Andreas Kniep Blasts Off to Ship WSOP Circuit Graton Event for First Ring
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Before this month's World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Graton stop, Andreas Kniep had been heads-up for a Circuit ring three times without ever being able to close out. The German-turned-Californian can now boast a Circuit ring after taking down Event #5: $600 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed for $15,907.
Kniep, a Google software engineer and former SpaceX engineer who best known for his deep run in the 2021 WSOP Main Event and fourth-place finish in the 2023 Millionaire Maker for $501,182, topped a field of 120 runners and defeated heads-up opponent Pedro Green.
It was a welcomed victory for Kniep, who earlier in the series finished third in Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Mega Stack for $10,451.
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Event #5: $600 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed Final Table Results
| PLACE | PLAYER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andreas Kniep | San Francisco, CA | $15,907 |
| 2 | Pedro Green | Lawrenceville, GA | $10,318 |
| 3 | Frank Saunders | Livermore, CA | $6,937 |
| 4 | Loren Egide | Novato, CA | $4,834 |
| 5 | Taylor Pollard | Concord, CA | $3,514 |
| 6 | Terrance Reid | Mckinleyville, CA | $2,654 |
Finally Closing Out
With his bright clothing and eccentric personality, Kniep is a bit of a fan favorite on the live poker circuit. He went viral last year at the Millionaire Maker final table when he had aces cracked in one of the worst beats of the summer, one that cost potentially cost him more than a half million in cash.
The 6-handed final table in Graton also included Californians Frank Saunders (3rd - $6,937), Loren Egide (4th - $4,834), Taylor Pollard (5th - $3,514) and poker journalist Terrance Reid (6th - $2,654), who has been on a hot streak that includes a WSOP Main Event deep run and a RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) victory in the $2,500 Million Dollar Main Event for $192,755.
Daniel Hughes Wins Deepstack Event for $86,857
The WSOPC Graton stop runs Aug. 15-26 and features over a dozen ring events, including a $1,700 buy-in Main Event with a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool getting underway Aug. 23. Last year's inaugural WSOPC Graton Main Event drew 616 entrants as Michael Persky defeated Dan Sarasin for $175,595 and his first Circuit ring.
This year's stop started off with a victory from Frank Chavez in Event #1: $400 Big 30K Stack Kickoff for $21,762. After that, Daniel Hughes topped a sizable field of 1,131 runners in Event #2: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack for $86,857, making him the biggest winner of the stop so far.
Other players who have picked up rings in Graton include Lev Saakov (Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Mega Stack - $22,901) and Charles Himes (Event #4: $400 Seniors Event - $15,738).
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WSOPC Graton Winners So Far
| EVENT | ENTRANTS | PRIZE POOL | WINNER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $400 Big 30K Stack Kickoff | 311 | $102,630 | Frank Chavez | Sacramento, CA | $21,762 |
| Event #2: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack | 1,131 | $582,465 | Daniel Hughes | Fair Oaks, CA | $86,857 |
| Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Mega Stack | 333 | $109,890 | Lev Saakov | San Francisco, CA | $22,901 |
| Event #4: $400 Seniors Event | 201 | $66,330 | Charles Himes | Santa Rosa, CA | $15,738 |
| Event #5: $600 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 120 | $61,800 | Andreas Kniep | San Francisco, CA | $15,907 |
*Photos courtesy WSOPC
