Tuesday, December 14, 2022, Los Angeles, California – The phrase “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” is often used while discussing poker tournaments. Andrew Merrick became victorious during a three-day, 27-hour poker tournament, beating out 251 other players. When questioned about winning the Bicycle Casino WSOP Circuit Main Event, the now three-time WSOP Circuit champion said it was fantastic to be back on the stage.

Merrick said, “It’s sinking in.” “I haven’t played many tournaments recently because of employment and other life changes. To return to the final table was a great accomplishment for me, and I was relieved to do so.

Merrick recounted his experience in the Circuit Main Event and emphasized how fantastic he felt over the whole three days of competition. Things seemed to fall into place for Merrick, and he was able to win the poker event. It was a combination of how good I played and ran and how everything simply fell into place. Everything about this competition seemed like it was meant to be. It’s fantastic every time it does.

After Day 1 of the Bicycle Casino WSOP Circuit Main Event, 40 players returned for Day 2, but early eliminations left players and officials wondering whether they would need a third day of competition. Players eliminated themselves quickly to a final table of nine, but the intense competitiveness there meant that Day 3 was necessary.

As Level 26 concluded on the second day of the event, late in the evening, the director ordered a halt to play with just three players remained. After Merrick, Adam Miller, and Hong Xing Wang finished their hand of poker at 1:00 a.m., they decided to call it a night and continue playing until a winner was determined. With the conclusion of the event, Merrick’s day was far from finished; he still had a two-hour trip ahead of him to get back to San Diego.

Merrick laughed as he said, “I emailed a number of my buddies and said ‘I don’t want to remain here and I don’t want to travel home. “On the end, I opted to take a bath and sleep in my own bed. In order to pass the time on the road, I entertained myself with podcasts, music, and conversation with my partner.

It was worth it for Merrick to return home to San Diego and relax before the three-handed match, since he was in top form. On the third and final day of the tournament, Merrick suffered an early setback when he lost a large portion of his chips to Wang. Despite this, he remained calm and collected and ultimately won.

Merrick lamented, “I went down early which was a bit annoying.” On the river, he completed his flush draw, busting my ace-king hand. When I got it in, I thought, “Okay, it’s time to knock out this little stack and play head’s up,” but then he binked his flush, and I was the one with the dwindling chips.

Despite the loss, Merrick used the premium cards he was dealt to eliminate Adam Miller, who finished in third place, and set up a heads-up match with Wang. After both players had started with virtually equal stacks, Merrick began to put greater pressure on Wang after winning many consecutive pots. It was just a matter of time until Merrick found the perfect moment to go all-in against his opponent and win the event.

At the beginning of heads-up play, Wang raised for more than three large blinds despite having a small chip stack. Merrick saw his chance and went all-in, forcing his opponent to fold. Wang would think about it for a while, but eventually decide to go with his suited 10-7. Merrick’s offsuit A-7 is good enough to win the Circuit Main Event.

Merrick said he and his partner were planning a vacation as a way to celebrate his win.

The two of us are going to take a vacation and go have a wonderful time,” Merrick remarked. “Hawaii is always a wonderful place to visit; I want to get there sometime.”

The official results of the WSOP Circuit Main Event at the Bicycle Casino are as follows:

1st Place – Andrew Merrick – $87,120

2nd Place – Hong Xing Wang – $53,870

3rd Place – Adam Miller – $38,505

4th Place – Win Nguyen – $28,010

5th Place – Andy Garcia – $20,740

6th Place – Michael Lo – $15,635

7th Place – Payman Arjang – $12,101

8th Place – Daniel Brown – $9,395

9th Place – David Carver – $7,495

After the last hand was dealt in the main event of the Bicycle Casino WSOP Circuit, play was suspended for the night. All of us here at WSOP Circuit Media hope you have a wonderful Christmas season. Next year, on January 12th, 2023, coverage of the future Choctaw WSOP Circuit Main Event will commence, marking the return of the WSOP Circuit. Don’t miss a minute of the action on the felt; tune in now!

Source: www.wsop.com