Ryan Riess: "I Don't Want to Be Remembered as a One-Hit Wonder."

The U.S. Poker Open at the PokerGO Studio is just 9 days away and each day we speak to one of the contenders to get their take on this annual high roller series. Today we catch up with Ryan Riess, winner of the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event and more recently the World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Finale, who continues to look for ways to add to his legacy as a tournament player.

Back in 2013, when Riess came out of nowhere to win the WSOP Main Event beating Jay Farber heads up to collect $8.6 million, and ever since the East Lansing, Michigan native has been looking to prove that he belongs.

Relive the final table of the 2013 WSOP Main Event on PokerGO right here. 

“I want to have won everything when it’s all said and done. WSOP bracelets, WPT titles, triple crowns, EPTs, partypoker Millions titles, U.S. Poker Open, PokerMasters, Super High Roller Bowl, SCOOP, WCOOP, I want to win it all.”

“I don’t want to be remembered as a one-hit wonder. Even though at the time, I wasn’t very good at poker,” Riess laughed looking back on the confidence high he was riding back then.

“I’m not out to prove anything to anybody else though. I truly love the game of poker. I enjoy challenging myself at the highest level, and I love competing. I just want to win.”

Check out the PokerGO broadcasting schedule of the U.S. Poker Open right here, and full tournament structures and details right here.

Riess has added more than five million to his career tournament earnings since his breakout win, and at the upcoming U.S. Poker Open he’s eying the overall championship honors, trophy and $100,000 first prize.

“I’m pumped for the USPO. I’m not playing any poker until then and I, unfortunately, had to skip Aussie Millions and WPT Borgata so I’m really looking forward to this series,” Riess said.

“It would be a great accomplishment to win the USPO championship. Multiple disciplines against the best players in the world at high stakes. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

“It’s a great series. It’s early in the year and it’s always nice to start the calendar year off with some big scores. Way better than getting stuck early and then having to climb out of it.”

Riess enjoys playing against the best in the world as he revels in the challenge and the constant excitement of trying to pick up on different tendencies, trends, and dynamics. One of those added dynamics during the U.S. Poker Open is the $100,000 prize for the winner of the overall championship, a prize that Riess is seriously eying.

“The added $100,000 for the winner is great. It may be extra motivation to play the mixed event or short deck event for people with early success. Overall, added money along with no rake if you register is great for poker players. It is awesome to see ARIA and Poker Central take such great care of the players during all of their events.”

Watch Riess in action during the U.S. Poker Open starting on February 14 live and exclusively on PokerGO. Subscribe to PokerGO right now to enjoy more than 100 days of live poker action every single year.