Meet Some of the ClubWPT Qualifiers Playing the WPT World Championship PokerNews
Learn about some of the ClubWPT qualifiers who are playing in the WPT World Championship Jim Barger, Catlin Lockhart, Ken Turkington, and Michael Capo. Chad HollowayPR & Media ManagerCopy linkShare on TwitterShare on FacebookDec 13, 20238 min readLast updated Dec 16, 2023
Table Of Contents
75-year-old retired contractor Jim Barger
Catlin Lockhart Hopes to Make Poker a Career
Michael Capo is Ready for the Spotlight
Ken Turkington Heads from the Links to the Felt
Colorado’s Charles Guttierez to Play in His First WPT
Vitaly Demyanenko
Get to Know Youssef “The African Tiger” Aly
Join WPT Global Today
75-year-old retired contractor Jim Barger
Catlin Lockhart Hopes to Make Poker a Career
Michael Capo is Ready for the Spotlight
Ken Turkington Heads from the Links to the Felt
Colorado’s Charles Guttierez to Play in His First WPT
Vitaly Demyanenko
Get to Know Youssef “The African Tiger” Aly
Join WPT Global Today
The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas is happening now, and the field is chock-full of qualifiers, many of who won a $12,500 WPT World Championship Passport on ClubWPT.
Below is a look at a handful of qualifiers who will be worth keeping an eye on as one of the industry’s biggest and most prestigious events plays out.
Plus, here is a look at some past ClubWPT qualifiers PokerNews has profiled headed into the WPT World Championship:
- “Johnnyhaha” Riesterer Wins Seat Into WPT World Championship In Las Vegas
- Cancer Survivor Qualifies for WPT World Championship In Las Vegas
- Alaskan Gold Miner Among Latest To Qualify For WPT World Championship
- Iraq War Veteran Qualifies for WPT World Championship on ClubWPT
- Tennessee Home Game Grinder Qualifies For WPT World Championship
- ClubWPT Qualifier Luis Gutierrez Ready to Take on WPT World Championship
Check out the WPT Hub on PokerNews here!
75-year-old retired contractor Jim Barger
A 75-year-old retired contractor, Jim Barger will be joined in Vegas by his wife of 56 years, Sharon, as well as his daughter, Kimberly. and his golf buddy and his wife, Dean and Maureen Butterfield.
“I have been playing poker as long as I can remember, my parents had a poker table in their basement,” said the father of four. “I have been a member of ClubWPT for four years. I have played in the WSOP Super Seniors in 2015. By far winning this package to the WPT tournament beating 2,000 players is my proudest accomplishment.”
He added: “I am looking forward to playing against the pro’s and I would like to meet Scotty Nguyen because he seems to be such a nice regular guy; Phil Helmuth because I think he is the greatest poker player alive; and Mike Matusow because of his passion for the game.”
Catlin Lockhart Hopes to Make Poker a Career
Hailing from Oxford, Nova Scotia, Canada, 34-year-old Catlin Lockhart is currently unemployed but “playing lots of poker grinding hoping to make this my career.”
The only thing holding him back right now? That would be a big bankroll, something he hopes to remedy at the WPT World Championship.
“I have never played a WPT event or been to Las Vegas, so I am looking forward to it."
“I was struggling with bankroll on other sites and it was a cheap option to try so I took a shot and met up with stream team,” he said of finding ClubWPT. “I joined a great group. I do pretty good and have taken down multiple tournaments, lots of deep runs and final tables.”
Winning a seat to the WPT World Championship is his proudest poker accomplishment to date and gives him a shot to “make my dreams come true.”
“Without it I would not be able to play,” he shared. “I have never played a WPT event or been to Las Vegas, so I am looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to seeing Vegas, meeting the stream team, having the VIP experience, and playing some good poker.”
Among the poker pros he hopes to meet while in Vegas, which he will visit alongside his mother, are Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Scotty Nguyen, Maria Ho, Brad Owen, and Andrew Neeme.
