Upper Arlington man wins big in World Series of Poker
Randy Clinger’s luck was with him before he even sat down for the recent World Series of Poker event in Las Vegas. To begin with, he had to win his spot at the table.
Clinger is the co-owner of UA Fitness in Upper Arlington and he’s a regular player at the Shark Tank Poker Club on Bethel Road. A Shark Tank tournament win netted Randy $10,000 to pay for his seat in Vegas, plus a couple of grand to cover the trip. And there he was…taking his place last week for the start of play at the Rio.
With more than 6,400 entrants in the event, the odds of victory aren’t in anyone’s favor. But one by one, players were eliminated and Clinger continued to win hands and pile up chips. With tense ten hour days at the tables, he made an effort to keep things light. While many players play with quiet, guarded and reserved demeanors, our man from Upper Arlington was often the opposite…running around the tables and, at one point, acting out a snow angle. He says that some of the TV folks from ESPN told him that they were secretly cheering him on and enjoying his antics.
After more than 57 hours at the table, Clinger, armed with a pair of queens, went all-in with his chips….only to run up against a player with pocket aces. The queens fell, the aces held and Clinger’s run was over. A 33rd-place finish, good enough to win more than $211,000. That’s a nice haul for a journey that began in a strip mall on Bethel Road.
He didn’t win the whole thing this time, but Clinger promises that he’ll be back in Vegas next year. (jj)
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