Event #12: $365 Double Stack No-Limit Hold'em (20-Min Levels)

Ricky Robinson Jr. won the last of the 12 gold rings up for grabs at Harrah’s Cherokee. Robinson outlasted a field of 491 entries in the $365 Turbo, collecting the first victory of his WSOP Circuit career. It comes with a career-best payout of $31,665.

Robinson, 27, is a retail salesman from Mebane, North Carolina, located in the Piedmont region of the state. Despite his work schedule, he makes it a point to carve out time to play tournaments when the Circuit comes to town. “I always take off and come play at Cherokee,” he said.

He’s been playing poker for most of his adult life, turned onto the idea by a few of his friends. “They were like, 'I know how we can get rich and make a ton of money easily,’” he said. “And, boy, were they stupid.”

Robinson eventually realized that poker was not going to be a get-rich-quick scheme, but he’s settled into the life of a grinder just fine. It’s taken a lot of work to make it happen, though, as he explained: “You practice a lot. You get to a point where you get better, and then… here you are.”

Here he is.

Robinson made his first Circuit final table in August in the big re-entry event, bowing out in seventh place for what was, at the time, the largest payday of his career. He’s bested it this time with another five-figure score.

“I bubbled six tournaments this time around,” he looked back on his record after his win. “Hadn’t cashed in anything. I decided yesterday that I’d stay to play today. I’m glad I did.”

When he’s not at the poker tables or working, Robinson is probably playing video games. He says he’s ranked inside the worldwide top 500 for Overwatch, a popular first-person shooter.

Final table results: 

1st: Ricky Robinson Jr. - $31,665
2nd: David Attride - $19,581
3rd: Mike Notarianni - $14,304
4th: Kevin Davis - $10,604
5th: Hamid Izadi - $7,975
6th: John Parmalee - $6,083
7th: Bryce McVay - $4,706
8th: Chris Carey - $3,693
9th: Chad Wise - $2,939

Click here for the full results.