September WSOP Circuit
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
Coconut Creek, FL
Event 3
$1,125 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 57
Prize Pool: $57,000
September 16-17, 2018

(Coconut Creek, FL) — Martin Ryan is a six-time World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring winner following a win in Event 3 at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. The tournament was a $1,125 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry and Ryan came out victorious at the hands of a 57-entry field.

Ryan is no stranger to South Florida having won one of his previous rings right here in Coconut Creek. That victory came in last February’s series opener when he defeated 318 entries ultimately pocketing $22,416. Ryan’s poker ventures took a backseat from there when he rushed himself to the hospital during last April’s WSOP Circuit in Iowa. Ryan was diagnosed with diabetes and had a bad infection in his leg. He was in and out of the hospital for the next roughly five months and on bed rest.

“I was in Council Bluffs. I cashed in the first tournament and while I was cashing in the second one, diabetes attacked me,” Ryan remembered. “I was rushed to the hospital and the last four to five months I’ve been out. I tried to play in Cherokee, but I couldn’t. I cashed in the second event, but I had to leave because my feet started to swell. I left and they did a little amputation — my little toe. I shouldn’t be on my feet right now, but it’s hard to give up poker.”

Stabilized, Ryan made his way to Coconut Creek and masterfully maneuvered through a tough Event 3 field. He came to the decisive day of play with the chip lead four-handed and never looked back.

As mentioned, the win marked Ryan’s sixth WSOP Circuit win. It also moved him over $330,000 in reported earnings and gave him his seventh career tournament victory (his only non-WSOP win coming during the Binion’s Poker Classic in 2018).

The Coconut Creek $1,125 buy-in event permitted unlimited re-entry and the total field hit 57 entries generating a $57,000 prize pool. That number eclipsed the $50,000 guarantee and saw the final six players finish in the money. Seminole regular Wally Maddah was among those to have made a final table appearance, but he ultimately bowed out shy of the money. Joining Rya in securing a payday were Richard Rice, Ory Hen, Gavin Gowie Zyad Qasem and Ofer Peleg.

Final results:

1st: Martin Ryan – $21,375 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd: Richard Rice – $13,224
3rd: Ory Hen – $8,664
4th: Gavin Gowie – $5,985
5th: Zyad Qasem – $4,389
6th: Ofer Peleg – $3,363