Wednesday, March 1, 2017 2:20 PM Local Time
Ryan Jones
Las Vegas, Nev. (1 March, 2017) — “You can’t win a poker tournament without a little luck,” winners will often say, humbly refusing to credit the victory to skill, practice, training, and patience. And sometimes that adage is appropriate, as a lucky winner will fail to accomplish anything more, eventually fading into obscurity. But if one victory can be attributed largely to luck, a repeat performance surely shows it wasn’t a fluke. And Ryan Jones of Burlington, North Carolina, has proven his success is no fluke.
For the second time in two years, Jones won a World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event. He first entered the winner’s circle in 2015 at Harrah’s Cherokee, virtually in his backyard in North Carolina. And then Tuesday night, he won the Main Event at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, earning his second Circuit ring and $269,327...READ MORE
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 2:22 AM Local Time
Ryan Jones - Rio Circuit Main Event Champion - $269,327
Muruz Yohannes limps in on the button, and Ryan Jones raises to 1,000,000. Yohannes calls.
The flop comes . Jones bets 600,000, Yohannes quickly announces that he is all in, and Jones snap-calls.
Yohannes is at risk holding (pair of sevens) against Jones' .
The comes on the turn, giving Jones a set of queens, and the river becomes inconsequential.
"He was left drawing dead on the river," Jones says as his rail heads over to congratulate him.
Yohannes is eliminated in second place, taking home $166,585. Jones earns $269,327 for his win, along with a World Series of Poker Main Event Circuit ring and an automatic entry into the Global Casino Championship held at the end of the season, valued at $10,000.
A full winner's story and recap will be posted in the next 12 hours.
Ryan Jones - WSOP Circuit Rio Main Event Champion
Chad Wiedenhoeft - Eliminated
Muruz Yohannes - 2nd Place - $166,585
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 2:09 AM Local Time
Ryan Jones limps from the button. Muruz Yohannes then raises to 900,000 from the big blind, and Jones calls.
The flop is and Yohannes moves all in. Jones asks for an exact count, and Yohannes has 5,150,000. Jones tanks for about two minutes, then folds.
Muruz Yohannes - 7,050,000
Ryan Jones - 11,850,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 1:56 AM Local Time
Level: 36
Blinds: 150,000/300,000
Ante: 50,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 1:44 AM Local Time
Players are now on a short break while the tournament staff does a color up.
Current chip counts:
Ryan Jones - 13,400,00
Muruz Yohannes - 5,500,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 1:11 AM Local Time
Muruz Yohannes raises to 500,000 from the button and Ryan Jones calls.
The flop comes . Jones checks and Yohannes continues for 600,000. Jones calls, bringing the on the turn. Jones now leads out for 800,000. Yohannes thinks for a minute, then releases his cards.
Ryan Jones - 9,750,000
Muruz Yohannes - 9,150,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 1:05 AM Local Time
Hand #1:
Muruz Yohannes limps on the button, and Ryan Jones checks his option.
The flop comes . Jones checks, Yohannes bets 400,000, and Jones calls.
The turn is the . Jones checks, Yohannes bets 500,000, and Jones calls again.
The river is the , and both players check.
Yohannes turns over for a pair of kings, but Jones shows , for a pair of kings with a better kicker.
Hand #2:
Ryan Jones limps on the button, and Muruz Yohannes checks.
The flop comes , and both players check.
The turn is the . Yohannes bets out 300,000, and Jones calls.
The river is the . Yohannes bets 400,000, and Jones calls again.
"Jack," Yohannes says as he turns over , but Jones turns over for a pair of jacks with a higher kicker to win the pot.
Ryan Jones - 8,400,000 (35 bb)
Muruz Yohannes - 10,500,000 (43 bb)
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:52 AM Local Time
Ryan Jones raises to 480,000 from the button and Muruz Yohannes calls.
Both players check on the flop, and again on the turn. The river is the , and Yohannes checks a third time. Jones bets 400,000. Yohannes thinks a minute, then calls. Jones simply mucks his cards, yielding the pot to Yohannes.
Muruz Yohannes - 13,800,000
Ryan Jones - 5,100,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:50 AM Local Time
Level: 35
Blinds: 120,000/240,000
Ante: 30,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:46 AM Local Time
Ryan Jones raises to 400,000 on the button, and Muruz Johannes calls.
The flop comes . Yohannes checks, Jones bets 300,000, and Yohannes calls.
The turn is the . Yohannes checks, Jones bets 750,000, and Yohannes calls.
The river is the . This time Yohannes bets out 900,000. Jones raises to 2,300,000, Yohannes quickly shoves all in, and Jones snap-folds without showing.
