When Anchorage's Young Ji realized his two pairs earned him one of poker's most coveted prizes and a fat payday, he promptly delivered a shoutout to Alaska:
"907 Poker represent!'' Ji called out.
Ji, 52, last week won a tournament at the 46th annual World Series of Poker, the game's most significant and lucrative event, and pocketed $231,102 at The Rio in Las Vegas.
In addition to the considerable prize money Ji seized by winning the Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better tournament, Ji seized his first gold bracelet. Each tournament winner at the WSOP, which this year includes 68 tournaments and culminates with the Main Event, the game's most prestigious tournament, receives a gold bracelet.
Ji triumphed in a field of 815 players, who were each required to pay a $1,500 entry fee, or "buy-in.'' He won when his two pair trumped the two pair of runner-up Mark Dube of Newburyport, Massachusetts.
The South Korean-born Ji told the WSOP website, wsop.com, he has lived in Alaska for 25 years and poker helps pass the long winters.
"We have long winters and everybody finds indoor entertainment,'' Ji said. "One of them is poker. I did put in a lot of hours the last 25 years.''
Ji became the first Alaskan to win a WSOP event since 2012, when Greg Hobson of Anchorage won an Ante-Only No-Limit Hold 'em tournament that earned him $256,691.
Ji won money, or "cashed,'' at a WSOP for the seventh time in his career, all since 2011. His previous best finish in a WSOP event came in 2011, when he finished 18th in a No-Limit Hold 'em tournament and won $23,426. He has WSOP career winnings of $307,494.
Ji also won a WSOP Circuit No-Limit Hold 'em tournament in Las Vegas last November and won $13,526.
The final table of nine players in the tournament Ji won last week included eighth-place George Danzer, a three-time bracelet winner who was the 2014 WSOP Player of the Year. Other notables who remained deep into the event included eight-time bracelet winner Eric Seidel, who finished 14th.
Twenty-two different Alaskans have cashed at this WSOP through 55 of the 68 events.
Three-time bracelet winner Perry Green of Anchorage recently cashed for the second time in this WSOP, and 30th time in his career. He finished eighth place in the $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold 'em tournament that attracted 1,533 players, and earned $24,034 to boost his WSOP career winnings to $710,051.
Gary Waid of Juneau finished 46th in that Super Seniors tournament and won $4,497.
Three Alaskans recently cashed in the $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold 'em Championship, which drew a field of 4,193 players. Charles Bailey of Fort Greely finished 115th, worth $3,320. Wayne McGregor of Wasilla took 298th and received $2,151. And Roger Kimura of Anchorage finished 378th to earn $1,886.
Another Alaskan who recently cashed was Kima Kimura of Anchorage, who finished 378th in a field of 1,123 players at the $1,000 Draftkings 50/50 No-Limit Hold 'em tournament. She won $1,000. Kimura has cashed three straight years and six times in her WSOP career.
Reach reporter Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr