2009 Horseshoe Hammond
Event 11 - $5,000 Buy-in No Limit Holdem Championship. Final Results. 2009 Horseshoe Hammond WSOP Circuit Events.
| 2009 Horseshoe Hammond World Series of Poker Circuit Events Official Results |
2009 Horseshoe Hammond Championship Results
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Hammond
Oct. 23-25
Event #11
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $5,000 + $200
Number of Entries: 248
Total Prize Money: $1,190,800
Horseshoe Hammond
Oct. 23-25
Event #11
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $5,000 + $200
Number of Entries: 248
Total Prize Money: $1,190,800
| Dan Livingston |
Final Results:
Place
Name
Hometown
Prize
To view the complete schedule and results for the 2009 Horseshoe Hammond WSOP Circuit Events, click on the link below:
2009 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Schedule and Results
2009 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Schedule and Results
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Dan Livingston
Tom Floros
Chris Gentile
Tad Mosele
William Schweinebraten
William Miner
Joshua Goldstein
Jacob Bazeley
Michael Parisi
Eric Eklund
Nick Frost
Francis Rusnak
Michael Blocksidge
George Williams
Susie Zhao
Ben Volpe
David McDermott
Lawrence Jacobs
Dwyte Pilgrim
James Hiter
David Diaz
Joshua Shmerl
Alan Wehbi
John Corsi
Cameron Chachere
Steve Dokich
Pawel Andrzejwski
Tom Floros
Chris Gentile
Tad Mosele
William Schweinebraten
William Miner
Joshua Goldstein
Jacob Bazeley
Michael Parisi
Eric Eklund
Nick Frost
Francis Rusnak
Michael Blocksidge
George Williams
Susie Zhao
Ben Volpe
David McDermott
Lawrence Jacobs
Dwyte Pilgrim
James Hiter
David Diaz
Joshua Shmerl
Alan Wehbi
John Corsi
Cameron Chachere
Steve Dokich
Pawel Andrzejwski
Oak Forest, IL
Indian Head Park, IL
Plainfield, IL
Round Lake, IL
Rolling Meadows, IL
Chicago, IL
Northbrook, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Wood Dale, IL
Kenosha, WI
Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL
Rocky River, IL
Glenwood, IL
Spring Heights, MI
Glenview, IL
Flossmoor, IL
New York, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Chicago, IL
Bartlett, TN
Wauconda, IL
Villa Park, IL
Canyon, TX
Northville, MI
Cedar Lake, IN
Park Ridge, IL
Indian Head Park, IL
Plainfield, IL
Round Lake, IL
Rolling Meadows, IL
Chicago, IL
Northbrook, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Wood Dale, IL
Kenosha, WI
Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL
Rocky River, IL
Glenwood, IL
Spring Heights, MI
Glenview, IL
Flossmoor, IL
New York, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Chicago, IL
Bartlett, TN
Wauconda, IL
Villa Park, IL
Canyon, TX
Northville, MI
Cedar Lake, IN
Park Ridge, IL
$291,749
$180,287
$119,556
$84,594
$63,744
$50,871
$42,881
$38,082
$35,533
$26,555
$26,555
$26,555
$19,851
$19,851
$19,851
$14,837
$14,837
$14,837
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$180,287
$119,556
$84,594
$63,744
$50,871
$42,881
$38,082
$35,533
$26,555
$26,555
$26,555
$19,851
$19,851
$19,851
$14,837
$14,837
$14,837
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
$11,086
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Official Report
Event #11 Headlines
Dan Livingston Wins Chicago’s WSOP Circuit Championship
Livingston Freerolls His Way into WSOP Circuit Championship and Walks Away with
$291,749 Top Prize
“Chicago, My Kind of Town,” -- Attendance Up 12 Percent, Prize Money Up 20 Percent from
Last Year
Top Two Finishers in Chicago’s WSOP Circuit Championship Win Free Seats at Horseshoe
Casino Poker Room – Take Home a Combined Nearly Half-Million in Winnings!
