Before the start of the $5,000 WSOP Circuit championship at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Jovan Sudar confidently predicted he would win. Even when he was low-stacked with 18 players left, his confidence never lessened. He began building his way back, amassed a tremendous chip lead at the final table, lost it briefly and then roared back to score a resounding win. First place officially paid $95,455, though a couple of deals between the final 10 players lessened his actual payout. It was still his largest tournament cash ever. Victory also brought him the diamond-and-gold trophy ring and a $10,000 buy-in to this year’s WSOP main event.

Sudar, 27, was born in the former country of Yugoslavia and came to Omaha 12 years ago. He is both a senior leasing agent for the Biltmore apartment complex in that city as well as a pro player. He has numerous cashes and final tables, his prior biggest cashes being $29,190 for sixth in a Bellagio Cup/WPT event, and $27,315 for second in a Doyle Brunson/WPT tourney. But it is his first tournament win. “I’ve been close so many times,“ he exclaimed jubilantly. This thing is off my back now.” Sudar, who plays mainly tournaments, also plays $25-$50 no-limit at the Bellagio, regularly tangling with the biggest names in poker.

He plays strictly no-limit hold’em because he feels it takes the most skill of any game: maybe 85 percent skill to 15 percent luck. His edge, he said, comes from his ability to read players, play position and knowing when he’s beat. He also had wins here in $500 and $100 buy-in satellites. This event had 46 players and a $212,100 prize pool. Day one ended at 2:30 a.m. The 10 remaining players returned for final-day action with, Derek Masek in front with 166,700 chips. Bernard Lee, who had led the field for much of day one, ran into bad luck in late going and now had a little more than half average. In the field was also a husband and wife pairing, Jerry and Kathy Walter, both winning their seats via satellites.