Alex Masek Extends Record By Winning Ninth World Series of Poker Circuit Gold Ring

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Alex Masek

Alex Masek has extended his World Series of Poker Circuit record by winning his ninth gold ring, the result of topping a field 143 in the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Event #7: $365 No-Limit Hold'em for $12,000.

��It definitely doesn��t get old,�� Masek told WSOP officials after the win. ��The last three or four times I got heads-up, I lost, so this one maybe actually means ore to me than any of my other ones just to be able to finally get back into this spot and win.��

The 30-year-old professional poker player hadn't won a ring since March 2014 at the Lumiere Place stop in St. Louis, his hometown. Now residing in California, Masek tends to stick to stops in San Diego and L.A.

��For me for the most part, it��s just about that I don��t like traveling that much for poker,�� said Masek. ��I just play everything in L.A. Whether that is a good $300 or $500 or $1,000 tournament here or the LAPC main, which I��ve played the last five years, or the Legends of Poker main here. For me, it��s just about everything that is good in L.A. I��m going to play and then Vegas in the summer"

Since winning the record eighth nearly two years ago, Masek flirted with number nine for awhile �C finishing fourth twice, notching a third-place finish, and finishing second on four different occasions, including just missing out on his first bracelet, falling to Loni Harwood in last season��s National Championship at Cherokee. He also lost one to poker pro Bernard Lee last year.

��When we were heads-up, I was thinking to myself that I��m not going to be results oriented and if I get second I can��t be disappointed,�� Masek continued. ��But I have to be completely happy with my play and I have to make every right decision. So I got lucky on the last hand, but I need to make every right decision and I was actually very disappointed in myself for making the bad call there and that��s why I decided to walk around for a couple minutes.��

According to the WSOP, Masek defeated Erick Lee in heads-up play, and in the last hand he flopped top pair against Lee��s bottom two-pair. Masek bet, called a shove on the turn, and got lucky to find a third ace on the river.

��I needed to kind of forget about that and think about the fact that I won it. I wasn��t happy with myself. I don��t like making the wrong decision for all of the chips heads-up.��

In addition to the latest win, Masek was awarded 50 points on the Casino Championship leaderboard, which is behind Wendy Freedman's 75 points and Alan Myerson's 60 points. Masek moves into a tie for third with Nadim Shabou, Phillip Penn, Dave Banerjee, Dale Beaudoin and Stuart Pfeifer, who all won events at the stop.

��I don��t see myself traveling too much. I��m engaged now and we have a couple puppies, so I got enough on my hands at home,�� Masek said when asked if he'd be traveling for more events.

Masek now has nine gold rings and $607,288 over 47 career Circuit cashes.

Here's a look at all of Masek's WSOP Circuit ring wins:

Circuit StopEventPrize
2008/2009 Harrah��s RinconEvent #12: $230 No-Limit Hold��em$9,654
2009/2010 Caesars Atlantic CityEvent #5: $340 No-Limit Hold��em$39,372
2010/2011 Harrah��s RinconEvent #2: $345 No-Limit Hold��em$22,794
2011/2012 Harvey��s Lake TahoeEvent #8: $345 No-Limit Hold��em$15,236
2012/2013 Harrah��s RinconEvent #1: No-Limit Hold��em$15,989
2012/2013 Bicycle CasinoEvent #9: $365 No-Limit Hold��em Turbo$15,905
2013/2014 Harrah��s RinconEvent #8: $365 No-Limit Hold��em$12,231
2015/2016 Bicycle CasinoEvent #7: $365 No-Limit Hold��em$12,000

*Lead photo and data courtesy of WSOP.

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PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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