The race for the all-time lead in victories in the World Series of Poker Circuit tour's official ring events has tightened once again, with Wisconsin's Josh Reichard collecting his 15th career ring in a preliminary event at the WSOP Circuit stop in Elgin, Illinois, on Sunday.
Reichard emerged from a 271-entry field at the Grand Victoria Casino, an hour west of downtown Chicago, to win Event #13 of the Circuit stop, $400 No-Limit Hold'em. The win was worth $19,786 and moved Reichard, who lives about 90 minutes from the Grand Vic, a riverboat casino, closer to the $2 million plateau in all-time WSOP earnings.
Reichard, of Janesville, Wisconsin, tied Florida's Maurice Hawkins for second place on the WSOP Circuit list. Both Reichard and Hawkins are one Circuit ring-event win behind current leader Ari Engel, who surged past his rivals with two Circuit wins in October. Reichard's good friend Daniel "Duma" Lowery sits fourth on the all-time list with 14 Circuit ring victories.
Hour-long heads-up duel
Reichard triumphed in the NLH tourney after busting from the Elgin main, and he outlasted another Wisconsin player, St. Francis's Kathy Pink, for the Event #13 win following an hour of heads-up play. Wisconsin visitors swept the top three spots as Monroe's Dustin Ethridge finished third.
