Congratulations to Ali Eslami, WSOP-C West Regional Champion ($282,242)!
Ali Eslami came into Day 2 as the chip leader of this tournament. It was also his birthday. From there, Eslami was able to ride the big stack to the final table and eventually grab the best birthday present of all with a victory and $282,242 in first-place prize money!
When the final table began, Eslami was fourth in chips. He was able to build his stack steadily throughout the day and pick off players left and right. In fact, Eslami eliminated Dwyte Pilgrim in seventh place, Dana Kellstrom in sixth place, David Peters in fifth place and Steve Brecher in fourth place en route to getting heads up with young gun Tim West.
West was coming off a big week, having won the Wynn Classic Main Event just a few days prior for over $300,000, so momentum was clearly on his side. Eslami proved to be his kryptonite, eventually finishing off West with a big all-in battle. The two got all the money in preflop with Eslami dominating West's 
with the 
. He was able to hold from there and claim the title.
In one of the interviews he did with the production team after winning, Eslami said that he really, really felt this one was his all along, but kept his confidence to himself so it didn't come off the wrong way. He also made sure to thank Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, for all the support he gave him throughout the event and for being the one who told Eslami to come down and play this event.
Eslami also thanked Chad Brown for being such a great tournament mentor to him and friend. Eslami is known for his prowess in high-stakes cash games and admitted that tournaments aren't his thing just yet. This is actually his first-ever tournament win and it's surely a big one. Brown's lessons must working, because Eslami seemed to flow through this final table effortlessly. He also wished Brown the absolute best in his fight against cancer and hopes that he comes out on top.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Eslami | $282,242 |
| 2 | Tim West | $174,443 |
| 3 | D.J. Blanchard | $124,204 |
| 4 | Steve Brecher | $90,223 |
| 5 | David Peters | $68,834 |
| 6 | Dana Kellstrom | $50,445 |
| 7 | Dwyte Pilgrim | $38,808 |
| 8 | Dylan Wilkerson | $30,397 |
| 9 | Miller Dao | $24,235 |
Congratulations to Eslami for taking home the title from this tournament in an extremely tough field. He earned the gold and diamond encrusted WSOP Circuit ring, $282,242 in prize money and the right to be called champion! We'll surely be looking out for him at the National Championship in Las Vegas at the end of May.
That wraps up our coverage from Rincon, but you can be sure to check out everything we have to offer at PokerNews.com on a regular basis. We'll definitely be at the next WSOP Circuit event, so be sure to follow along with our coverage then!