Shirley Rosario proved once again why she’s one of the best Omaha Eight or Better players in the game, taking down Event #6: $600 Omaha Eight or Better at the World Series of Poker Circuit at Horseshoe Las Vegas.
The champ outlasted 121 entries for the $15,792 first-place prize and her fourth WSOP Circuit ring — all of which have come in Omaha Eight or Better.
Rosario put on a dominant performance once she seized the chip lead at the final table, showcasing high-level big stack play and an unrelenting aggression that put her opponents in ICM jail for the rest of the day. She eventually beat Casey Schams, who finished as the runner-up for $10,328.
The love of the game
When asked about her continued success in Omaha Eight or Better, Rosario kept it simple. “I don’t know. I think it’s just a love of the game, honestly. I’ve been playing since I quit my job in 2003—maybe even before that in the ’90s. I just always did really, really well in Omaha and kind of stuck with it.”
While she plays other mixed games, she is clear about where her strengths lie. “I’ll play other split-pot games, but by far, Omaha Eight or Better is my best game. No-limit? I don’t even like it. I’m not very good at it anymore. At one point, I was probably okay, but that was a long time ago.”
It was a difficult field, like most mixed tournaments in Las Vegas. “My first table draw was not good. I looked around, and it was me, Ari (Engel), John Breneman, and Kathy (Chang). It was a tough first table. And then, when we got down to one table, it didn’t get any easier.”
“I showed up thinking, ‘I want to win my fourth ring.’ That was in my head from the start.”
To top it all off, this win was extra special because her daughters were there to witness it. “One of them loves gambling, so she’s come to see me play before, but the other one doesn’t really like it. This was the first time they were both here for a win, so that was pretty amazing.”
WSOP dealer finally breaks through
Rosario wasn't the only big win in the opening days of WSOPC Las Vegas, where a 20-year veteran poker dealer captured her first WSOP Circuit event.
Evangeline Ayed won her first-ever WSOPC ring with a victory in Event #1: $400 Mini Main Event against a field of 1,408 entries — good enough for $62,005 and the biggest cash of her poker career.
The win was especially meaningful for Ayed, who has been a poker dealer in Las Vegas for over 25 years. She regularly plays WSOP Circuit events since she's not allowed to compete in the summer World Series of Poker, where she has dealt as recently as last year. She came close to winning this same event last year, finishing in third place, but this time she was able to close it out.
Ayed was exhausted but thrilled after the win. “Oh, awesome! I’m not tired anymore. A while ago, I was tired,” she laughed.
“I always play circuit events because I’m a dealer in the World Series of Poker. We’re not allowed to play in the summer series, so I play these instead.”
Ayed has big plans for the prize, and she's not done winning. "We’re going to California!” she told us, referring to her recently earned Tournament of Champions entry. “I got the free roll, so I’ll be there.”
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