Michael Capo is Ready for the Spotlight
Hailing from West Newbury, Massachusetts, 59-year-old Michael Capo is married to his wife Sandra and has two sons, Chris & Joseph.
“I have a Master’s Degree in Accounting and own a small CPA Firm in Newburyport,” Capo told PokerNews. “I learned poker on my own mostly by just going to Foxwoods Casino and started playing in small tournaments but never really had the time to play much because I had my own business which was growing and I spent most of my free time coaching youth sports mostly hockey and baseball as my kids were growing up.”
Michael Capo Capo joined ClubWPT in May 2020 during the COVID lockdowns.
“I try to play a few times a week and tend to cash in a handful of events each month. I think the most I won was $900 one day,” he said. “I’ve never been to a WPT event but have gone to the WSOP the past two summers for the experience. Played in tournaments that were less than $1,500 buy-ins. Over the years I played in tournaments at Foxwoods.”
He added: “I am pretty confident now when I play and feel that I can advance deep in most tournaments and I believe that the more I play, the better player I will become, and hopefully sooner than later good results will happen. My decision-making is much improved now I just need a little luck as well … Honestly, I am looking forward to playing with the best players around. I believe in order to be the best you need to beat the best. Although I am an amateur and at a distinct disadvantage playing against so many great players at once who are much more experienced in all aspects of the game and have considerably deeper pockets but I am confident and looking forward to seeing how far I can advance.”
As for who he’d like to play against, Capo wouldn’t mind crossing paths with Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth.
Ken Turkington Heads from the Links to the Felt
One of the older players in the field is sure to be Ken Turkington, who will turn 79 in January. He hails from Destrehan, Louisiana where he retired eight years ago as the president of Nuarrow Industries. Married with one son and two grandchildren, Turkington is an avid golfer who learned to play poker back in 1968 when he was in the Navy.
“I have been a member since its inception,” Turkington said of ClubWPT. “Great value for the money.”
Turkington, who said he’s been to Vegas many times, once finished in second place in a Seniors Event at the Beau Rivage in Mississippi, which is his proudest poker accomplishment to date.
“I am looking forward to being a part of a big tournament. I would like to meet Darren Elias. I think he is the best player in the world. I would also like to meet Maria Ho. She looks like a class act,” said Turkington, who will be accompanied to Vegas by his wife, Suzanne, and his son, Adam.
Colorado’s Charles Guttierez to Play in His First WPT
Colorado’s Charles Guttierez, 59, works as a production manager for a structural steel company, who along with his wife, Lee, has one son and two grandchildren. Known as “Tcb802” on ClubWPT, it is a combination of his love for Elvis and his high series in bowling.
“I would say winning the Passport to the WPT World Championship is my proudest poker accomplishment.”
“We have poker in the mountains during the winter, but I don’t care for the drive and I can play ClubWPT when I want,” he said of joining the site four or five years ago. “I’ve won some money here and there, but this is by far the most exciting thing so far.”
While Guttierez has played in a few WSOP tournaments and cashed a Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) event, his trip to Vegas will mark his first WPT event.
“I would say winning the Passport to the WPT World Championship is my proudest poker accomplishment,” he said. “I am looking forward to the atmosphere and meeting the WPT family.”
Vitaly Demyanenko
Vitaly Demyanenko Making his way to Las Vegas all the way from Budva, Montenegro is 33-year-old Vitaly Demyanenko. Originally from Russia, the last six years Demyanenko and his wife of 15 years had been living in Sochi, before in Omsk city, Siberia, with the current war taking them to Montenegro.
“I’m a professional poker player,” he said before sharing he learned the game during his second year at the University. Demyanenko, who joined ClubWPT back in August, will be making his first-ever trip to the United States.
Primarily a cash game player, Demyanenko has played in a handful of EPT Main Events.
