Five First-Time Circuit Ring Winners Crowned on WSOP.com in NJ/NV

February 26, 2023

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit online series on the WSOP.com poker site in New Jersey and Nevada is underway, and there have already been five winners, all first timers.

A WSOP Circuit ring is one of the most coveted pieces of jewelry in poker, and they aren't only won at a land-based casino anymore. Online poker has changed the game significantly and dozens of rings are handed out to those who take down Circuit tournaments on WSOP.com.

In this specific series, which began Feb. 17 and will end Feb. 28, there will be a total of 12 players securing one of those shiny pieces of jewelry. Let's take a look at how the series has gone up to this date.

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Rudy Cadenas Gets it Started with a Circuit Win

Event #1 of the NV/NJ online Circuit series was $300 No-Limit Hold'em Knockout Freezeout, which meant players could only buy-in once. Rudy Cadenas of Las Vegas made the most of his one permitted bullet by taking it down for $10,635.

Cadenas beat out Jeffrey Dobrin, a 2020 WSOP bracelet winner and three-time Circuit ring winner, heads-up to take it down. Dobrin, who also resides in Las Vegas, received $8,025. Katie Lindsay also notably reached the final table, taking fifth place for $3,295.

WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #1 Final Table Results

Close Call for Garry Gates

Garry Gates, a former poker media member, took fourth place for $3 million in the 2019 WSOP Main Event. He also won a Circuit ring in Aruba that same year. In Event #2 of the current WSOP.com online series — $500 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Max ($100,000 guaranteed) — he almost won another ring.

Gates took second place for $20,697. The only player the Henderson, Nevada resident lost out to was Shaun Goodman, who was playing from New Jersey. Goodman, a first-time ring winner, received $29,002. Giuseppe Pantaleo, who finished fourth in Event #1, reached consecutive final tables, this one a $7,710 score for fifth place.

WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #2 Final Table Results

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Michael Hauptman Wins First Ring

Michael Hauptman won his first Circuit ring on Feb. 19 in Event #3: $100 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack ($100,000 guaranteed). He took home the top prize in the field of $15,480. In second place was Michael Reisman, and he received $11,290.

The one-day event brought out a large field with the champion earning nearly 155 times the buy-in. Hauptman is listed from Los Angeles, California.

WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #3 Final Table Results

Jason Somerville Runs Deep

Gennady Krolik was the champion in Event #4: $215 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Max ($50,000 guaranteed), and he beat a brutally tough final table that included poker stars Jason Somerville, Daniel Buzgon, and Adam Hendrix.

Krolik won $20,177 for first place, beating out Jariah Waring ($14,602) heads-up for the ring. Somerville, who doesn't play poker as much these days as he used to, finished fourth for $7,699. Ben Abrahams, aka "chaipoker," a long-time grinder in Las Vegas card rooms and on WSOP.com, finished in third for $10,627, just two spots away from his first Circuit ring.

WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #4 Final Table Results

Joseph Cheong Deep in Another Tournament

Joseph Cheong added another deep run in a poker tournament — Event #5: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller 6-Max ($125,000 guaranteed). The three-time Circuit ring and one-time WSOP bracelet winner finished in second place for $32,426.

Cheong's run was impressive but quite as impressive as Brian Gates, the last player standing in the tournament. Gates received $45,279 for winning his first ever World Series of Poker piece of jewelry.

WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #5 Final Table Results

Senior Editor U.S.

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