6: $320 No-Limit Hold’em ‘Monster Stack’, beating 422 entrants to capture the $42,556.50 first prize, before taking down Event #12: $320 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack for $30,448.50, making him only the second player to win two WSOP online titles. Anthony “casedismised” Spinella holds the distinguished record of winning the first online poker bracelet and gold ring.
Other notable gold ring winners at the WSOPC Online Series included Daniel “juice” Buzgon, Katie “azulciel” Stone and Ian “APokerJoker2” Steinman.
