Wappingers Falls Man Wins at World Series of Poker

A Hudson Valley card player just cleaned up at the World Series of Poker.

Francis Anderson has been chasing the gold bracelet in the World Series of Poker for five years. According to cardplayer.com, The Wappingers Falls native started his quest with a fourth-place finish in a 2019 marathon event after moving to Las Vegas full-time to become a professional card player. Two years later, he earned just under $450,000 with a third-place win in a "Monster Stack" tournament. Last year, during a Hall of Fame Bounty event, Anderson finished in fourth place.

World Series of Poker Win for Wappingers Falls Native

2024 has turned out to be Anderson's lucky year, finally earning that coveted bracelet. The Wappingers Falls man topped over 4,000 other poker players in a no-limit hold 'em event over the Fourth of July weekend. His winnings total more than a half-million dollars, his all-time top score.

The poker player celebrated on Instagram, saying the win has accomplished a "lifelong goal" to win the World Series of Poker bracelet. Anderson told WSOP.com that it was a tough win, calling his opponent, Brent Lee, a solid player. The Wappingers Falls man said what got him through was just telling himself, "Don't give up, all you have to do is double up one time and I got this."  It turned out to be true, and Anderson was finally able to grab his first big win.

Wappingers Falls, New York Poker Player Earns Big Money for Win

Besides the coveted bracelet, Anderson also walked away from the $800 buy-in game with over a half-million dollars in winnings. The July 4th event had a huge turnout that drove the pool up to over $3.5 million. The top 365 players earned a cash prize, with the final 53 earning over five figures.