Zachary Mullennix Wins 2020 WSOP Circuit Ameristar St. Charles Main Event

Zachary Mullennix is the latest main event champion to be crowned on the World Series of Poker Circuit. The poker pro based out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida outlasted a field of 281 total entries to emerge victorious in the 2020 WSOP Circuit Ameristar St. Charles $1,700 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event. Mullennix earned $92,886 and his third WSOPC gold ring for the win. The 28-year-old poker pro splits his time between cash games and tournaments, which he only began to pursue in recent years. He only recorded his first live cash in July of 2016. With this latest victory, Mullennix’s career live tournament earnings now sit at $450,842.

“Poker’s been everything to me,” he told WSOP reporters after coming out on top. “I started playing $1-$3 in Pittsburgh with literally $2,000 to my name. Buying in for 10% of my net worth, driving a beater car. It’s pretty amazing how far I’ve come in the last six years. I’ve been fortunate.”

In addition to the title and the money, Mullennix was also awarded 456 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. This was his fourth final table and second title of the year, and it was enough to see him climb into 47th place in the 2020 POY race standings, which are sponsored by Global Poker.

Mullennix survived to the unofficial final table of ten in this event as the second shortest stack. He managed to find a few double-ups as the field continued to narrow. With seven players remaining, he picked up AA and found another double through the 88 of Mark Koeln to surge into the chip lead. He scored his first knockout at the final table by eliminating Jon Lawson in seventh place ($13,299). He maintained that lead through the end of play on day 2.

Play resumed for the final day with Mullennix atop the chip counts and just four players remaining. Mullennix knocked out Kevin Waller in fourth place ($30,369) to extend his advantage even further. The next big showdown saw WSOP braclet winner Brett Apter get all-in with 1010 up against the KQ of Mullennix. The KQ43A runout gave Mullennix two pair and the pot. Apter settled for $41,404 as the third-place finisher.

With that Mullennix took more than a 3:1 chip lead into heads-up play against Mark Koeln, who was looking for his first WSOPC gold ring. Koeln managed to battle his way back into the match, and even overtook the lead at one point. Mullennix was able to regain the advantage quickly, though, and retook the advantage before the decisive hand was dealt.

With a flop of 1054, the two players got all of their chips in with Koeln holding K10 up against the 54 of Mullennix. Koeln was in need of help, but the 2 on the turn and A on the river didn;t supply any. Koeln was sent to the rail with $57,410 as the runner-up.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Winner photo provided by WSOP.

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