Nick Coukos Wins WSOP Circuit Gold Ring at Caesars Palace
Nick Coukos' first love may be horse racing. But following tonight's latest World Series of Poker Circuit tournament, he is well on his way to becoming a poker aficionado. The 53-year-old executive who works at a Canadian racetrack just won his first Circuit gold ring ever, triumphing over 194 players at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. This was Coukos' biggest tournament win yet, worth $15,037 in prize money. But money was the last thing on Coukos' mind as he cradled the coveted gold ring, symbolizing a great moment of personal pride."I don't do this for a living, although I love playing poker," Coukos said moments after his victory. "Back in Canada, I run a quarterhorse track. I've also bee in the thoroughbred industry for a long time. So, winning something like this is really so special to me. It's special to my family. My kids kept on texting me (tonight) to 'bring back the ring,' and I wanted to bring it back for the family. It's something no one can take away from me for as long as I live."
Indeed, Coukos is a manager at Ajax Downs, a quarterhorse racetrack located near Toronto. He lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Coukos, the proud father of two boys, called one of his sons afterward.
"I called my son at home, and I said, I got the ring, I'm bringing it home," Coukos stated, beaming with delight.
This was the second gold ring event on this year's WSOP Circuit schedule at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. The $300 (+40) buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament was played over two consecutive days during April 15th and 16th. The tournament attracted 195 entries. The top 18 finishers split up a prize pool containing $56,745. After 186 players were eliminated on the first day, Final Table play began on a Friday afternoon. There were no prior WSOP Circuit gold ring event winners among the final nine players, which guaranteed a first-time champion. The composition of money winners was unusual for a field of this size, as representatives from five different nations cashed, including Canada, Brazil, Sweden, France, and the United States.
Mohammad Eshaghi arrived at the Final Table with a decisive chip advantage over the remaining players. He enjoyed better than a 2 to 1 lead over his closest rivals, Eugene Liu and Nick Coukos. The remaining players were down by 3 to 1 margins or more. During most of the finale, Anthony Ditomaso, who ended up finishing in second place, sat with a low to average-sized stack. He made a big move when play became three-handed and had the chip lead when play was heads-up. But Nick Coukos won all the late decisive hands and earned the victory.
"The last five players at the final table were all fantastic players," he said. "(They were the) best players I have ever played against at a final table."
Coukos absolutely dominated play late and reached a deal resulting in an official payout totaling $15,037. This was Coukos' first time to cash in a WSOP-related event and marked his first gold ring victory.
An interview with Nick Coukos at tableside, just moments after his win can be seen here: http://www.twitvid.com/F6SLE
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by Nolan Dalla
posted by Kurt at 10:01 PM
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