WSOPC Event #13: $1,700 MAIN EVENT

Enrique Melguizo Defeats Star-Studded Final Table to Win First Circuit Ring

Durant, Oklahoma (January 17, 2017) –  Enrique Melguizo has just defeated a field of 330 entries to take down the World Series of Poker Event #7 at Choctaw Casino, earning his first Circuit ring and $23,269. 

To have secured his first Circuit ring feels extra special for Melguizo after a very close call in September 2016 in Biloxi where he took second place in the Pot-Limit Omaha Event #6 ($4,984). According to Melguizo, he “butchered a hand,” during the Biloxi tournament that cost him the win, so it felt like true vindication this time around to come into heads up play with a massive chip disadvantage, play his best, and take it down. 

“I almost cried. It feels so good to finally get the ring. It’s been 27 cashes and I may not travel that much, but I wanted it bad,” Melguizo said, “To play heads up this time, I felt like I played really well. I check raised a lot without having it, I made a lot of moves when I didn’t really have it, it just felt really good to play well after playing so poorly last time. (In Biloxi) they had put the ring on the table and my mind just skedaddled because I wanted the ring so bad.”

This time around Melguizo said that when he reached the heads up portion of play he made sure to concentrate on his breathing, and tried to stay calm and just stay in the moment. 

The players at this event’s final table were exceptionally skilled. Adrian Buckley won the 2015 Millionaire Maker WSOP bracelet, cashing for $1,277,193. Chris Bibb has one Circuit ring and also took 4th in the 2014 WSOP National Championship Event. Jonathan Hilton has a WSOP bracelet and one Circuit ring, and two other players at the table, Salvatore DiCarlo and Justin 'Matt' Bond, also both have Circuit rings. Melquizo viewed the skill level at the final table as an advantage for him.

“I came into the final table with eight big blinds. A lot of these players knew better, where as bad players would have been like, ‘Alright, he’s short, let me call with anything.’ So that kind of helped out in some ways, oddly enough,” Melguizo explained.

Melguizo has had an exceptional series, having gone three-for-three in events played/cashes. He went deep in the $1 million guaranteed Re-Entry event, then took 25^th in the $365 No-Limit Hold’em Event #5, and then won Event #7.

“Coming into today I felt really confident because I had bagged three nights in a row, and then to have cashed all three tournaments feels great,” Melguizo said.

When asked what is next for him, Melguizo said that he has to return home to Austin for work, but will be back to play the Choctaw Main Event next weekend. Despite his love and dedication to poker, his job is also very important, and his family always come first. 

“I love spending time with my wife Lacey and my two kids Tobias (5 years old) and Auri (8 years old).  Lacey is just an incredible supportive poker wife, and I am so blessed to have her love and support. I could not do this without her. She holds down the house while I go on poker trips, and that’s a lot of work. She is the one picking them up, and taking them here, and taking them there, and keeping things in order while I get to do something that I love. I am just so grateful that she is such an amazing and supportive wife and mother,” Melguizo concluded with a tear in his eye.

Below are the results of the final table. Full results from this event are available in the Results tab above.  WSOP.com.

1 – Enrique Melguizo – $23,269
2 – Adrian Buckley – $14,385
3 – Justin Bond – $10,447
4 – David Coffelt – $7,717
5 – Thomas Cooke – $5,793
6 – Rajappa Chidambaram – $3,422
7 – Salvatore DiCarlo – $3,422
8 – Christopher Bibb – $2,691
9 – Jonathan Hilton – $2,147

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At the conclusion of this event Christopher Staats and Enrique Melguizo are now tied for first place in the Casino Champion race with 60 points each. Nathanael Kogel is in second place with 52.5 points, and Jorge Nieto, Wesley Cooper, Andrew Telfer, and Charles Adkins are now tied for third place with 50 points each. The player who accumulates the most overall points in the twelve gold ring tournaments at Choctaw Casino earns the title of Casino Champion, and receives an automatic entry into the $1 million 2017 WSOP Global Casino Championship (seat valued at $10,000). The winner of the Choctaw Main Event earns an automatic entry to the Global Casino Championship as well. All players who cash in ring events will receive points that apply to both the Casino Champion race and the season-long race to claim one of the 50 at-large Global Casino Championship bids awarded to the top point earners throughout the season. More information on the points system is available on WSOP.com.

Here is the list of gold ring winners from Choctaw so far:

EVENT #1: Jorge Nieto defeated 1,096 entries ($365 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack) for $60,005.

EVENT #2: Charles Adkins defeated 5,280 entries ($365 No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry) for $237,622

EVENT #3: Wesley Cooper defeated 377 entries ($365 Congress 5-Card Omaha High Low) for $24,882

EVENT #4: Andrew Telfer defeated 506 entries ($365 No-Limit Hold’em One Day) for $32,636

EVENT #5: Nathanael Kogel defeated 399 entries ($365 No-Limit Hold'em) for $26,334

EVENT #6: Christopher Staats defeated 498 entries ($365 No-Limit Hold’em Six Max) for $32,870

EVENT #7: Enrique Melguizo defeated 330 entries ($365 No-Limit Hold’em) for $23,269

With this tournament now wrapped up, there are still 5 more gold ring events before the WSOP Circuit at Choctaw concludes on January 23, 2017.