Everyone with even a brief knowledge of the poker industry has heard the name of the World Series of Poker which is one of the most famous poker festivals on a global scale over the past almost half a century. The official Event #1 of this 49th edition of the WSOP has come to an end and the casino employee who made it all the way to the top of the official leader board was Jordan Hufty who claimed a total of $61,909 for his deep run.
Event $1: $565 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em was the first tournament in this year’s rich schedule of the renown festival. It gave a well-deserved nod to the people responsible for the organization of poker festivals and entertainment offerings, namely casino staff members which operate for a licensed gambling venue. The very first event which kickstarted the entire festival and set the tone for the remaining 77 events was opened for participation for staff members of casino facilities from near and far.
With a relatively average buy-in, this event boasted a prize pool amounting to some $78,500 which guaranteed the interest of many players. People working at a wide variety of gambling venues to the likings of casino rooms, racetracks, and casino facilities were more than welcome to give their luck a try at one of the poker tables and showcase their skills. It could be recalled that a total of 651 entries were registered back in 2017, however, this year could not best this figure. There were some 566 entries willing to participate which provided for a riveting action on the felt.
First Tournament Brings Joy
The overall prize pool which was paid out to the players claiming the top 85 positions amounted to some $283,000 and each of them received a fair share of the pie. The first participant to make it out with a cash prize was Jason Bardol from Henderson, Nevada who bagged the minimal paycheck estimating to $837.
The entire tournament had a lot on offer since we are talking about poker enthusiasts who due to their employment spend a lot of time around poker tables and gaming offerings. However, probably the most impressive part of the first tournament of this edition of WSOP was the heads-up duel between the eventual winner and the player who has to settle for the runner-up title at the end of the day.
This final battle between the two most prominent players on the felt lasted for a total of four hours, giving everyone interested an exciting pastime, but also testing the players’ strength and patience. Hufty has been interested in poker for some 15 years now and as it turns out this event made his dreams come true. The skills he has he managed to develop with the help of online poker.
As for the runner-up position on the leader boardc, the player who could not outplay the eventual winner was Jodie Sanders. He bagged some $38,246 for his deep run. He is familiar from the 40th edition of WSOP where he finished 28th in this very same event and received some $2,045. Kate Kopp was the player who claimed the third position and this brought her the fair prize of $26,250.
