Anchorage pro Adam Hendrix remains Alaska’s most prominent poker player, but don’t sleep on Juneau stalwarts Jacob Thibodeau and Mario Fata, who have been cashing in regularly at the ongoing 55th annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Thibodeau has already cashed in 10 events at this WSOP, earning money in four live tournaments and six online tournaments to the tune of $26,013. He’s cashed 39 times in his WSOP history, doing it six times in 2023, four times in 2022 and seven times in 2021.
Fata, meanwhile, has cashed seven times in the 2024 WSOP after cashing five times last year. This year, he’s pocketed a combined $25,090.
Hendrix’s 11 cashes in 2024 lead all Alaskans as the WSOP, the most lucrative and prestigious tournament in the world, is currently playing the Main Event, the most coveted title in the game. Hendrix at this WSOP has won $192K in earnings, plus pocketed another $150-160,000 in bounties.
Both Wayne McGregor of Wasilla and Jeremy Hamey of Juneau have each cashed four times this WSOP – McGregor for a combined $5,479 and Hamey for a combined $5,053.
Charles Lawson of Anchorage has cashed three times for $19,781. And although Sterling Lopez of Anchorage has two cashes, he’s racking big money – a total of $38,950 – courtesy of his 10th-place finish in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship, which furnished him $34,847.
Hendrix’s fourth place in the $800 No-Limit Deepstack event gives him both the highest finish by an Alaskan at this WSOP and the most lucrative finish ($125,074).
Through Saturday, 49 different Alaskans have combined to cash a combined 87 times in this WSOP. Those players come from 12 different cities in towns in the state.
The WSOP opened May 28 at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas and runs through July 21.
• This article was originally published by Alaska Sports Report.
