Yousef Saleh claimed the WSOP Circuit New Orleans Main Event title on Labor Day. He captured the $1,700 buy-in tournament at Caesars New Orleans. Saleh topped a field of 510 entrants and earned $149,268 in prize money. He also secured his second WSOP Circuit ring and a trip to the Bahamas for WSOP Paradise in December.
WSOP Circuit New Orleans Main Event Final Table Highlights
At the final table, Saleh survived a fierce challenge. Kane Keller finished second with $99,135. Andrew Dykeman took third, pocketing $67,291. Alexander Jones ended fourth for $46,704. Samuel Rosen took fifth with $33,161. Andrew Yurchak claimed sixth place for $24,100.
Notably, Saleh faced adversity earlier in the tournament. He had twice avoided flipping situations at the final table, opting for unorthodox, risk-averse folds. He explained, “I didn’t want to gamble. I usually lose flipping.”
Then Rosen moved all-in with pocket nines versus Kane Keller’s ace-queen. A queen appeared on the flop and end of the action, eliminating Rosen in fifth.
Next, three players – Saleh, Keller, and Dykeman – entered a tense three-handed phase. Blinds shifted, and chip leads changed hands frequently. Then Saleh outlasted Dykeman in a key confrontation. Dykeman held the ace-queen against Saleh’s pocket queens, and Saleh’s hand held. Dykeman finished third.
In the final showdown, a cooler ended Alexander Jones’ run. He flopped a five-four of spades and got it all in versus Keller, who held seven-five for a flopped straight. No spade arrived, and Jones bowed out in fourth.
Ultimately, Saleh defeated Keller heads-up to secure the win. He scored his biggest career payout and booked his place at WSOP Paradise.
Saleh’s Back to His Winning Ways
Moreover, this return marked redemption for Saleh. He had finished seventh at the same event six years ago but avoided repeating that mistake.
His triumph also highlighted the growing interest in live tournament poker, which continues to thrive alongside US online poker sites. For many players, online platforms provide valuable experience that translates to live events like the WSOP Circuit.
Saleh’s disciplined play and timely aggression carried him to victory. He took home the lion’s share of the $772,650 prize pool.