“I’m happy to be a participant of this event,” he said while sharing he will be joined by two friends.. “I hope to show a good game and result. When I was young I watched some poker shows like Poker After Dark, so it will be interesting to meet any heroes of this show.”
Get to Know Youssef “The African Tiger” Aly
One of the more colorful qualifiers in the field will be Youssef “The African Tiger” Aly, who was given the nickname based on his personality.
“I always fear no one. Plus, there are no tigers in Africa so they gave me that unique nickname because it fits me,” the 40-year-old said. Born in Cairo, Egypt, Aly moved to the USA when he was 18 years old.
“I am proud to say that I am a self-made man,” he shared. “I worked in the food industry for many years in food production management for such companies as Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Butterball. Currently I am a contractor in Tennessee for Mid-south Electric.”
In addition to working and playing poker, “The African Tiger” has many hobbies.
“I am a master diver and also love traveling to different destinations for diving and culture. I have been to over 15 countries in my lifetime. I have a burning passion for boxing, judo, and Muay Tai. These were the sports I grew up participating in and it’s an integral part of who I am. These sports are what built the fighter in me that never quits.”
As for poker, he started playing back in 2015 in Clarksville, Tennessee at various home games.
“I owe it all to Marcus Gildersleeve, who took me under his wing when I first started, and to my current coach Danny Calway-Fagen. Poker comes naturally to me being that I’m a people person and I think it fits my personality perfectly.”
Aly is one of the few qualifiers not to win his seat via ClupWPT. Instead, he won his seat by winning the Tournament of Champions in Pearl River, Mississippi.
“I’m super excited to represent them and myself to the best of my abilities. I absolutely love Las Vegas and have been there on a few occasions and very much looking forward to returning. I haven’t played in too many massive tournaments as this will be the biggest I’ve partaken in to date.”
Aly may not have played in too many big tournaments, but he’s already shown he has what it takes to navigate big fields.
“I would say my proudest accomplishment, and what vaulted my confidence in tournament poker, was my fourth-place finish in the WSOP Cherokee Circuit Main Event. That was a six-figure score and really made me believe I could run deep with consistency in big events. I’m very excited about getting back to Vegas and bringing my wife as well, and we will be enjoying all that Las Vegas has to offer.”
What’s more, Aly took three months off “to clear my mind and better prepare myself for it and I’m greatly looking forward to it … The African Tiger is ready for the WPT!”
Join WPT Global Today
With WPT Global, poker players around the world now have the chance to qualify for WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games on one of the world’s largest cash game poker networks. WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world.
WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution.
Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.
*Image courtesy of WPT.
Share this article Chad HollowayPR & Media ManagerPR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
Follow on- TagsWPTWCWorld Poker TourWPTClubWPT
- Related TournamentsWorld Poker Tour
In this Series
- 1Award-Winning WPT World Championship Returning to Wynn in December
- 2WPT World Championship at Wynn to Set Record w/ $40 Million Guarantee
- 3Tennessee Home Game Grinder Qualifies Into WPT World Championship
- 4Iraq War Veteran Qualifies for WPT World Championship on ClubWPT
- 5Here’s How to Qualify for the $40 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship
- 6Alaskan Gold Miner Among Latest To Qualify For WPT World Championship
- 7Premier Meet-Up Game with Phil Ivey Will Kick Off the WPT World Championship at Wynn
- 8World Poker Tour Reveals Live Streaming Schedule for WPT World Championship
- 9Women in Poker Initiatives Will Be at the Forefront During WPT World Championship
- 10Over $55M in Guarantees for WPT World Championship Series at Wynn from Nov. 29-Dec. 23
- 11Cancer Survivor Qualifies for WPT World Championship In Las Vegas
- 12"Johnnyhaha" Riesterer Wins Seat Into WPT World Championship In Las Vegas
- 13ClubWPT Qualifier Luis Gutierrez Ready to Take on WPT World Championship
- 14PN Pod Special Edition: Phil Ivey & Gus Hansen at 2023 WPT World Championship; Everything You Need to Know
- 15Phil Ivey & Gus Hansen Drop Down to Low-Stakes Poker (For One Day)
- 16Mexican Pro Jacobo Montoya Seeking Another Score in WPT World Championship
- 17Multiple Big Winners Already Crowned at WPT World Championship Festival
- 18Mike Leah, George Tomescu Among Latest Big Winners in WPT World Championship Festival
- 19Did Wynn Figure Out the Perfect Bubble Stalling Solution During WPT Prime Championship?
