For most people, losing their job is harsh news to accept. Then again, poker players aren’t like most people, and Ryan Rinker of Vacaville, Calif., used his misfortune as motivation to finish second in the main event of the World Series of Poker Circuit at Harveys Lake Tahoe. Rinker basically was fired for attending the series, and he learned of his unemployment around 2 a.m. before the main event.
I’m not sure what the income for sales managers at car dealerships is, but I’m willing to bet they don’t make nearly $80K in one weekend. Rinker put up an amazing fight for the first-place prize of nearly $129K, as did Kevin Fleming of Pleasanton, Calif., and Daniel Harmetz of Sacramento. The three-handed fight lasting nearly three hours, but in the end it was Harmetz who took the title and six-figure prize.
Fleming entered Day 3 with the shortest stack, and fought his way into second place, but exited the tournament in third ($58K) when his pocket 10s ran into Harmetz’s kings. Once Heming was gone, it only took about 15 minutes for the winner to be decided, after Rinker went all-in with pocket fives and was counterfeited when the board showed two pair. Harmetz won his first ring and secured an entry into the national championship next spring.
Rinker most likely will be looking forward to facing him there, as he also won an entry to the championship for finishing atop the Harveys leaderboard and winning the title of Casino Champion.
Though the numbers weren’t record-breaking like last year, poker room manager Appollo Poth believes the event always will attract large numbers “simply because of the amazing location and the fact that Tahoe is already a tourist destination,” he said. “Players have faith that Harveys will continue to host an amazing series as they have done so in the past.”
— Leslie Pauls is an Ante Up Ambassador for Reno and a representative for Blue Shark Optics. Email her at anteupcali@gmail.com.
WSOP Circuit, Harveys Lake Tahoe, Oct. 25-Nov. 4
Event 1 • $365 NLHE
Entries: 202 • Pool: $60,600
Iris Kuzu, $15,757
Event 2 • $365 NLHE
Entries: 284 • Pool: $85,200
Chris Swan, $20,450
Event 3 • $365 NLHE
Entries: 537 • Pool: $161,100
Ivin Arquiza, $34,637
Event 4 • $365 NLHE
Entries: 160 • Pool: $48K
Jed Hoffman, $12,958
Event 5 • $365 NLHE
Entries: 195 • Pool: $58,500
Barry Raymos, $15,210
Event 6 • $365 NLHE
Entries: 191 • Pool: $57,300
Jose Esparza, $14,899
Event 7 • $365 6-Max
Entries: 166 • Pool: $49,800
Austin Apicella, $13,941
Event 8 • $580 NLHE
Entries: 145 • Pool: $72,500
Paul Cookson, $20,299
Event 9 • $365 PLO
Entries: 77 • Pool: $23,100
Cary Marshall, $7,853
$1,675 Main Event
Entries: 390 • Pool: $585K
Daniel Harmetz, $128,699
Event 11 • $365 NLHE
Entries: 183 • Pool: $54,900
William Watchman, $14,275
Event 12 • $365 NLHE
Entries: 81 • Pool: $24,300
Ivan Holmes, $7,776
