Michael Riamon, a 37-year-old poker pro from Bradenton, won the $500 six-handed no-limit hold’em World Series of Poker circuit event at Harrah’s New Orleans on Thursday. Raimon, who owns a chain of Athlete’s Foot stores and is originally from Massachusetts, bested 171 players to win $24,192 and the gold ring.
Raimon started the final table ranked second in chips but seized the chip lead on a critical hand when he made a flush on the turn against John “the Dancer” Riola, who finished as runner-up. Riola made two pair on the turn and had his adversary all-in. But the turn card also gave Raimon a flush, which ended up scooping the largest pot of the tournament.
It also was the fastest final table of any event played so far, finishing in 1 hour, 45 minutes.
It was Raimon’s first major tournament victory, though he has cashed twice at the WSOP in Las Vegas. He’s a regular at Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa.
