Joe Saleh Continues Amazing Mid-Major Run with WSOPC IP Biloxi Ring Win
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This weekend, the World Series of Poker Circuit is at Mississippi’s IP Biloxi for the $1,700 Main Event, which is being live reported here on PokerNews.
In the week leading up to that tournament, a series of side events has played out awarding gold rings and points for both the Casino Championship race and Global Casino Championship leaderboard.
Yousef "Joe" Saleh Captures First Ring
In Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em, 665 runners competed over four starting flights, which generated a $219,449 prize pool.
The top 91 players got paid including Greg Whitworth (10th - $3,289), David Nicholson (13th - $2,826), Craig Flood (20th - $2,197), Rodney Crosby (32nd - $1,583), Cecil White (43rd - $1,188), and Martin Zentner (57th - $815).
"If you keep playing the way you’re playing and work on it a little bit, you will be a champion."
Coming out on top was Yousef "Joe" Saleh, who claimed a $34,004 first-place prize and his first gold ring.
“I feel good. I already made two final tables this series. It’s awesome,” Saleh said after the win. “I believe in goals for myself. Last year, I wasn’t in poker that much. I played here at the IP the series and didn’t do anything. Then after that, I wanted to take it seriously. There’s a guy, Cory Waaland, who inspired me who said: ‘If you keep playing the way you’re playing and work on it a little bit, you will be a champion.’ I just kind of took it seriously from this day. But it’s still a hobby, I don’t play for a living. I love the game, but it has ups and downs.”
As for his heads-up opponent, Easton Oreman, Saleh said: “He played perfect. We both kind of played perfect. We swapped the chip lead about six times. I went down to one million, four big blinds. But I just kept playing my game and got lucky. You have to take advantage of being lucky, you cannot be lucky and just waste it. You can’t just believe it’s going to happen every day. It doesn’t.”
It was just the latest score for Saleh in a career year. In 2017 he cashed for just $826, and in 2018 that went up in $3,381. Thus far in 2019, he has $227,741 in tournament cashes which included wins on the WSOP Circuit, RunGood Poker Series, and Heartland Poker Tour. In August, he won the HPT Vicksburg for $36,895 and back in March took down the RGPS Tunica for $34,650.
Just last month Saleh was deemed “Breakout Player of the Year” at the inaugural Gulf Coast Poker Awards and also won the Poker Gras $600 Main Event for $34.195.
Event #2 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yousef "Joe" Saleh | Meridian, Mississippi | $34,004 |
| 2 | Easton Oreman | Kenner, Louisiana | $21,322 |
| 3 | Jesse Lott | Selmer, Tennessee | $15,903 |
| 4 | Aaron Gamino | Nashville, Tennesse | $12,047 |
| 5 | Gavin Munroe | Gautier, Mississippi | $9,278 |
| 6 | Philip Walsh | Gulfport, Mississippi | $7,269 |
| 7 | Greg Urbanski | Mobile, Alabama | $5,798 |
| 8 | Joseph Hebert | Metairie, Louisiana | $4,711 |
| 9 | Bobby Moree | Pearl River, Louisiana | $3,900 |
Robert Cheung Nabs Ring No. 3
In Event #5: $400 NLH 6-Handed, 107 entries created a $25,310 prize pool, which was paid out to the top 17 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Daniel Boylen (10th - $912), Burnie Burns (13th - $650), and Todd Bartlett (16th - $650).
In the end, Canada’s Robert Cheung, a WSOP bracelet winner, beat Pricilla Giroir in heads-up play to win the tournament for $9,921 and his third career ring.
"Everyone was laughing, making jokes…having fun is more important than winning a tournament.”
“I feel good. I love it here. The people and the players here are nice and friendly and the casino is very nice,” said Cheung. “I’m very impressed with the tournament area. Everyone was laughing, making jokes…having fun is more important than winning a tournament.”
The Canadian businessman added: “I have my business in Vancouver and whenever I can, I love to travel. Since the WSOP in summer this Vegas, I haven’t played any tournament. Everything went very smooth today. Everything has to go smooth to win a tournament.”
Event #5 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Cheung | Vancouver, BC, Canada | $9,921 |
| 2 | Priscilla Giroir | Lafayette, Louisiana | $6,134 |
| 3 | Hanh Nguyen | Biloxi, Mississippi | $4,100 |
| 4 | Colby Hufman | Kansas | $2,831 |
| 5 | Jerry Giroir | Lafayette, Louisiana | $2,021 |
| 6 | BJ McBrayer | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | $1,495 |
WSOPC IP Biloxi Ring Winners
Here’s a look at all those who’ve won rings at the IP Biloxi stop thus far:
| Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $400 NLH Double Stack | 148 | $48,840 | Jonathan Honeycutt | $12,946 |
| Event #2: $400 NLH | 665 | $219,449 | Yousef "Joe" Saleh | $34,004 |
| Event #3: $250 NLH | 147 | $29,400 | Charles Brady | $7,791 |
| Event #4: $400 NLH One-Day | 90 | $29,700 | Russell Boyette | $8,815 |
| Event #5: $400 NLH 6-Handed | 107 | $35,310 | Robert Cheung | $9,921 |
| Event #6: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha | 79 | $26,070 | William Pollard | $8,068 |
| Event #7: $400 NLH 8-Handed | 153 | $50,490 | Trace Henderson | $13,382 |
| Event #8: $400 Monster Stack | 332 | $109,560 | Shawn Quillin | $24,264 |
| Event #9: $600 NLH | 145 | $74,675 | Corey Harrison | $20,027 |
