Dream Come True for Brandon Rios w/ Win in Event #3: $600 No-Limit Hold’em
PokerNews is in town to live report both the $1,700 Main Event and $2,200 High Roller here at the World Series of Poker Circuit Rio Las Vegas, but those are just three of the gold ring events that will have played out by the end of the series.
In Event #3: $600 No-Limit Hold’em, 264 runners created a $87,120 prize pool that was paid out to the top 40 spots including Dan O’Brien (3rd - $13,294), Josh Suyat (8th - $3,328), Gerald Cunniff (10th - $2,185), Ryan Awwad (22nd - $1,293), Michael Lipscomb (24th - $1,293), and Shawn Sparks (40th - $965).
In the end, 32-year-old director of surveillance Brandon Rios bested Greg Armand in heads-up play to win the $29,694 top prize and his first gold ring.
“I’m super excited, it has been a lifetime goal to win a WSOP event, so I ‘m super happy,” Rios said after his victory. “I got into poker when I was a sophomore in high school. I was on the bus going back from a baseball game and my buddy asked me if I wanted to play poker, and at first I laughed at him and said, are you freakin’ forty years old, but we went back to his house and played and after that I was hooked.”
He added: “This is going to sound crazy, but even though I was the short stack five-handed I felt like I had a good chance of winning it. I was short stacked for most of the day, but I just tried to stay focused and keep playing, and I came through at the end, I guess.”
“As corny as it sounds, this is one of the best days of my life. This has been one of my lifetime goals, and now the bracelet is next.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Rios | Las Vegas, Nevada | $29,694 |
| 2 | Gregory Armand | Santa Barbara, California | $18,514 |
| 3 | David O'Brien | Raleigh, North Carolina | $13,294 |
| 4 | James Duke | Houston, Texas | $9,716 |
| 5 | Jason Kagawa | N/A | $7,230 |
| 6 | Bruce Russell | Los Angeles, California | $5,479 |
| 7 | Dustin Lee | Las Vegas, Nevada | $4,230 |
| 8 | Joshua Suyat | Kahului, Hawaii | $3,328 |
| 9 | Jason Tang | El Cajon, California | $2,670 |