- 20Alan Keating Bags Big Stack on Day 1a of WPT World Championship
- 21Lynn Gilmartin Spins Up a Stack on Day 1b of WPT World Championship
- 22Meet Some of the ClubWPT Qualifiers Playing the WPT World Championship
- 23$40 Million Guarantee Within Reach as WPT World Championship Approaches Day 1d
- 24Kristen Foxen Turns a Full House But is Drawing Dead in WPT Ladies Cash Game
- 25Class of 2023 Reflect on Joining the WPT Champions Club
- 26"WPT’s Long-Term Plan Playing Out" says Pliska After World Championship Overlay
- 27Class of 2023 Reflect on Joining the WPT Champions Club
- 28"WPT’s Long-Term Plan Playing Out" says Pliska After World Championship Overlay
- 29Garrett Adelstein Books Another Six-Figure Win in WPT Cash Game
- 30What Players Should You Expect for the WPT $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop?
- 31Aces Cracked to Bust the Bubble on Day 2 of WPT World Championship
- 32Will the WPT World Championship Have a Repeat Winner?
- 33Defending Champ Eliot Hudon Out; Naj Ajez Leads WPT World Championship
- 34WATCH: Joe Hachem Folds Kings Near WPT World Championship Bubble
- 35WPT x Daniel Arsham Celebrity Invitational Features Actor Neil Patrick Harris
- 36Reality TV Star Princess Love Among 45 Left in WPT World Championship
- 37Phil Ivey Busts on Day 1 of $1M WPT Big One for One Drop
- 38Dan Smith Bags Chip Lead w/ 6 Left in WPT Big One for One Drop
- 39Ben Jacobs Leads WPT World Championship Final 16; Moorman, Lichtenberger & Sepiol Alive
- 40Mikita Badziakouski Ships $1 Million Buy-In WPT Big One for One Drop ($7.1 Million)
- 41Daniel Lowery Caps Off Career Year With WPT Seniors Win Just Weeks After His 50th
- 42PN Podcast: MI Player Kidnapped & Zip-Tied & Dan Sepiol Talks Winning WPT World Championship
- 43Ren Lin Wins $50k WPT Alpha8 for $1,045,781; Jason Koon Runner-Up
- 44Dan Sepiol Wins WPT World Championship ($5.3 Million) w/ Brilliant Final Table Performance
- 45Lucky Chewy Catches Fire to Lead Stacked WPT World Championship Final Table
- 462023 WPT World Championship Hands of the Week: WSOP Champ Felted By Hall of Famer
- 47Gamble, Weng & Coleman Win at WPT World Championship Festival; Leah Claims 2nd Trophy
- 48Calvin Anderson Wins WPT Prime Championship for $1,386,280
- 49Actor Neil Patrick Harris Takes Brutal Cooler in WPT Celebrity Poker Tournament
Alaskan Gold Miner Among Latest To Qualify For WPT World Championship Available in United States Latest poker news, poker strategies and special offers.
+ Get the Texas Hold’em Poker Cheat Sheet - FREE
Delivered within 24 hours of verifyingyour email address.
This site only collects related articles. Viewing the original, please copy and open the following link:Meet Some of the ClubWPT Qualifiers Playing the WPT World Championship PokerNews