Sunday, October 29, 2017 10:02 PM Local Time
Shane Gonzales Wins Re-Entry For $30,814!
California hustler collects his first ring and a career-best payday
After two close calls last season, Shane Gonzales finally got his ring at Harveys Lake Tahoe. It was a good one, too. Gonzales outlasted a field of 513 entries in the big $365 Re-Entry event, collecting $30,814 for his win. It is, by far, the largest payout on his tournament record.
Gonzales, 47, is a man of many talents from Concord, California. “I don’t really have a job,” he said. “Mostly just hustle poker and golf.”
Golf season is fading away with the autumn, though, and Gonzales and his buddies roll out the poker tables for a weekly home game. And when the WSOP Circuit comes to town, Gonzales always drops by to take a few shots.
“This is the only place I really play tournaments,” he said. “I don’t have the patience for them. But I run really good here.”
That’s a fact. Gonzales made two final tables at the stop last season, earning a third- and a sixth-place finish. He also cashed in the re-entry the year prior, but he didn’t have to settle for anything less than a win this time.
This one was mostly an uneventful tournament from Gonzales’ perspective. He was fourth in chips with 42 players left at the start of Day 2, and he had moved comfortably into the top spot by the time he reached the final table.
Stephen Bierman had been the chip leader to begin the day, and he ended up as the last man standing in Gonzales’ way. Despite entering the duel at a disadvantage, Gonzales pushed his way to the win, defeating Bierman to snag the ring that had been so elusive in the past.
[Full results]