That’s quite the haul
It is quite the accomplishment to win a single World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit ring, but how about three? And how about three in one Circuit stop? That is exactly what William Stanford pulled off this past weekend, catapulting his career ring total from four to seven in just a few days at the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Tunica.
It began with Event #9: $400 No-Limit Hold’em, which he joined just before registration closed, as he was still playing in a previous event. Not one to spend time building a stack, Stanford doubled-up right away and rode that moment to a $13,075 victory.
Feeling the aura of the poker gods embracing him, Stanford went right back to work the next day, winning Event #10: $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller and $36,423.
Stanford “only” had a measly $4,346 cash out of the next six events (though we don’t know exactly how many he entered), but you can’t keep a good man down. On Sunday, he won Event #17: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 30K, good for another $17,262. Stanford also nabbed a small score with a 12th place finish in the 18th and final event of the Circuit stop.
Stanford’s Circuit ring total jumped from four to seven, ranking him in top 50 all time. He also now has 109 cashes and $837,443 in earnings from all WSOP events combined. His total live poker tournament earnings, WSOP or otherwise, are $1,894,201.
Another lucky number seven
Just before Stanford won his first ring at the Horseshoe Tunica stop, Preston McEwen got one in Event #8: $600 Mystery Bounty. That also upped his lifetime ring total to seven, tying him with Stanford and 11 other players.
“It’s been a minute since my last WSOP Circuit ring,” McEwen told the WSOP after his victory, “so it’s a great feeling to get there again.”
Yes, it had been a minute, but it wasn’t eons or anything. McEwen’s last WSOP Circuit win was in November 2023, when he won Event #6: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina.
Winning the $1,700 Main Event at Horseshoe Tunica was Jesse Bryant, who was decked out in ghillie suit, the camouflage outfit some soldiers wear to blend in with grass and shrubbery. He wore just the base suit, though, and left the foliage at home.
The $144,962 victory was Bryant’s six career WSOP Circuit ring.
All three men still have a long way to go to reach the top of the WSOP Circuit ring leaderboard. Ari Engel is currently in the pole position, owning 18 rings to go along with his four WSOP bracelets. Maurice Hawkins and Daniel Lowery are tied for second with 16 rings each.
