The curtain has dropped on twelve days of action at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop at Graton Casino and Resort and the winner's list includes multiple women and a brand-new US citizen who needs a brand-new car.
The marquee event of the series, the $1,700 Main Event, drew 580 hopefuls and Sasha Sabbaghian took home the top prize of $168,015 from a prize pool of $877,185. He is the winner of his first Circuit Ring after two second-place finishes in previous ring events.
“Usually, when I make it this deep, I find a way to punt it off,” he said in a post-win interview with PokerOrg. “That was the goal of the day — don’t punt, and I’ll be good.”
Sasha Sabbaghian won his first ring in the $1,700 Main Event. Sabbaghian defeated Mitchell Tsang in heads-up play after a Day 3 final table battle that lasted over six hours. It's a career score for another one of Graton's growing local following.
“I like the money, but I don’t normally enjoy tournaments. However, Graton and Thunder Valley are two stops I actually look forward to. The vibes and the layout here are just better — it’s less grindy than Vegas. It’s more fun and casual.”
Women score three rings
Elsewhere at Graton, women picked up rings in three different tournaments. Manju Gera clinched her second WSOP Circuit ring in $400 Omaha Hi-Lo Eight or Better, demonstrating her exceptional mixed-game skills. Her victory against a field of 90 entries and a final heads-up match against Kathy Chang added a compelling narrative to the tournament.
Meanwhile, Eva Huang made history by winning the first-ever WSOP Ladies Circuit Ring in Northern California in the $400 Ladies Event. Huang emerged victorious from a competitive field of 70, overcoming Alison Gray in a thrilling heads-up finale.
Elisa Nakagawa won the final ring of the series on Monday. Rounding out the series, Elisa Nakagawa secured her first WSOP Circuit ring in the $400 Bay Area Closer. Nakagawa outlasted a field of 150 entries before winning a dramatic heads-up match against four-time circuit ring winner Brett Murray.
Finally, Andreas 'Rayo' Kniep, another local, secured his first ring after a wild week in the $600 Six Max. This victory came after dealing with a car fire, starting a new job, and obtaining his US Citizenship — all in the course of a week. We caught up with him earlier in the stop to hear about the amazing story.
Rayo Kniep had a wild week before he won his first WSOP ring. The WSOP Circuit will now move on to the Horseshoe in Council Bluffs, Iowa from September 4-16 with a $1,700 Main Event that starts on the 13th.
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