Martin Ryan Wins 8th WSOP Circuit Gold Ring in Just Two Years
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There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of 57-year-old Martin Ryan, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago. He flies under the radar, but over the weekend he made noise down at Harrah’s Cherokee when he won his eighth World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring.
While eight rings tie him in seventh place on the all-time leaderboard alongside Chris Reslock, what is truly remarkable is that he’s won them all in just a two-year period.
Ryan: "I have to stop because back home in Trinidad they need me.”
His most recent win came over a 1,166-entry field in the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee Event #8: $400 Monster Stack, good for a career-high $70,226. It also marked his third ring of the young 2018/19 season, which is less than three months old.
It started back in September when he won the WSOP Circuit Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Event #3: $1,125 NLH for $21,375. He followed that up with two more final table appearances at the stop, and then on November 10 shipped the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Event #12: $600 NLH for $19,323.
A Hot Caribbean Start
Ryan’s unprecedented run began two years ago in November of 2016. That is when the WSOP International Circuit visited Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino in St Maarten. Ryan captured his first ring by taking down Event #5: $365 PLO for $8,730, and the very next day won No. 2 in Event #6: $365 NLH for $10,900. Toss in an eighth-place finish in the Main Event for an additional $9,700 and it was obviously a great stop for the then two-time ring winner.
However, a month later he captured his third in the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Event #8: $1,125 NLH for $34,510, and then in February 2017 won the WSOP Circuit Palm Beach Kennel Club Event #3: $580 NLH for $24,829. Things were relatively quiet for Martin the remainder of 2017 and the first half of 2018, but he’s now returned to form.
Unfortunately, Ryan isn’t sure if he’ll be able to keep the ball rolling.
“I’m promising everybody I have to stop because back home in Trinidad they need me,” he told WSOP officials. “I run a game.”
Ryan currently sits third on Trinidad and Tobago’s all-time money list on The Hendon Mob with $452,410 in earnings behind only Ryan Goindoo ($756,370) and Jeremy Pantin ($571,705).
Here’s a look at the results from Ryan’s most recent win:
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee $400 Monster Stack Final Table Results
| Position | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Ryan | Trinidad and Tobago | $70,226 |
| 2 | Forrest Raleigh | Lawrenceville, GA | $43,372 |
| 3 | Brandon Waller | Acworth, GA | $32,229 |
| 4 | Chris Underwood | Mooresville, IN | $24,241 |
| 5 | Marshall White | Boone, NC | $18,458 |
| 6 | Ian Holt | Raleigh, NC | $14,221 |
| 7 | Mike Bennett | Cumming, GA | $11,086 |
| 8 | John Richards | Roxana, IL | $8,738 |
| 9 | Kevin Davis | Louisville, KY | $6,965 |
Image courtesy of the WSOP.
PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
