Jared Jaffee Wins 2017 WSOP Circuit Main Event at the Bike For $211K

A tough year on the felt is ending in positive fashion for Jared Jaffee, who topped a 687-player field in the $1,675 WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Main Event for a first place prize of $211,220.

It's the first Circuit ring for the lawyer turned poker pro and also permits Jaffee to grab a free seat at the 2018 Global Casino Championship. The 36-year-old is attributing his recent success at the poker tables to a special gift given to him by friend and fellow pro Sam Panzica.

“He gave me this lucky Buddha card protector,” Jaffee told WSOP officials. “Then I won the six-max and then I went pretty deep in the main and then I came here and won this.”

Buddha Believer

Poker players are generally a superstitious bunch and if Jaffee wants to give credit to a souvenir from Asia that protects his cards, so be it. But some would argue that he made the proper strategic moves at the right times on his way to winning the title.

Jaffee was short-stacked coming into the final day of action, in 10th place out of 14 players remaining. With the Buddha statue by his side, he slowly accumulated chips as his opponents hit the rail one at a time.

A turning point came when he made the nut flush over the smaller flush of Chahn Jung. That double up eventually led to Jung's elimination in 7th place for $31,760.

"I picked up a couple hands and had people dominated and somehow laddered up to the final table," Jaffee recalled. "I had one big hand where I coolered one of the other players flush over flush. I had the chip lead and it was pretty smooth sailing from there.”

Jaffee rode that chip lead into heads-up play versus Brendan Baksh. The eventual runner-up managed to double up a couple of times to grab the lead in chips at one point, but the Buddha's magic won out in the end.

Most of the chips found there way into the middle of the table with Jaffee's A-Q holding an edge over the ace-rag of Baksh. The stronger starting hand held up and Jaffee held a commanding lead in chips with about 100 big blinds to only nine for Baksh.

The finishing touch saw Baksh shove from the button with J-10 offsuit. A snap call from the chipleader and his pocket kings followed, as did a victory for Jaffee and his good luck charm.

That makes two wins in as many weeks for the Brooklyn native who scored an $84,348 payday late last month in the $1,620 six-max event at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic. A previously disastrous 2017 is now looking a whole lot better for the new Circuit ringholder.

“This helps and it feels like the momentum is shifting and I’m looking forward to 2018,” Jaffee stated.

I have a feeling that the Buddha souvenir will continue accompanying Jaffee on his poker journeys.

Bicycle Casino - WSOP Circuit Main Event - Final Table Results: