WSOP-C Thunder Valley

WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley Main Event Champion Akbar Zamani

Experience or confidence? Which would you rather have when it comes to winning poker tournaments?

Akbar Zamani may not have had the same experience or career results on the felt as his final table opponents, but he was oozing confidence, frustrating his opponents with unorthodox plays.

That, combined with some timely rungood and a dominant heads-up performance, and you have the recipe for a WSOP Circuit Main Event champion.

Zamani topped a field of 676 entries, capped by a blistering final table run and a triumph heads-up over runner-up Antonio Ma to claim his first WSOP Circuit ring and $187,882.

Noah Curhan

Zamani entered the day second in chips behind Noah Curhan, who would finish in third place, but by heads-up play he had gained a slight lead going into play against Ma.

From there however, it was all Zamani.

Their heads-up match lasted barely a level before Zamani had claimed victory after showing down repeated flushes, trips and two pairs, leaving Ma frustrated throughout.

WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley Main Event runner-up Antonio Ma

And as for the hands Zamani didn’t show down? Well, the runner-up won’t like to hear what Zamani had to say about those hands.

“Most of the hands that I played, I was actually bluffing, but I bluffed with confidence.”

Zamani credited that confidence more than anything to his win.

“When we sat down, the two of us, I just felt that I’m going to win it. Yeah, I love heads-up. I think I had control over him. When we started heads-up, I dominated him… I knew when was the right time to bluff.”

The win may be the biggest in the poker realm for Zamani, but it’s actually not his biggest financial win ever, as he told us that he was the lucky recipient of a $500,000 lottery win a few years back.

Talk about running good!

He says his nearly $200,000 score for this win will propel him to playing more poker around the Bay area where he plays a monthly $1,000 “Last Saturday of the month” tournament in San Jose.

It will also land him a seat that he’s earned in the 2025 WSOP Tournament of Champions, and he says that the WSOP Main Event will also see him this coming summer.

WSOPC Thunder Valley Main Event final table results:

1. Akbar Zamani - $187,882
2. Antonio Ma - $125,260
3. Noah Curhan - $87,120
4. Michael Lin - $61,645
5. Erle Mankin - $44,390
6. Julian Bonorris - $32,540
7. I Le Wu - $24,290
8. Jiangfeng Yin - $18,470
9. Jose Mas - $14,310

Event #15: $1,125 Last Call champion Hieu Tran

The final ring of the Thunder Valley WSOP Circuit series has been awarded, as Hieu Tran denied Travis Egbert his fourth WSOP Circuit ring since this series last January by winning Event #15: $1,125 Last Call.

While denying Egbert ring number 4, Tran claimed his first ring along with the $36,573 first prize.

Egbert took home $23,880 for his runner-up finish.

Event #15: $1,125 Last Call final table results:

1. Hieu Tran - $36,573
2. Travis Egbert - $23,880
3. Shahin Shojaeyan - $16,087
4. Shijia Liu - $11,192
5. Mitchell Collins - $8,051
6. Jed Hoffman - $5,994
7. Peter Cross - $4,625
8. Brett Murray - $3,703
9. Justin Clark - $3,082
10. John Kenner - $2,669

See that WSOP Circuit ring in his mouth? It's Scott Stewart's 8th!

At the start of the series, we (note: I) playfully teased Scott Stewart about cashing in a $600 side event here at the Thunder Valley in his first series since winning the WPT World Championship last month.

He went on and won that event.

And now, he's gone and won another one.

Stewart topped the 77 entry field in Event #16: $400 The Finale for his 8th WSOP Circuit ring and $7,290.

In his interview after winning ring #7 last week , Stewart spoke at length about life after winning the WPT Championship including his desire to buy a Jurrasic Park-themed golf cart with the winnings.

But far more importantly, he spoke about the importance of family and friends and the ability to spend time with them.

It comes as no surprise then that when asked if he'd like to forgo the standard winner's interview this time to expedite his attendance at a post-series celebration with some of those friends (including yours truly), his answer was pure Stuey...

"Hell yeah, brother!"

Event #16: $400 The Finale final table results:

1. Scott Stewart - $7,290
2. Ronnie Malonzo - $4,662
3. Evan Price - $3,120
4. Dan Stavila - $2,191
5. Shawn Murray - $1,617
6. Kais Mohammad - $1,258
7. Yang Lu - $1,035
8. Juan Lugo - $903
9. Aditya Prasetyo - $838

Scott Stewart has just won his 8th WSOP Circuit ring

Scott Stewart has just topped the 77 entry field in Event #16: $400 The Finale for his 8th WSOP Circuit ring and second of the series.

Stewart defeated Ronnie Malonzo in a short heads-up match to win the title.

Stewart tacks another $7,290 onto his totals for the win.

Stay tuned for more on his victory and another chat with the champ.