The Future of Poker
We've been paying close attention to that unique table pairing over in the corner. When Dwyte Pilgrim's table was broken very early in the day, he was moved to the direct left of Kyle Cartwright. They look and sound nothing alike -- except for the near-matching hoodies -- but you'd be hard pressed to find two players in the room with more in common.
In 2008, Pilgrim broke onto the mainstream poker scene with many thanks to the World Series of Poker Circuit. In December of that year, he tore through the Circuit stop in Atlantic City, picking up two final tables and four cashes to start his poker career about $50,000 in the black. In March of the following year, Pilgrim tasted victory for the first time, winning a ring on the other side of town. Later that same month, he snagged one for the other finger, taking down the $5,000 WSOP-C Main Event in Rincon. Since that fast start, Pilgrim has gone on to collect a third gold ring and amass more than $1.7 million in tournament earnings. If the World Series of Poker Circuit had a poster boy, it'd be Dwyte Pilgrim.
But Kyle Cartwright might have something to say about that. With no cashes on record until this year, Cartwright is making Pilgrim-like waves on the Circuit here in 2011. In February, he picked up two rings at the stop in Tunica, both victories in $345 side events. He wouldn't be the next Dwyte Pilgrim without a Main Event ring, though, and Cartwright managed that feat last month in St. Louis, winning the Main Event to boost his career cashes over $200,000.
Like Pilgrim's, Cartwright's career is off to a blistering, gilded start, and the two men are sitting right next to each other as the race to ring number four continues.