Ryan Jones Triumphant in WSOP-C Harrah's Cherokee Main Event

North Carolina native Ryan Jones won the World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah's Cherokee Main Event. 24-year old claimed the title and $235,804 - the amount that almost doubles his earnings to date.

Hometown hero claimed his first WSOP Circuit ring and secured a seat in the prestigious National Championship tournament, scheduled to take place late in July. He will have an opportunity to play against top poker players, battling for his share of the $2,000,000 prize pool.

Ryan Jones managed to beat a field of 786 players en route to victory. The field featured some big names of the local poker scene, along with several prominent pros. Ryan went into the final table fourth in chips, but he quickly made his way up and became the chip leader.

Ryan was accumulating chips mostly by staying active and outplaying his opponents with aggressive preflop moves.

Day 3 of WSOP Circuit Harrah's Cherokee ME was full of action. Ryan sent Erik Gorman to the rail in 11th place and did the same to Martin Roberts who got eliminated in 7th. Not long after, only two were remaining, as David Williams and Ryan started the final confrontation that took about an hour to complete.

In what was to be the last hand, Ryan and David both flopped a pair on Q-8-3 board with Ryan holding K-Q and Daniel K-8. When King peeled off on the turn, all the money quickly found it's way to the middle. Ryan’s K-Q had Williams in jail and after the river brought no help, David took home $145,371 for his runner up finish.

Jones was very excited after winning, claiming that victory at home had a special significance. He also couldn't hide his excitement over the chance to play with the best in the National Championship event.

Ryan finished fourth in the Borgata Winter Poker Open in January this year boosting his bankroll with $119,582. However WSOP Circuit Harrah's Cherokee ME is the biggest win in his poker career that helped him move to just under $500,000 in total live tournament earnings.

When asked about his progression in poker, he explained that he first started with the game when he was young, playing in the micro stakes home games. North Carolina native also said that 2015 has been a good year so far thanks to the big score in January at the Borgata and the recent victory in WSOP-C event.

Jonas will get back to the scene of his most important poker accomplishment in late July, as the National Championship will be held at Harrah’s Cherokee. The WSOP Circuit has now moved to Harrah’s New Orleans, starting today and ending on May 11th.