The World Series of Poker (WSOP), the world’s most prestigious brand in poker, crowned a new Circuit champion at its latest Oklahoma stop at Hard Rock Tulsa.
The poker festival, which ran August 26 to September 7, awarded $1,781,120 in total prize money and drew local professionals and players from across the United States, with Springfield, Missouri’s Jesse Jones emerging as the headline winner. Jones won $112,945 and his sixth WSOP Circuit gold ring after taking first place in the series’ marquee tournament.
The $1,700 buy-in Main Event drew a field of 376 entrants and paid out the top 39 finishers, with Jones earning a lion’s share of the $569,640 prize pool. However, it was far from a swift jaunt across the finish line for Jones. Despite only two players, Jones and multi-ring WSOP Circuit champion Dave Alfa, returning for Day 3 of the tournament, it took the competitors seven hours to determine a champion.
“I feel like he was the toughest heads-up battle I’ve had out of all of them,” Jones told PokerOrg of Alfa, who had already won two rings in two days earlier in the week. “No offense to anyone else, but he is very good.”
Collecting multiple WSOP gold rings was a defining theme of the Hard Rock Tulsa series, which featured 17 other trophy events alongside the Main Event. Jones claimed an impressive sixth career gold ring, while Alfa made a run at the incredibly rare feat of winning three rings in the same series. Remarkably, however, another player accomplished the rare trifecta: Eric Bunch.
Bunch, from Oklahoma, went on a dominant tear during the first half of the series. His recorded wins can be found below. Not to mention, his wife, Lauren Bunch, also claimed a WSOP gold ring of her own by winning Event #3.
| Tournament | Winner | Prize |
| Event #1 The Opener | Eric Bunch | $16,939 |
| Event #4 Mini Main | Eric Bunch | $46,800 |
| Event #9 40/40/40 | Eric Bunch | $27,205 |
Fans were able to follow the WSOP Circuit Tulsa Main Event action throughout the tournament via PokerOrg’s live coverage, interviews, and highlights. More images are available to access and download for free in the PokerOrg photo gallery.