The World Series of Poker Circuit Finds New Champion
- by Thomas Baker
The 2012 World Series of Poker Circuit has a new champion. Abraham Araya took first place in the $1,600 WSOP Circuit Choctaw main event in Durant Oklahoma, which earned him a prize of $270,380 and his first gold ring.
He is overjoyed with his success, as he was laid off from his job as an airline flight mechanic when his company went bankrupt due to the current depressed economy. He moved to the US over twenty years ago from East Africa, and with a wife and three children to support his latest win comes on top of his other success at the poker tables in the T.J. Cloutier Poker Challenge last October, when he won $83,659. The 44 year old, who lives in Carrollton, Texas, is now worth more than $350,000. As he said it accounts for, “four or five years’ salary for an airline flight mechanic.”
With a total of 978 players and a $1,600 buy-in, giving an overall prize pool of $1.4 million, Araya had the chip lead at the end of day two, while the rest of the 30 players remained in the money with a guaranteed payday pay-out of $7,271.
On the third and last day, he made his way to the final table and to heads up play, and still in the chip lead. His final hand saw him heads up with Daniel Lowery who came second with a total prize of $167,230.
As well as his cash prize the win brought him 912 Card Player of the Year points, which leaves him tied with Brendon Rubie at eighth place in the standings.
Araya will not just be sitting on his money, though, and has great ideas for some of it. He is planning to take his children to East Africa to see their grandparents and to take his wife to Hawaii for their tenth anniversary and a second honeymoon.