The World Poker Tour’s dream-making machine continues this month on the Wynn in Las Vegas with its World Championship collection that included a historic $5 million freeroll.
The WPT additionally noticed a brand new champion in its $1,100 WPT Prime Championship that attracted 9,669 entries. Which means two newly minted millionaires had been topped final week.
Freerollin’ fantasies
Chase Bricker got here to Las Vegas to play within the WPT Prime Championship. He fired two bullets within the occasion, and in-between the 2 entries, made his approach over to the ClubWPT Gold Sales space, received fortunate, and pulled a passport into the $5 million freeroll.
A couple of days later, on Dec. 15, he took down the entire thing. Bricker, 36, received $1 million plus $100,000 in bounties that had been up for grabs for the ultimate six gamers. Not dangerous for the poker hobbyist from Texas.
“I’m not a professional. I play for revenue and I play to win,” he instructed WPT’s Jeff Walsh. “Poker offers me that outlet to remain aggressive and it’s undoubtedly a pleasant second string of revenue. And now actually a primary string of revenue after a rating like this, as a result of I can’t make cash like that basically wherever.
That is life-changing cash. Safety. That cash must imply one thing is how I have a look at it. I have a look at it as a possibility, frankly, to raise my life, and my household’s life, and my future household’s life. I’m undoubtedly going to nonetheless compete in tournaments, however it doesn’t imply I’m going to go play excessive rollers or stuff like that — effectively, perhaps each now and again.”
He was a part of a 1,457 discipline of gamers who both received their approach in on WPT’s on-line room, ClubWPT, or lucked right into a seat via random drawings and give-aways.
Dwelling the dream
Zak VenKeuren made a literal dream come true within the WPT Prime Championship occasion.
“I’ve desires typically the place I’m taking part in poker in a giant match or one thing, after which I get up,” he instructed Tim Fiorvanti. “I suppose I’m simply pondering I’m in a lucid dream proper now, and I’m simply gonna get up quickly. Hopefully it’s nonetheless actual life in about an hour.”
VenKeuren dominated the ultimate desk and received a career-best $1,162,350 for being the final participant standing of the within the occasion that noticed 9,669 entrants. The World Sequence of Poker bracelet winner ($3,200 on-line occasion simply this summer season) mentioned his victory is the results of learning and training.
“I’ve been learning with the suitable individuals the previous couple of years, gamers who’re actually, actually good – ranges above me. Studying from them, spending extra time with them and a number of them are shut associates now. Bouncing some palms off them, going via sure programs on-line.”
That, mixed with a Zen-like perspective is giving VanKeuren success on the felt.
“(I’m) simply feeling nice – bodily, mentally, in a bizarre metaphysical approach simply having good intentions and the best intention to win, but in addition absolutely accepting myself and simply letting issues be as they’re. It’s so humorous. It’s just like the moments the place I actually don’t care what occurs, after I’m simply glad both approach, it looks as if issues are likely to go higher.”
Ohmmmmm.
