Sunday, October 29, 2017 12:58 AM Local Time
Ian Steinman Wins First Ring Close to Home
Reigning WSOP.com Player of the Year posts another impressive live result
Ian Steinman is turning into a bit of a live pro. The reigning Online Player of the Year in Nevada won his first Circuit ring on Saturday, taking down a one-day event at Harveys Lake Tahoe.
The $10,709 payday is another highlight on Steinman's recent live record, which includes a WSOP final table and a handful of five-figure scores.
Steinman, 28, is a professional poker player from Carson City, Nevada — just down the mountain from Lake Tahoe. He’s been playing the game full time since he came of age to do so legally.
Steinman played exclusively online last year, grinding around 7,000 tournaments on his way to claiming POY honors in Nevada. But he’s focusing more his efforts on the live realm these days.
“I just got sick of playing online, honestly,” Steinman said. “So I’ve been trying to travel more.”
It’s a pretty significant transition for someone who’s had as much online success as he has, but Steinman is most comfortable playing the game face to face.
“I love to talk to people,” he explained. “I love to try to get live reads. I played online for a long time, but it’s starting to come back to me. I just love people. I’m so interested in them and what they have to say.”
Saturday’s brick-and-mortar performance was an impressive one, with Steinman only at risk one time during his run to victory. The instance occurred in three-way clash at the final table, and his pocket kings held against two opponents, one of whom had him covered.
That was the pot that propelled the eventual champ into the driver’s seat, and he didn’t waste any time sealing the deal. The entire event took just about eight hours to run from start to finish.
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