Jose Garcia from Albuquerque, New Mexico, won the first bracelet at the 2024 World Series of Poker. The poker dealer at Sandia Resort & Casino triumphed in the $500 buy-in Casino Employees no-limit hold’em event, defeating 1,189 other entrants to secure his first WSOP title and $79,134.
Garcia’s victory marks his biggest live tournament success to date. Previously, he had not recorded any WSOP cashes. The event saw a notable increase in participation from last year, with the prize pool reaching $499,380, up from 1,015 entries in 2023. The top 179 finishers received payouts, with the smallest cash worth $1,002.
Several notable players made deep runs, including Nikki Limo (18th), Michael Holtz (11th), and Lukas Robinson (9th). The tournament was scheduled for two days, but play was extended past 2:30 AM local time on Day 2 with four players still in contention.
Garcia led the final four players. He extended his lead by defeating Lang Anderson in a crucial hand. Garcia’s 10-9 suited overcame Anderson’s A-J, with Garcia making a king-high straight to eliminate Anderson in fourth place ($26,698).
Next, Alexander Green was knocked out in third place ($37,264). Green went all-in with J-10 suited but couldn’t beat Richard Rothmeier’s K-J. Despite a gutshot straight draw on the turn, Green failed to improve.
In the final showdown, Garcia faced Rothmeier. Rothmeier was all-in with K
9
against Garcia’s KQ. The board came Q
846K, giving Garcia two pairs and the win. Rothmeier finished as the runner-up, earning $52,773.
Final Table Results
| Result | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Jose Garcia | $79,134 |
| 2 | Richard Rothmeier | $52,773 |
| 3 | Alexander Green | $37,264 |
| 4 | Lang Anderson | $26,698 |
| 5 | Barry Goldberg | $19,412 |
| 6 | Bradley Wolfe | $14,328 |
| 7 | Joshua Sieverding | $10,737 |
| 8 | Christopher Keem | $8,171 |
| 9 | Lukas Robinson | $6,317 |
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