France’s Yoann Gimenez takes American trip following 2021 WSOP and triumphs in the Bicycle Casino Circuit Main Event.
Bell Gardens, CA (December 14, 2021) - The World Series of Poker Circuit series at The Bicycle Casino crowned a Main Event Champion on Tuesday evening, its penultimate night. When all was said and done in Event #10: $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, which attracted 525 entries and generated a prizepool of $795,375, France’s Yoann Gimenez reigned as the lucrative victor.
A grand prize of $156,160 and Circuit gold ring were awarded to the 36-year-old for his first-place finish. When asked how he felt following his momentous triumph, Gimenez responded with a sigh of happiness and relief.
“It’s been amazing. I’ve been playing poker for a while now. I have a background like cash game players. I’ve been playing MTT (multi-table tournament) a few times, but I’ve been working a lot,” he explained. “For sure I’ve been very lucky, but I also played very well.”
Gimenez earned his Day-2 berth through surviving Day 1B with an above-average stack. During the second leg of the tournament, he outlasted 96 other players and made the unofficial final table by the end of a grueling 12-hour session.
On Day 3, the field only needed to lose one player to reach an official final table and enter the limelight. Gimenez was the one to do the dirty work, eliminating David O’Day in 10th place. The bust out prompted a locale move to the Live at The Bike! studio room and the beginning of a live stream for virtual audiences to follow the action.
Level 28 is when Gimenez caught his first hot streak. The Poker Pro scored two more knockouts, busting Germany’s Thorben Vellrath in 8th place and Darrell Lane in 7th place. Shortly after, Gimenez took the chip lead and never looked back.
His next elimination was the most iconic of all. Jared Smith, the catalyst of the final table, jammed for roughly 22 bigs in the small blind. Gimenez called from the big blind with pocket aces. The aces held strong and Gimenez added a large chunk to his chip lead.
In all, Gimenez took out seven players at the unofficial final table, including his eventual heads-up opponent Sun Tongguang. When the last card was dealt, Gimenez burst into a joyful celebration with his ever-present rail.
“I would like to say thanks to all my crew; My crew here, my crew in France, my girlfriend, parents, and also my crew in Thailand, like all my friends around poker,” Gimenez expressed. “MTT games are very hard. When you have a victory, you have to enjoy yourself… Now it’s time to enjoy with my friends.”
The French native explained how his residence rotates between France and Thailand, but he came to the United States to play in the 52nd annual WSOP in Las Vegas. Then, from there, he decided ‘why not make a trip in America?’ which ultimately led him to The Bike’s WSOP Circuit in Southern California.
“I would like to say thanks to everyone, like all the organization. You guys are awesome,” Gimenez expressed as he voiced his final words. “I have to say something to American players. I really enjoy to play with them because every time it was like very fun at the table… American people are very nice at the table. Like, you play, you win, you lose, but smile,” he continued. “I would also like to say a message to poker players… Never give up, stay proud when you lose and humble when you win and like that you can improve your game.”
Gimenez will walk away from his American trip with an unforgettable experience, and he will be back to try and seize another in the future.
“I will go back to my country to have a rest. And then, for sure come back to the next WSOP because I have the Championship to play,” said Gimenez, referring to his automatic bid to the Tournament of Champions freeroll in the summer of 2022.
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