Within the professional poker scene, nothing is more renowned for its scale, prestige and history like the World Series of Poker. Established in 1970, the WSOP has grown from a single tournament to a multi-event series that attracts thousands of players from around the globe, amateurs and pros alike. The WSOP Circuit is just one of those series, traveling throughout the United States to various casinos where players can try their hand — and their luck — at a winner’s gold ring that punches their ticket to the annual $1,000,000 Tournament of Champions and the chance to win one of WSOP’s coveted bracelets that marks the pinnacle of achievement in poker.
Each year, the Hard Rock Tulsa poker and banquets teams transform the Sequoyah Convention Center into an iconic circuit stop that whittles the field of registered players from 400+ down to a single Main Event table winner in just two weeks. Seven players have taken home Hard Rock’s top prize in one of the top Hard Rock casino events since the circuit stop was created. These lucky seven have not only earned their spot in Las Vegas, but have solidified their place in Hard Rock Tulsa history as poker royalty.
March 2017 saw WSOP Tulsa’s inaugural circuit stop, where Norman, Oklahoma, native Will Berry became the first Hard Rock Tulsa Main Event champion to make their way to Vegas. After nearly winning several other tournaments, Berry finally broke through and beat a field of 574 for a $180,806 first-place prize.
“I’ve played a lot of these tournaments and never managed to finish better than fourth place,” said Berry. “So, to finally win one feels great.”
Jonathan Poche, from Youngsville, Louisiana, was the second champion for Hard Rock Tulsa who was awarded his second Main Event ring in 2018. With $216,307 in hand, Poche represented 721 Tulsa entries at his seat in the winner’s circle. “It feels good,” he said, “like winning is supposed to.”
Hard Rock’s third WSOP champion was named in March 2019. Phillip Pope from Garland, Texas, won his first circuit ring and $215,000, beating out longtime professionals and amateurs alike.
Following a brief hiatus, the Hard Rock Tulsa Circuit returned in 2022, crowning Plano, Texas, native Arthur Morris as its newest champion. Morris secured his first professional victory at the Main Event, beating out 646 players and winning $182,379.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Morris, following his victory. “I’ve had an outrageous amount of unofficial final tables this past year, and it’s really tough to make it that deep with nothing to show for it. But I really feel now that I’m getting over that hump.”
Seven months later, the second circuit series for Hard Rock Tulsa that fed into the 2023 WSOP Global Casino Championship saw John Lopez, from Marshfield, Missouri, walk away with a gold ring and $145,876.
That August, Mark Barrientos from Goddard, Kansas, joined the elite winners of the circuit with a $126,920 top prize. His gold ring was the second overall of his career, and he believes that the Hard Rock Tulsa Circuit played a part in his success.
“The first ring meant a lot, so I felt that I had something to prove,” said Barrientos. “This one feels a little better because I think I played better through this one. The structure of this tournament is very helpful with it. It has big pay jumps and tends to pay off people who are patient, and that was my plan coming into the day.”
Most recently, Han Feng from Houston, Texas, snagged his place in Hard Rock history in early 2024 and is currently the reigning Main Event champion for the circuit. Winning $144,413, Feng beat out 472 others and took his place at the 2024 WSOP Tournament of Champions.
“It was meant to be. It’s hard to explain; I just knew I was going to win. I willed it into existence in a way,” said Feng. “I was down to single digit blinds multiple times in this tournament, but I got really fortunate in a couple of spots and spun it a bunch.”
The WSOP Hard Rock Tulsa Circuit returns to the resort destination in 2025, and the poker team is already planning for a record-breaking year. The top prize is anyone’s to win! Amateurs and professionals alike can receive the latest news and information related to the circuit series with official signups starting in January. Future entries can also practice and test their luck anytime in the Hard Rock Tulsa Poker Room, where 14 tables make up games of Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud. The hours of operation are noon–3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and noon–4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
