Poker pro, Will Berry, adds to resume with Horseshoe Hammond High Roller win.
Hammond, Indiana (October 24, 2017) – Will Berry and his group of poker playing friends have a saying. ‘The key is that you have to want to win.’
Over the last seven months, Berry has proven that he wants the ‘W.’ He won his second career ring on Monday night in the Horseshoe Hammond $5,300 no-limit hold’em high roller. He defeated a field of 56 entries and Andreas Pavlou heads-up to win $105,000.
“It feels pretty great,” said Berry after the win.
The 25-year-old poker pro from Oklahoma has quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with on the World Series of Poker Circuit. He won his first ring last March in the Hard Rock Tulsa Main Event for $180,806.
He takes down another six-figure score in Hammond, but in a much different event. One with a smaller field and a much bigger buy-in. He’s had experience at this level before during the summer at the Rio and actually enjoys the smaller fields and bigger buy-ins more than other events he’ll play.
“I enjoyed this high roller a lot,” said Berry. “I think the structure was great. I actually think this was more enjoyable than the main [event]. Not just because I won, but the people were pretty friendly throughout. It’s just a looser atmosphere.”
Like a true professional, Berry doesn’t think about the stakes when he is at the poker table. He is focused on one thing and one thing only – playing his best at all times.
“Relative to the size of the standard $1,600 main event buy-ins, it’s not that much bigger. It’s just three of them,” said Berry. “When I come to a stop, I’m willing to play the event the maximum four times and it’s still the same game.”
Berry isn’t far removed from his time at the University of Oklahoma, where he honed his poker skills and supported himself in a local $2/$5 game while earning a degree in Petroleum Engineering. He graduated from school in 2014 and just over three years later, he’s emerged as one of the better players on the Circuit.
Immediately after getting his degree, he started out on a full-time poker career. He grinded cash games until his bankroll was big enough to allow him to play tournaments.
“You kind of have to get some scores to play all these buy-ins,” said Berry. “So, it was just cash games until I was able to comfortably able to play tournaments.”
It’s not luck that got him this far, though. He’s a grinder that is constantly putting in work on his game.
“I like to think that I’m constantly improving,” said Berry, who turns 26 next month. “I try to play as many tournaments as I reasonably can. It’s kind of hard when you have to travel around to places, but I put in the hard work when I’m at home and I guess the results are starting to show.”
High Roller Results:
1st: Will Berry - $105,000
2nd: Andreas Pavlou - $64,960
3rd: Mike Shin - $42,560
4th: George Pappas - $29,400
5th: Ken Detina - $21,560
6th: Richard Bai - $16,250