Viet Vo and Ali Imsirovic Win Big Events To Close Out 2019 WSOP Circuit Rio Las Vegas Series

The 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Rio Las Vegas series came to a close this week in Las Vegas, with the two largest events on the schedule each wrapping up in the early morning hours of Wednesday, February 27.

The WSOP Circuit Rio Las Vegas $1,700 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event drew a sizable field of 952 total entries, blowing away the $1 million guarantee to create a final prize pool of $1,442,280. In the end, the largest share of that money was awarded to Viet Vo, who emerged victorious to secure the $274,030 first-place prize and his second WSOPC gold ring.

“It feels good. I’ve been wanting this for a long time. I got second in the Main Event in Chicago three years and a half ago. I got 11th last year in the Main Event at the Bicycle Casino. I bubbled the final table. To finally be able to close it out today, it feels good,” Vo told WSOP reporters after securing the win. “The final table was tough. I was just my playing my hands. I didn’t want to look at the players’ stats because I didn’t want to be intimidated. I just wanted to play my game and do the best I can and it worked out. I’m just glad I came out on top.”

The final table did indeed include a number of very accomplished players, including WSOP bracelet winner and 2017 WSOP Circuit Bike main event winner Jared Jaffee (7th – $42,244), 2010 European Poker Tour Barcelona main event winner Kent Lundmark (6th – $54,403), 2012 WSOP main event 22nd-place finisher Cylus Watson (5th – $70,917), and recent Heartland Poker Tour Denver main event champion and 2017 WSOPC Thunder Valley main event winner Nicholas Pupillo (4th – $93,604).

Here is a look at the payouts and Card Player Player of the year points awarded at the final table:

While Vo was taking care of the main event, the 2019 WSOP Circuit Rio Las Vegas $2,200 buy-in no-limit hold’em high roller was also playing down to a champion. The tournament attracted 179 total entries to build a $358,000 prize pool.

Ali Imsirovic topped the tough field to win his second title of the year, earning his first WSOPC gold ring, the $96,569 top prize and 312 Card Player Player of the year points. Imsirovic had taken down a $26,000 buy-in high roller event at the 2019 U.S. Poker Open just eight days earlier for $442,500 and 420 POY points. His two wins in February have moved him inside the top 100 in the POY race standings.

It wasn’t necessarily a smooth run to the winner’s circle for Imsirovic. In fact, he had to take full advantage of the tournament’s unlimited re-entry policy, as well as the fact that registration remained open until the start of day 2.

“I fired six [bullets] yesterday, and then busted on the stone last hand,” Imsirovic told WSOP reporters. “Then, I fired one more today and this one worked out… The heart of commitment, you know?”

Like Vo, Imsirovic had plenty of stiff competition to contend with, including three-time WSOPC ring winner Aaron Massey (7th – $13,182), 2015 WSOP $1,500 shootout winner Barry Hutter (6th – $17,209), two-time WSOP bracelet winner Upeshka De Silva (4th – $30,931) and 2015 World Poker Tour Championship main event winner Asher Conniff (2nd – $59,718).

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table: