Jerry Rojas, a father and husband with a full-time job and an occasional poker player, won last night the second WSOP Circuit event he has ever appeared in. He took down a $365 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty tournament at The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles to collect $9,230 in prize money and nine bounties, worth $100 each, as well as his first Circuit gold ring.
Rojas does not play regularly and is not planning to change this after his triumph at The Bicycle. Talking to interviewers after his victory, the player said that over the years he has devoted most of his time to his job as a dairy production manager and to his family, and has played poker only for fun. He pointed out that he loves the game but is not willing to change his established pattern of playing once or twice a month.
The $365 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty was a two-day event that began on Friday, December 2. The tournament generated a field of 171 entries and a prize pool of $34,200. In addition, the amount of $17,100 was distributed in bounties.
Rojas dominated action for the greater portion of the event. Day 1 ended with the player bagging a huge chip lead. He never relinquished his advantage for a longer time and his consistency in play paid out well, as it could be seen. Commenting on his victory, the player said that he “got lucky a few times” and that they were the right times.
Heads-up between Rojas and Chris Hammann started with the latter holding a slight disadvantage. Although Hammann was not an easy opponent, Roajas managed to extend his lead and eventually take down the tournament for the precious Circuit gold piece. Being the runner-up, Hammann collected a payout of $5,705.
Brian Manalang went out in 3rd place for $4,110. Susan Barlett finished 4th, good for $3,010. Lindsey Yoo took 5th place for a payout of $2,245. Jang Wook was the player to finish 6th for $1,705. Joe Kanan busted in 7th place for $1,315. James Hoeppner took 8h place for $1,030. Rounding out the official final table, Raymond Rife scooped $825.
The Bicycle Casino will be hosting the WSOP Circuit up to December 12. The $365 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty was the second event on the festival’s schedule, which means that there are still 10 gold rings up for grabs at the gambling venue.
