Ryan Riess is back, 10 years after winning WSOP main event. What will this year’s competition bring him, we find in the lines below.
Back in the day, Riess made some big claims. Heady with the success of a just-won tournament, he high-strungly said that he was “the best player” in the world. That was back in 2013 when he managed a spectacular win during the 2013 World Series of Poker main event.
Looking back, Reiss is less boisterous but he concedes that having faith in one’s own abilities is essential to success in all its forms. In a recent interview with ESPN, he spoke about the importance of relying on one’s own abilities entirely and having the mindset to carry on when faced with slim odds.
Reiss victory back in 2013 was quite the juicy one, with $8.3 million going his way unabashed. He now ruminates how fast time has passed since. Reiss preludes to the main event are rather bizarre when you come to think about it. He only participated in the WSOP Circuit stop, held in Hammond, Indiana at the time, because he was bored.
Arriving rather late he still managed to win $239,063 and clinched second place. He then progressed to the WSOP National Championship, and the rest, as they say, is well-documented history.
The King’s Crowned – And What Then?
His motivation for playing poker is quite noble, too. Beyond his professed love for the game, Reiss also had university bills to foot. Following his victory at Hammond, Reiss had the financial means to push well ahead with his hobby full-time. Following his big win in 2013, however, his game began to peter out, as his new-found glory and fame had blinded him.
Because Reiss was now a prominent name and a champion he was faced with a slew of individuals who were adjusting their game to throw him off. In other words, he was beginning to meet an ilk of players who had been bred to counteract a king.
With the unorthodox play came self-doubt and soon the king started to give up his power. Reiss then refocused his efforts on Canada and started hobnobbing with fellow players, which allowed him to get back on track and pursue his career again. While he has been around the world, notching up respectable amounts, Reiss also participated in the 2016 WSOP main event but finished 271st, which is not too shabby a spot, given the competition.
And now that 2018 WSOP has kicked off, Reiss continues to compete for a second bracelet, which will allow him to gain the confidence he so dearly needs. He shouldn’t doubt himself too much, though, because he’s just one EPT main event win from being added to the elite list of poker players, and admittedly become what he has always wanted to – (one of) the best players in the world.
Much more considerate now, Reiss is definitely a player whose career will interest you. His amiable character, despite a minor flaw to brag, is another fetching feature of his.
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