Suddenly, There Were Loud Cheers; There Was Even a Wagging Tail
Last month, Joey cotchery89Weissman (pictured) brought home a World Series of Poker bracelet in a $2,500 No Limit Hold’em event. The tournament brought out over 1,600 players and Weissman, who hails from Florida, defeated France pokerplayer Jeremy Quehen heads-up. Six nations were represented at the final table and Weissman walked away with nearly $700,000. He appropriately told PocketFives in an exclusive interview that the whole experience “felt like a dream.”
“I’m just very relieved to be free from some debt,” Weissman said when asked how it felt to be $700,000 and a gold bracelet richer. “Recently, I’ve been viewing poker as a vehicle to make some money to spend on experiences and fun times, although I will admit I felt like I was going to wake up at some point. It felt like a dream.”
Six countries and three continents had players at the final table of the $2,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament, but Weissman told us that he didn’t have to change his game too much given the varied styles: “My strategy didn’t require too much navigating. I just decided to open as many pots as possible and put maximum pressure on my opponents. Obviously, the pay jumps are huge and I knew to use that to my complete advantage.”
While Weissman was busy winning his bracelet, his dog Revis(pictured) was on-hand to witness it all. Revis, a service animal, is a sweet two-year-old Catahoula Lab. The dog and the assembled crowd endured a nine-hour final table, bad beats, bust-outs, and all. Weissman told PocketFives that Revis “provides inspiration for us all.”
Besides a faithful canine, Weissman had a throng of fans camped out at the Rio in Las Vegas rooting him on. “I’m generally a pretty calm and collected guy,” Weissman told us about the overwhelming show of support. “All of my emotions came from my amazing friends on the rail and family watching at home. I could feel the positive energy all around me and it gave me the confidence I needed to propel me to victory.”
The final card was dealt in the WSOP event around 3:00am local time in the Nevada desert. According to WSOP officials, the scene was unique: “Suddenly, there were loud cheers. There was jubilant celebration. There was even a wagging tail. Revis got his belly rubbed and his ears scratched.”
From February to May, Weissman was camped out in Costa Rica in order to play online poker. During his stay in the Central American country, he finished third in the PokerStarsWednesday Hundred Grand for $14,000 and won the site’s $1 Rebuy for another $11,000. Several high-stakes pros flanked him in land of Pura Vida, including Steve Illini213Barshak (pictured), Nickdawgg, bullyon, Brian Brianm15England, and Steve Murkle.
“I loved Costa Rica,” Weissman told us. “I grew a ton as a human being and gained a lot of perspective. I was living in a beautiful house right on the Pacific and it was unlike anything I’ve experienced. The people down there were amazing, not just my other poker friends, but the locals as well. It was a completely different lifestyle that humbles you. I can’t speak enough about Costa Rica.”
Now that the WSOP is finished, Weissman’s next move remains to be seen. He told us that while he may end up back in Costa Rica for the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker in September, “It’s an amazing feeling to be free and have the financial flexibility to go anywhere and do anything.”
There’s a possibility that Weissman ends up staying in the United States, as locales like Delaware and Nevada could soon be offering legal real money online poker. In fact, according to an eGaming Review article published this week, South Point in Las Vegas could be offering legal games by September.
“I think what’s going on with online poker in the United States is absurd,” Weissman told us. “In my opinion, it’s a complete violation of freedom. However, it’s been a blessing for me because I had experiences that I never would have had.”
The WSOP bracelet winner closed our interview by thanking everyone who showed up to root him on down the stretch: “I want to thank and give love to all my amazing friends on and off the rail. They are the source of my inspiration and I’m so incredibly thankful to have the deep relationships that we’ve maintained. It’s something that doesn’t come often in this life and it definitely should be recognized. Also, thanks to my hugely supportive family. They always support me in everything I do and instill confidence in me. They were all up through the hours of the night and morning cheering me on and I can’t even express how much that means.”
Weissman has been a member of PocketFives since 2007 and has contributed nearly 550 posts to the community. He’s logged over a half-million dollars in tracked online poker MTT cashes and was one of 17 members of our community to capture WSOP bracelets this year.
