Loni Harwood Wins Fifth Career Circuit Ring in Rio High Roller

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With Vanessa Selbst effectively retired from professional poker, many are wondering which female pro will step up to become the world’s top female player. Loni Harwood has long been considered one of the top female players in the game and after her recent performances on the WSOP Circuit, she is staking her own claim to replace Selbst as the best female player in the game.

On Tuesday, Harwood won the $2,200 High Roller Event at the WSOP-C Rio circuit stop for her fifth career Circuit ring. This comes about two weeks after she claimed her fourth career ring at the Coconut Creek stop.

Harwood Defeats Cheong to Take Fifth Ring Event

The $2,200 High Roller Event of the Rio Circuit stop concluded on Tuesday and Harwood walked away with her fifth career circuit ring. A field of 130 entries entered the event, creating a prize pool of $260,000.

Harwood did not have an easy road to the title. She started a tough final table about the middle of the pack. Some of the players at the final table included Ankush Mandavia, Seth Davies, Phue Nguyen and former November Niner Joseph Cheong.

With just three players left at the final table, Harwood found herself the short stack with just 10 big blinds. However, a couple of double ups put her back into contention. Ankush Mandavia hit the rail in third place when Harwood rivered a flush against a lonely pair.

At the start of heads-up play, Joseph Cheong left 1.96 million to 1.2 million for Harwood. Cheong took a more than 2:1 chip lead but then lost it in a big hand where Harwood was able to get maximum value a single pair of kings.

In the final hand, Cheong shoved for 1.2 million holding Ac-9s. Harwood looked down to Ad-Qd and made the easy call. The board missed both players and Harwood won her fifth career circuit title.

In addition to her fifth circuit ring, Harwood earned $72,802 in prize money.

Victory is Second Circuit Ring Victory in Two Weeks

Harwood’s victory in the Rio High Roller comes just a mere two weeks after taking her fourth ring in a $365 NL Event at the Coconut Creek Circuit Stop at Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek, FL.

With her fifth circuit ring victory, she is in a tie for 15th for most career circuit rings. Other players with five rings include Brandon Fish, Scott Stewart and Mike Leah. Presently, two players sit atop the career rings list with 10 each. Maurice Hawkins and Valentin Vornicu are the only two circuit players currently with double-digit ring totals.

Harwood’s recent High Roller victory moves her up to over $2.6 million in career tournament earnings. This puts her 33rd on the New York All-Time Money List.

More importantly, Harwood is 10th on the Women’s All-Time Money List and poised to move up the list in short order. Only seven women in history have won more than $3 million in live tournaments. Only three have won more than $4 million.

Vanessa Selbst presently sits atop the Women’s Money List with $11.85 million. She’s the only female to win more than $10 million. Kathy Liebert is second on the list with $6.17 million.

Loni Harwood is a grinder and a regular on the tournament circuit. Unless something drastically changes in her game in the upcoming years, she is well poised to move up the Women’s Money List and in time challenge Vanessa Selbst for the top spot.