Giuseppe Pantaleo is the winner of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, breaking a self-described poker drought that tested his desire to even play tournaments anymore. But turning $1,700 into $192,831 will change any poker player’s attitude and mood.
“Yeah, this feels very good because the last five years have been pretty bad in tournaments for me. I’m just very happy to get the weight off my shoulders and have some success,” Pantaleo said. “Honestly, I didn’t even want to play tournaments anymore. I’ve been playing more cash and just to be slow and steady to make some money because the tournament grind, you never know when you’re gonna win them, so it does feel good to put in the work and get rewarded.”
His largest cash since finishing fifth in EPT Barcelona’s main event for $232,354. It’s his third WSOP Ring, but the first coming in a live event. He also owns one WSOP bracelet he won with Nikita Luther in the tag-team event in 2018.
The WSOP Circuit series Main Event more than doubled its $500,000 guarantee with 669 entries, paying the top 101. Those numbers were reached with three starting flights, building a prize pool of $1,013,535.
Pantaleo found his way to the top after making two other final tables, finishing eighth in the $3,300 event for $7,354, and fourth in the $2,200 event for $23,429. Both events are considered “high-rollers.”
The win sends Pantaleo to the WSOP Tournament of Champions, $1 million freeroll, which will be held as part of the final WSOP Circuit series of the season at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles in May.
| Place | First | Last | Prize |
| 1 | Giussepe | Pantelao | $192,831 |
| 2 | Peter | Hengsakul | $119,182 |
| 3 | Jonah | Labranche | $87,689 |
| 4 | Mario | Colavita | $65,271 |
| 5 | Harvey | Alegado | $49,158 |
| 6 | Baurzhan | Akimov | $37,466 |
| 7 | Kevin | Calenzo | $28,900 |
| 8 | Blaise | Ingoglia | $22,565 |
| 9 | Nick | Marchington | $17,838 |
It took about nine hours playing from 12 players to the winner. When asked what he would be doing to celebrate the victory, he said: “I’m very happy inside. I’m going home to my wife and my daughter and we are gonna be happy together.”
There are five more live WSOP Circuit series left in the 2023/24 season, which runs from May to May. The 19-event series at Grand Victoria Casino in Chicago starts tomorrow, with the Main Event starting April 11. After that, it heads to Horseshoe Tunica in Mississippi April April 18-29, Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina May 2-13, Caesars Southern Indiana May 9-20, before wrapping it all up at Commerce Casino in the City of Angels May 10-24.
Then it’s the granddaddy of them all, the WSOP at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris, which runs from May 28 to July 17.
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