Ryan Hughes: "It Sucks Not to Finish Anything Off"

Ryan Hughes just came off his 11th cash of the 2017 World Series of Poker in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hilo event where he finished in 124th place for $2,249. Not the kind of cash that knocks your socks off, but line them up all in a row and Hughes is in third place in the WSOP Player of the Year standings with 530.13 POY points.

He’s facing winning a high honor in the face of adversity. “Yeah, I’m trying to win POY for sure,” said Hughes. “Everyone thinks I’m doing super good but I’m actually down $30,000 on the summer. I keep getting beat – it sucks not to finish anything off.”

Hughes’ best finish of the summer is fifth place in the Heads Up Championship – where made it to the quarterfinals for $56,909. His only final table was seventh place in the $3,000 HORSE event for $27,910. 

Ryan Hughes made the Round of Eight in the Heads Up Championship. (Photo: PokerPhotoArchive.com)
Dealing with it hasn’t been easy for him, “A lot of frustration – it’s been seven or eight years with a lot of deep runs in big events and just haven’t closed the deal at all,” he said. “So the frustration is very high at the moment, but I know it will work itself out.”

While he’s frustrated in the present, before the Series he was brimming with confidence. “I actually told a few friends I was a favorite to win Player of the Year because I was running good coming in,” he said. “I can play all the games – which is a bonus at the World Series.”

When asked if he had any particular events he was looking forward to he replied, “I think I’m really well-rounded, I’m probably best at No Limit Hold’em but I’m not looking at anything in particular to close out. Well… maybe the Main Event. That’s the key one.”

Ryan Hughes is looking for a signature win in 2017. (Photo: PokerPhotoArchive.com)
Ryan Hughes 2017 WSOP Cashes

Event #4: $1,500 Omaha HiLo – 135th place, $2,253 – 38.7 POY points
Event #5: $565 The Colossus III – 1,238th place, $1,294 – 37.9 POY points
Event #7: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball – 10th Place, $9,502 – 57.5 POY points
Event #10: $1,000 Tag Team No Limit Hold’em – 13th Place, $3,220 – 29.3 POY points
Event #15: $10,000 Heads Up Championship – 5th place, $56,909 – 82.8 POY points
Event #25: $1,000 Pot Limit Omaha – 113th place, $1,579 – 36.8 POY points
Event #32: $1,500 Omaha HiLo Mix – 51st, $3,019 – 42.7 POY points
Event #37: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em – 194th place, $1,808, 38.5 POY points
Event #40: $1,500 Seven Card Stud HiLo – 27th place, $4,125, 47.4 POY points
Event #44: $3,000 HORSE – 7th place, $27,910 – 79.8 POY points
Event #46: $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha HiLo – 124th place, $2,249 – 38.7 POY points

Totals: 11 cashes, 1 Final Table, $113,868 earned, 530.13 POY points