Jose Garcia is an American poker dealer best known for winning the $500 Casino Employees event at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas for $79,134 and a gold bracelet. Garcia resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Garcia works as a poker dealer at the Sandia Resort, but he also loves playing poker. He regularly chats to his opponents to guide them into giving him verbal tells, a tactic he employed and that worked in his favor during his WSOP bracelet-winning run.
Until his bracelet victory, Garcia had only five recorded live poker tournament results, with combined winnings of $4,253. Garcia was guaranteed to more than double his lifetime earnings when he reached the $500 Casino Employees final table, and locked in his first five-figure score once only seven players remained.
Garcia found himself heads-up against Richard Rothmeier for the title and the lion's share of the prize pool. The final hand saw Rothmeier move all-in with K?9? and Garcia call with the dominating K?Q?. Garcia took the lead on the 8?4?Q? flop, the 4? locked up the hand and the win for Garcia, rendering the K? river inconsequential.
