Dwyte Pilgrim Goes For Fourth WSOP Circuit Ring Today

Dwyte Pilgrim seeks a record-tying fourth gold ring in Council Bluffs today.

The revamped World Series of Poker Circuit is set to wrap up its first stop today with the conclusion of the main event at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Attendance was up sharply for the Council Bluffs main event, almost certainly thanks to the changes for this year’s WSOP Circuit that saw the buy-in for main events at each stop lowered from $5,000 to $1,500. A total of 251 players showed up to play at the Horseshoe, more than the combined 212 who showed up for the main event there the last three years running. Even with the lower buy-in, there was still good money up for grabs: the total prize pool reached $361,440, with $88,555 set aside for the winner.

Just 12 players survived the first two days of play to earn the right to come back today and play for the gold ring. Leading the way when play resumes at 2 p.m. CT will be none other than Dwyte Pilgrim, a three-time WSOP Circuit ring winner who holds 822,000 in chips with blinds at 5,000/10,000 and a 2,000 ante. If Pilgrim were to win the event he would enter into a three-way tie with Men “The Master” Nguyen and Mark “Pegasus” Smith for the most gold rings won on the Circuit since its inception in 2005.

Of course, Pilgrim still has to make it past 11 more players if he wants to add another ring to his collection. Among those he has to surpass today are former WSOP bracelet winner Blair Hinkle (243,000 in chips) and ESPN commentator Bernard Lee (339,000). Whoever wins – whether it be Dwyte Pilgrim, one of his fellow pros, or perhaps a lesser-known player – will take home the top prize and the gold ring, as well as the first automatic entry in the $1,000,000 WSOP Circuit National Championship to be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas next year.