Yohannes's rail erupts in cheering, and one of his friends on the rail says loudly, "That's right! Let him bluff that shit off!"
Muruz Yohannes - 12,650,000 (63 bb)
Ryan Jones - 6,250,000 (31 bb)
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:39 AM Local Time
Ryan Jones raises to 400,000 from the button and Muruz Yohannes calls.
Yohannes checks the flop, and Jones bets 200,000. Yohannes check-raises to 600,000 and Jones calls.
The turn is the and Yohannes moves all in. Jones looks a little surprised by the big bet, and he asks for a count. Yohannes has 6,820,000. "You know if I call it's over, right?" Jones asks. He shakes his head, says "I'm not going to call," and slides his cards to the muck.
Muruz Yohannes - 8,880,000
Ryan Jones - 10,020,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:31 AM Local Time
Muruz Yohannes limps in on the button, and Ryan Jones raises to 600,000. Yohannes calls.
The flop comes . Jones checks, Yohannes bets 500,000, and Jones calls.
The turn is the . This time, Jones bets out 1,400,000. Yohannes pauses, turns over and sits the cards out in front of him, without actually mucking them.
"Get that shit outta here," Jones says while waving his hand in a sweeping away motion.
Yohannes turns his cards back over, and then tosses them into the muck while the pot is pushed to Jones.
Ryan Jones - 12,000,000 (60 bb)
Muruz Yohannes - 6,900,000 (34 bb)
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:22 AM Local Time
Muruz Yohannes raises to 400,000 from the button and Ryan Jones calls.
The flop is . Jones checks, Yohannes continues for 300,000, and Jones calls again. Both players check the on the turn, and the river is the . Jones leads out for 500,000 and Yonahhes calls.
Jones:
Yohannes:
Muruz Yohannes - 7,800,000
Ryan Jones - 11,100,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:20 AM Local Time
Ryan Jones raises to 400,000 and Muruz Yohannes calls. The flop comes and Yohannes checks. Jones continues for 200,000. Yohannes then check-raises to 400,000 and Jones calls.
The falls on the turn and Yohannes checks again. Jones bets 450,000. Yohannes check-raises to 1,000,000 and Jones immediately folds.
Muruz Yohannes - 6,300,000
Ryan Jones - 12,600,000
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:14 AM Local Time
Muruz Johannes limps in on the button, and Ryan Jones checks his option.
The flop comes . Jones checks, Yohannes bets 300,000, and Jones calls.
The turn is the . Jones bets 350,000, and Yohannes calls.
The river is the . Jones checks, Yohannes peeks at his cards, pauses for nearly thirty seconds, and then checks behind.
Jones turns over . Yohannes just nods, and then mucks his cards without showing.
Ryan Jones - 13,700,000 (68 bb)
Muruz Johannes - 5,200,000 (26 bb)
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:10 AM Local Time
Ryan Jones limps in, and Muruz Yohannes checks his option.
The flop comes . Yohannes checks, Jones bets 200,000, and Yohannes calls.
The turn is the , and both players check.
The river is the . Yohannes bets 400,000, Jones pauses for nearly thirty seconds, and then calls.
Yohannes turns over for trip fives, and Jones mucks his hand without showing.
Muruz Yohannes - 5,800,000 (29 bb)
Ryan Jones - 13,100,000 (65 bb)
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 11:54 PM Local Time
Ryan Jones raises to 400,000 from the button and Muruz Yohannes calls. The flop is and Yohannes checks. Jones continues for 200,000. Yohannes then check-raises to 500,000 and Jones calls.
The turn is the . Yohannes starts to put out a bet of about 1,400,000, and Jones immediately folds.
Muruz Yohannes - 5,400,000
Ryan Jones - 13,500,000
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 11:50 PM Local Time
Level: 34
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 30,000
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 11:42 PM Local Time
Ryan Jones raises to 350,000 on the button, and Muruz Yohannes calls.
The flop comes . Yohannes checks, Jones bets 160,000, and Yohannes calls.
Both players check the turn.
The river is the . Yohannes checks, and Jones pauses before checking behind.
Yohannes turns over for a pair of tens, and Jones mucks without showing.
Muruz Yohannes - 4,250,000 (26 bb)
Ryan Jones - 14,650,000 (91 bb)
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 11:36 PM Local Time
Ryan Jones raises to 350,000 from the button and Muruz Yohannes calls from the big blind.
Both players check the flop, and Yohannes checks again on the turn. Jones bets 160,000 and Yohannes calls.
The river is the and Yohannes checks a third time. Jones continues for 400,000 and Yohannes calls.
Jones turns over for top pair, and Yohannes mucks his cards.
Ryan Jones - 15,200,000
Muruz Yohannes - 3,700,000