Ryan Returns: Tosoc Back at Bellagio After Massive Two-Year Run at Five Diamond

By Sean Chaffin

Bellagio has been good to Ryan Tosoc (pictured). The Season XVI Five Diamond Poker Classic champion and Season XV runner-up wasn’t expected to register until Day 2, but after a nice four hours at the Super High Roller Cash game across town at ARIA, Tosoc was a late arrival and able to spin his 40,000 starting chips up to 90,000.

“It feels great to be back,” he said at the end of Day 1. “I love this tournament, but you can’t get too high. I was just all-in against Jason Koon, and we were stone-flipping. Luckily, I won that flip.”

He registered in Level 7 and brings a decent stack into the second day of action. After such big results here, it’s definitely hard for Tosoc to go unnoticed on his quest to make a third-straight final table.

“I have to be a little more careful because I know people will be keeping an extra eye on me,” he says. “My strategy is to make the next day and if my table’s good, to get some big hands in. If not, try to pick some spots.”

In Season XV, Tosoc entered the final table second in chips and lost a heads-up battle with James Romero, who held a significant chip lead among the final six players. A year later, he again entered the final table second in chips and eventually defeated Alex Foxen to top his performance from Season XV to add his name to the WPT Champions Cup.

Between the two events, Tosoc won more than $3 million. Besides the cash game on Monday, he comes to the Five Diamond with a nice streak. He added a WSOP bracelet this summer in a $1,000 online tournament for $238,779.

In recent months, Tosoc has also shown some skills at Short Deck poker. At the Poker Masters in September, he finished third in a $10,500 Short Deck event for $77,000 and followed that up in October with a runner-up finish at ARIA in another $10,500 Short Deck event for $67,200.

In November he almost snagged another nice title after finishing second in the $1,700 Main Event at the WSOPC at Planet Hollywood for $104,319.

Along with playing some big cash games at ARIA, Tosoc has been spending time with his girlfriend. He’s sticking with poker but has some business ventures planned down the line as well. But cardplaying is the task at hand at Bellagio.

Tosoc adds: “Right now, it’s work time.”

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas. His work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.

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