The score was a notable one, but not as big as another surprise win he recently claimed
Akbar Zamani claimed victory at the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Main Event at Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento, CA, on January 27. The win marked a major achievement for the San Jose resident, who took home $187,882 along with his first WSOP Circuit gold ring. While this was his biggest tournament score, Zamani had already experienced a major financial windfall years earlier, reportedly winning $500,000 through the lottery.
The $1,700 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament drew 676 entries across two starting flights, generating a prize pool of $1,024,140—more than doubling the initial $500,000 guarantee. The top 102 finishers made it into the money, with a minimum payout of $3,415. Zamani entered the final day of play as the chip leader and maintained control throughout the final table.
Jose Mas was the first to exit in ninth place, followed by Jiangfen Yin in eighth after falling to Zamani. I-Le Wu went out in seventh, and play stretched on before Julian Bonorris was eliminated in sixth. Zamani then added another knockout by sending Erle Mankin home in fifth place before eliminating Michael Lin in fourth.
With momentum on his side, Zamani secured another elimination, sending Noah Curhan out in third place, which set up a heads-up battle against Antonio Ma. Holding a slight chip lead going into the final showdown, Zamani quickly widened the gap, winning key pots early.
The decisive hand saw Ma push all in with king-queen suited, only to be called by Zamani holding queen-jack. The board favored Zamani, giving him two pair and the title. Ma finished as runner-up, earning $125,260 and bringing his career earnings close to $260,000.
With Thunder Valley wrapped up, the WSOP Circuit moves to Horseshoe Tunica in Mississippi, where the next $1,700 Main Event is set to run from tomorrow to February 3.

Editor at the Big Blind, is a rising star in gambling journalism with a decade of experience, focusing on clear and accessible communication for a diverse audience.