Alex Masek Captures Record-Setting 8th WSOP Circuit Ring
On Thursday, March 27, 2014, Alex Masek captured his record-setting eighth World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring. Masek traveled to St. Louis and the Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel for the current stop on the tour and took the title in the $365 Six-Max No-Limit Hold'em event. Masek earned $19,474 for the victory.
Masek defeated Phil Stelzer to win, and Stelzer took home $10,045 for his second-place finish. On the final hand of the tournament, Masek and Stelzer were involved in a hand on the 10♥10♣4♦ flop. According to the WSOP Circuit Blog, Stelzer bet 125,000, and Masek made the call. The turn was the A♥, and Stelzer moved all in for a little over 300,000. Masek called with the 10♠9♠ for trip tens. Stelzer was drawing dead with the 4♣3♣. The river completed the board with the 5♦ to officially seal the deal.
Masek is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, but now resides in San Diego, California. "In 2008, I moved to San Diego for law school, and after graduating, I moved to Los Angeles," Masek previously told PokerNews. "Though I liked both St. Louis and San Diego, neither city has great year-round poker tournament action. I knew that if I wanted to really concentrate on tournament poker I'd have to live in a city like L.A., where there seems to be a good series going on basically every week."
In December of last year, Masek won his seventh WSOP Circuit gold ring, tying the record set by Chris Reslock when he captured two gold rings in one week earlier in 2013. Now, Masek's eighth piece of jewelry sets him apart from the rest.
Here's a look at Masek's other WSOP Circuit ring wins:
| Circuit Stop | Event | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2008/2009 Harrah’s Rincon | Event #12: $230 No-Limit Hold’em | $9,654 |
| 2009/2010 Caesars Atlantic City | Event #5: $340 No-Limit Hold’em | $39,372 |
| 2010/2011 Harrah’s Rincon | Event #2: $345 No-Limit Hold’em | $22,794 |
| 2011/2012 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe | Event #8: $345 No-Limit Hold’em | $15,236 |
| 2012/2013 Harrah’s Rincon | Event #1: No-Limit Hold’em | $15,989 |
| 2012/2013 Bicycle Casino | Event #9: $365 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo | $15,905 |
| 2013/2014 Harrah’s Rincon | Event #8: $365 No-Limit Hold’em | $12,231 |
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Photo courtesy of the WSOP.
