You cash two live tournaments in a day, with the second ending with a bittersweet runner-up finish for a WSOP Circuit ring. So, what do you do next? Immediately drop a stack at the last possible moment in a third event with your friends, have some fun, and blow off some steam.
And then how about winning the damn thing too?
3 cashes, 2 final tables, 1 day
Jarod Minghini had a day for the ages on Wednesday at WSOPC Thunder Valley, doing all of that, with a 42nd place finish in the $400 Monster Stack, then second in the $600 Triple Draw, and finally winning the $600 PLO tournament he originally intended to just splash around in with his boys and have a few drinks.
Drinks indeed were had, and eventually he found himself at the final table with one of his best friends, an equally well-lubricated eight-time ring winner and reigning WPT World Champion, Scott Stewart.
That close to the winners' circle and with some side bets in play too, great play and great needling between the longtime friends dominated the endgame stage of the tournament.
Stewart built himself a huge chip lead, while Minghini was short, but those stacks eventually flipped and saw Stewart poetically eliminated in fourth place by his buddy.
Let the needling begin
This presented an endless array of banter directed at Stewart, which continued right into Minghini’s winner’s interview.
“F***ing dips***, Scott Stewart, World Champion, said he wanted action, he wanted to bet against me on top one, two, three. We made a wager and bet on it. He had all the chips in the world, I had dust. Obviously, he’s a terrible PLO player. Hold ‘em world champion, terrible PLO player. He’s on the sideline owing me money, and here we are.”
It's all just banter between the besties
To clarify further, the duo are indeed the best of friends, having travelled the poker circuit together for over ten years. As much playful insulting as there was throughout the final table, Minghini repeatedly stated how much he loved his friend, and not just in a drunken 'I love you, man' way either. The back and forth between these longtime traveling partners was an absolute joy to watch, with several off-duty staff members and other players gathering around the final table to watch the spectacle of these two in their element.
It was the perfect culmination for a day that started with a short stack in one event and ended with all of the chips in another.
“A hell of a day… obviously dusted Monster Stack right away, but had a good spot. It didn’t work. Deuce to Seven, started to make it work, but then got heads up with a guy that was playing very well, he caught cards at the end, and he won. Then I max late-regged this PLO tournament.”
The heater continues
This seventh ring on Minghini’s resume is the latest accomplishment in what’s been an incredible few months for the South Lake Tahoe resident. After an epic run to eighth place in the WSOP Main Event for a career-high $1,250,000, Minghini followed it up with Circuit ring number six at Graton last month and now this one.
“Seventh ring is sick. Obviously, I’ve been on an insane heater as everyone here knows. Insane summer, final tabled the (WSOP) Main and then played very little poker since then, and I’ve binked two rings out of I think six tournaments, which is absurd. Blessed, happy, everything is awesome.”
A legendary win in 2022
A beloved figure in the poker community in this region, Minghini has built himself legendary status for several reasons, but none more so than maybe the greatest Main Event win the Circuit has ever seen. In October 2022, Minghini won the WSOPC Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Main on home soil just a couple of weeks after the tragic passing of his brother Bobby in a motorcycle accident.
Minghini called his shot on Day 1, dedicating the tournament to his brother. With equal parts dominance and destiny, he cruised to the final table (which Stewart was also at), then finished it off in under two hours in a truly incredible display.
Back to his win on Wednesday, as much enjoyment as he took from the shenanigans of this night, he couldn’t say with certainty that it was the most ‘fun’ he’d ever had at a final table because of how much that one in 2022 meant to him.
“Yes and no. This is one of the most fun I’ve ever played and won, but obviously, the tournament right after Bob died was like the most fun, the most fulfilling, the most everything of my life. That one I also knew I was going to win. As dumb as it sounds, I knew I was going to win that one.”
Then, with a smile on his face, Minghini raised his glass high above his head and toasted to his brother.
“Hey. To Bob.”
“To Bob,” replied his gathered friends, and then, with a glance in Stewart’s direction, Minghini had one parting shot for his pal.
“He would be so f***in’ happy for me workin’ your ass!”
The duo laughed boisterously, then made their way out of the Thunder Valley poker room together, wrapping a truly incredible day here in Northern California.
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