Josh Reichard Wins 13th WSOP Circuit Ring in Council Bluffs Main Event ($120,445)
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Josh Reichard is now just one win away from history after taking down the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Main Event at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa on Sunday.
The newly minted Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Hall of Famer received $120,445 for winning the 368-player no-limit hold'em tournament, a $1,700 buy-in event. In doing so, he claimed his 13th Circuit ring, leaving him one shy of the record held by Maurice Hawkins.
Hawkins won his 14th ring a few months before the pandemic struck in 2020 out in Durant, Oklahoma. He's since finished runner-up three times in quest of number 15.
WSOP Circuit Council Bluffs Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Reichard | $120,445 |
| 2 | John Fagg | $74,439 |
| 3 | Steve Buell | $52,712 |
| 4 | Joseph Hindman | $38,005 |
| 5 | Abraham Lopez | $27,908 |
| 6 | Terry Williams | $20,880 |
| 7 | Joseph Sutliff | $15,922 |
| 8 | Walter Lustgraaf | $12,379 |
| 9 | Timothy Dorzweiler | $9,817 |
Last Player Standing
Reichard, who hails from Janesville, Wisconsin, crossed state borders and traveled to the far west end of the great state of Iowa last week in search of his 13th ring. He last won one in 2019, a $400 no-limit hold'em event in Milwaukee. So, he was due to surpass Valentin Vornicu for second place on the all-time Circuit titles list.
On Day 1a (Friday), he bagged one of the biggest stacks and then spun it up to Sunday's final table where he entered play with the chip lead. He only squandered that lead for a brief moment during the final table.
With three players remaining, Reichard's massive chip lead was in serious jeopardy. On a board of K♥2♥6♠7♦, he faced an all-in wager from Steve Buell, who was holding A♥A♦. The eventual champion went into the tank before making the call on a flush draw with 10♥4♥. When the 5♥ on the river completed the flush, Buell was eliminated in third place ($52,712).
That forced heads-up play against John Fagg, who was trailing nearly 4:1 in chips. It didn't take long for the chip lead to dwindle thanks to, this time around, Reichard suffering a bad beat when his flopped two pair lost to a three-outer two pair on the river in the second largest pot of the tournament.
The biggest pot of the entire tournament came moments later when Reichard reversed the tide after going all in with Kx5x against his opponent's 7x7x. A Kx hit on the river, doubling Reichard back into the chip lead. This time around, he'd hold onto the lead for good to win his 13th Circuit ring. Fagg, on the other hand, received $74,439 as a consolation prize, and was just one three-outer on the river away from his third ring.
Hall of Famer
Reichard's success spans beyond the WSOP Circuit. In total, he has just over $2 million in live tournament cashes, according to Hendon Mob. That includes now 13 Circuit rings, three Heartland Poker Tour titles, and an MSPT win.
The recent poker champion who won an MSPT event in 2013 and has 26 cashes on tour was became the MSPT's 10th Hall of Fame member earlier this month.
At the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, he has 21 cashes for $191,666 and is seeking his first career gold bracelet. That is one of the few things missing from his impressive tournament poker resume.
WSOP Circuit Council Bluffs Series Results
| EVENT | ENTRANTS | WINNER | PRIZE | |
| Event #1: $250 Double Stack NLH | 254 | Abraham Lopez | $11,388 | |
| Event #2: $400 NLH Bounty | 116 | Nicholas Barksdale | $7,427 | |
| Event #3: $400 NLH Multi-Fllight | 434 | Terry Williams | $27,939 | |
| Event #4: $400 NLH | 116 | Nathan Davis | $10,655 | |
| Event #5: $400 NLH One-Day | 178 | Alex Wheeler | $14,586 | |
| Event #6: $400 NLH | 129 | Jamison Alford | $11,510 | |
| Event #7: $400 NLH 6-Max | 165 | Brenden Shiller | $14,104 | |
| Event #8: $400 PLO | 144 | Jacob Long | $12,488 | |
| Event #9: $400 Monster Stack NLH | 283 | Alexander Hill | $20,375 | |
| Event #10: $1,100 NLH | 136 | Frankie Zeta | $35,127 | |
| Event #11: $1,700 Main Event NLH | 368 | Josh Reichard | $120,445 | |
| Event #12: $600 NLH | 103 | Lucas Mccorry | $15,257 | |
| Event #13: $400 NLH One-Day | 147 | Mark Fink | $12,605 |
*Lead image courtesy of WSOP.
