Kyle Cartwright Wins Sixth Circuit Ring; Crosses $1 Million in WSOP-Related Cashes
The 2015/2016 World Series of Poker Circuit at Harrah's Tunica Event: #8 $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack attracted 457 entries and created a $137,100 prize pool. On Thursday, that tournament came to an end with Kyle Cartwright as the last man standing.
If that name sounds familiar, that's because we once deemed Cartwright the "Poster Boy for the WSOP Circuit." That's because from 2011-2012, Cartwright caught fire by winning five rings and tying then all-time ring leader Mark "Pegasus" Smith. With his most recent win, Cartwright captured his sixth gold ring, though that is no longer the record as others have moved ahead since the WSOP Circuit started offering 12 rings at each of their stops.
Alex Masek currently holds the record for most rings with nine, the most recent coming late last year. Behind him, Chris Reslock, Ari Engel, and Valentin Vornicu are all tied with seven, while Cartwright and Cory Waaland sit tied with six.
Still, capturing his sixth ring and a $29,484 first-place prize at his home casino, especially after an extended delay, meant a lot to Cartwright, who also won a WSOP gold bracelet at the 2014 WSOP when he took down Event #4: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em for $360,435.
"It's been a long time," Cartwright told WSOP officials after the win. "I haven't won one since 2012, but I haven't played too much really. I stopped traveling for the most part. I play more cash games."
Cartwright's win came after he defeated Josh Palmer in heads-up play.
"Josh is a great heads-up opponent," said Cartwright. "He destroyed me for the first 30 minutes. It felt like I couldn't win a hand. Then I three-outed him and doubled up, and after that I kept winning."
Not only did Cartwright win his sixth ring, he also crossed the $1-million threshold in WSOP-related earnings, which now stands at $1,008,422.
Here's a look at Cartwright's WSOP Circuit victories:
| Date | Venue | Event | Players | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/27/16 | Horsehose Tunica | Event #8 $265 Monster Stack | 437 | $29,484 |
| 08/18/12 | IP Biloxi | $1,675 Main Event | 300 | $107,992 |
| 04/20/12 | Harrah's St. Louis | Event #10 $1,090 NLH | 229 | $55,533 |
| 04/10/11 | Harrah's St. Louis | $1,600 Main Event | 449 | $142,290 |
| 02/11/11 | Harrah's Tunica | Event #44 $345 NLH | 508 | $31,111 |
| 02/03/11 | Harrah's Tunica | Event #20 $345 NLH | 410 | $25,678 |
The WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Tunica Main Event will take place this weekend. PokerNews will have a recap of that event upon completion of play.
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