Club of One: Kevin Oliveras Heads into Day 2 as Last ClubWPT Qualifier in Field

By Sean Chaffin

Three ClubWPT qualifiers entered the field on Day 1b at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, and Kevin Oliveras (pictured) was the sole survivor heading into Day 2 on Sunday.

“It felt good, it was fun,” he says. “It was a little exhausting, but in a fun way. There were some really good players. I had a big win toward the end last night with Ace-King suited against Queens and turned a King, so I was happy with that.”

Another hand saw him fold pocket Queens when an Ace and King hit the board.

“It was a little too dangerous to gamble that close to the end of the day,” he says.

Oliveras won his seat after topping a field of 1,360 players on ClubWPT to win his way into the Showdown. The site offers a sweepstakes poker model where players can win $100,000 worth of cash and prizes each month for a $24.95 monthly subscription.

After working as a baker for nine years, Oliveras now drives for Uber and Lyft as he looks for a new job. The longtime poker player spoke with WPT.com on Saturday about his life playing cards in Las Vegas and in his hometown of Manhattan, Kansas.

Entering the second day of play with 57,000 chips, Oliveras knows he’ll have to do some work ahead of him to climb in the standings.

“The plan for today is to double up soon before the blinds get too high and I’ll have enough to make a splash,” he says. “Hopefully in this first hour, I’ll get some pots, double up, and keep on going.”

Day 2 also provided a bit of a family reunion for the graduate of Kansas State University. He caught up with two of his aunts on Sunday morning. Both live in Fort Lauderdale, and he’s hoping a bit of good luck comes from the meeting.

His plan for the first day of play was to be like Bruce Lee – having a style that is no style, adapting to situations at the table. Lee’s method was termed Jeet Kune Do (the way of the intercepting fist). According to his foundation, the martial art’s main tenet is: “Using no way as way; having no limitation as limitation.

“Jeet Kune Do consists of physical techniques and applied philosophies and requires the individual to train him or herself to their most cultivated state of beingness so that when faced with a combat situation or a challenging personal situation, the tools needed are available in the moment and can be executed without thought.”

With 524 players remaining for Day 2 at the Hard Rock Seminole, this certainly qualifies as a challenging situation. Oliveras will be hoping to bring some of those Bruce Lee skills back to the tables. What would it mean to make Day 3?

“It would great,” he says. “I would be ecstatic. Hopefully, I can make it through. I just need to keep playing like I know how to play – and don’t back down when I have good hands.”

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

Looking to win your way to a World Poker Tour event for your shot at becoming a WPT champion? Play for your chance on ClubWPT.com, where eligible VIP Members can play for over $100,000 in cash and prizes each month, including seats to WPT events, no purchase necessary.