Four-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Ari Engel played in yesterday's field, but he made an early exit. Today, Engel has opted to fire a second bullet and is back in action.
In a recent hand, there was 650 in the pot and a board reading when Engel bet 300 from middle position and received a call from the woman in the hijack. Both players then checked the turn, and the completed the board on the river. Engel bet a modest 250, and his opponent made the call. Engel tables for a pair of tens, and it was good as his female foe sent her hand to the muck.
Nani Dollison is a familiar face on the poker circuit, but not as a player. Dollison, who has three World Series of Poker gold bracelets to her name, is now known as one of the most capable dealers in the industry.
While Dollison has eight WSOP cashes totaling $600,515, they all came over a decade ago. Her three gold bracelets for victories in the 2000 $1,000 Ladies Limit Hold’em & 7 Card Stud ($53,200); 2001 $2,000 Limit Hold’em ($441,440); and 2001 $1,000 Ladies Limit Hold’em & 7 Card Stud ($41,130). In the open-event ($2,000 Limit Hold’em) win, Dollison actually defeated a final table that included Eli Elezra (6th-$41,760), Hung La (4th-$71,585) and Chau Giang (3rd-$113,345).
Dollison is poker through and through and has left her mark on the industry not only as a dealer, but as a legendary female player as well.
Jesse Capps has already lost half of his stack here on Day 1b of the 2013 World Series of Poker Circuit Event Choctaw Durant Main Event. Capps was kind enough to let us in on the details, and according to him, he and an opponent took a flop of . Capps called a bet with , and the turn was a .
Capps' opponent proceeded to check-raise on the turn, and Capps made the call.
The river was "a blank," and Capps' opponent led out for a pot-sized bet of 7,000. Capps called, and the player showed ace-king.
"I wish we were at 500/1,000," Capps told us. "I just want to get my stack in now."
Aaron Ruppert, winner of Event #4. Picture courtesy of WSOP.
In the Live Blog for Day 1a, we updated you on the first three preliminary ring events that took place earlier this week here in Choctaw. In case you missed those, here they are again for your reading pleasure:
Keeping with that theme, here's a look back at Ring Event #4 $365 No-Limit Hold’em, with help from the WSOP Media Coordinator Lukas Willems, who has been in Choctaw all week monitoring the preliminary action.
Aaron Ruppert joined the elite club of two-time WSOP Circuit champions Tuesday morning at Choctaw Resort. The Oklahoma-based pro bested 338 entrants in Event 4, a $365 No-Limit Hold’em tournament, to take home $23,326 and, of course, his second WSOP Circuit gold ring. Ruppert’s first victory came last year at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in a $350 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo tournament when he bested 178 entrants to win $13,983.
“I won [a ring] last year in Council Bluffs and this one is a little bit more [prize money] than that one, so hopefully the trend continues,” Ruppert said of his wins. Ruppert is a familiar face on the WSOP Circuit and close friends with three-time champion Huy Nguyen. Both are highly successful players in their own right, but Ruppert says his success is a direct result of the relationships he’s formed in the poker community, not only with Nguyen, but with others as well.
“The number one reason I’ve gotten pretty good at poker is just from talking to my friends and going over strategy all the time,” Ruppert said. “To have Huy [Nguyen] and a bunch of other friends who are probably better than me at poker; to learn from them and to learn from each other, it’s key. You can’t be overconfident and think you can do it yourself. You’ve got to use your friends to get better.”
If that’s true, Ruppert is certainly indebted to his colleagues. The 32-year-old from Norman, Okla. has almost $175,000 in career earnings at the WSOP including back-to-back WSOP Main Event cashes and two Circuit victories. Amazingly, Ruppert says poker isn’t even his first love. His true passion lies in meteorology, a hobby he went to grad school for and practices to this day. When he’s not on the felt Ruppert can be found chasing storms and even appeared on the Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers” for a season.
“Weather is my number one love, poker might be number two now,” Ruppert said. One thing is clear, whatever Ruppert sets his mind to, be it storm chasing or tournament poker, the sky is the limit.
WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #4 No-Limit Hold’em
Tournament Director Bill Bruce has just got on the PA and announced that the field has just crossed the 1,000-player mark, making it larger than last year's field of 978.
A player opened to 150 from the cutoff seat, Jordan Smith called on the button, and the dealer fanned . The player in the cutoff continued for 300, and Smith called.
The turn was the . The player slowed down, checking to Smith who fired 600, and the player folded.
when Engel bet 300 from middle position and received a call from the woman in the hijack. Both players then checked the 
turn, and the 
completed the board on the river. Engel bet a modest 250, and his opponent made the call. Engel tables 
for a pair of tens, and it was good as his female foe sent her hand to the muck.
. Capps called a bet with 
, and the turn was a 
.
. The player slowed down, checking to Smith who fired 600, and the player folded.
