Ian Tavelli, an amateur poker player from Santa Rosa, California, gained recognition at the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. Among the 6,492 participants, Tavelli made it to the final two tables, garnering exposure on multiple ESPN televised episodes. His 17th place finish earned him $500,557 in prize money.

References edit

https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=65003

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/big-winner-small-spender/

https://lasvegassun.com/photos/galleries/2009/jul/14/wsop-day-seven/25302/

https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2009-wsop-main-event-november-nine-reached-on-espn-coverage-6112/

https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/7193-world-series-of-poker-day-6-of-the-main-event

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1506474/characters/nm3680216