
Vernon's Andrew Badecker took third in the first World Series of Poker tournament of the year open to all players at the Rio in Las Vegas.
And the 24-year-old former curtain salesman took home $224,029 for his efforts.
The no-limit hold'em event, which took place Monday through Wednesday, had a $1,500 buy-in and drew 2,101 players. The total net prize pool was $2.8 million.
Winner Brent Hanks took home $517,725.
Badecker hit the half-million mark in career WSOP earnings with his showing at the Rio. He win a gold bracelet last year in the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Shootout.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.