WSOP Circuit Ends Completing Biggest Poker Event Ever Held in Chicago
Main Event Champion (Dan Livingston)
The 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event champion at the Horseshoe Casino
(Chicagoland) is Dan Livingston, from Oak Forest, IL.
Livingston is a 22-year-old part-time poker player who is currently between jobs. He
recently left his job working at an auto-detailing shop.
Livingston mostly plays low- to middle-limit buy-in tournaments, usually at the Horseshoe
Casino. His typical tournament is a weekly $100 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event. Livingston’
s best run took place recently when he played three consecutive $100 buy-in tournaments
and finished 3rd, 3rd, and 1st respectively. This victory, worth far more in prestige and
prize money, validate that the victories in smaller buy-in tournaments were no fluke.
Livingston won first prize totaling $291,749. He was also presented with his first ever gold
ring, the ultimate token of achievement for winning a WSOP Circuit event.
Incredibly, Livingston was on a complete freeroll for this tournament. He gained his entry,
which was valued at $5,200, by playing one afternoon inside the Horseshoe Casino Poker
Room. As part of a special promotion, the Horseshoe gave away as many as four Main
Event seats daily – which is probably one of the very best freeroll opportunities to play in a
major tournament anywhere in the world. Each day, on four different occasions for two full
weeks prior to the start of this year’s Chicago series, one poker table was randomly
selected. Then, one player at the table was high carded and received an entry into the
Main Event championship. Livingston was high carded about two weeks ago, and was
pleasantly surprised to play in his biggest poker tournament ever. He then managed to
defeat a large field of 248 players and win over a quarter of a million dollars. Amazing story.
Livingston has not played in any WSOP events (in Las Vegas). But he plans to attend in
2010.
Winner Quotes (Dan Livingston)
On his feelings immediately after the victory: “I feel really good. What was it? Forty hours
of work for nearly $300,000? I’ll take it.”
On how he thinks he played in the Main Event: “I think my game worked fine.”
On his plans for the future: “It’s going to make me consider giving poker a shot. I am
going to see if I can play for a living.”
On how this victory compares to some other tournament successes: “My biggest cash
playing online was for $4,000. So, this was a big jump.”
On when he began thinking about the possibility of victory: “When we got to the final
table, I had about 900,000 in chips. Then, I won a few early pots and I was up to
2,000,000. Then I said to myself, ‘wow, I might win this – I have about a fourth of the chips
in play. I have a really good chance. And, I did it.”
On taking a massive chip lead late when play became four-handed: “Everybody else as the
table was around a million and I was up to four-million at that point. So, I could pretty
much do what I wanted.”
On his poker goals: “I have always wanted to really win a gold bracelet. But I must say
that the gold ring will really do for now. This win was a big confidence booster.”
The Final Table / In-the-Money Finishers
When final table began, the chip leader was Tom G. Floros (with 1,410,000). He enjoyed a
slight lead over Tao Mosele (with 1,340,000). But four players were with within striking
distance, at around 1 million in chips. Three of the finalists began play with short stacks
and needed help to move into contention.
The WSOP Circuit “unofficial” Player of the Year from last season was the highly-personable
Dwyte Pilgrim, from Brooklyn, NY. He won two WSOP gold rings, including the Main Event
held at Harrah’s Rincon in March 2009. Pilgrim cashed in this championship event, finishing
in 19th place. This means Pilgrim has now cashed in five of the last six WSOP Circuit Main
Events – a most impressive feat.
There were no former WSOP Circuit gold ring winners in the final group of nine, which
guaranteed a first-time champion.
The ninth-place finisher was Mike Parisi, a 35-year-old poker player who received $35,533.
The eighth-place finisher was Jacob Bazeley, a 26-year-old poker pro from Cincinnati, OH
who earned $38,082.
The seventh-place finisher was Joshua Goldstein, a 25-year-old pro poker player from
Northbrook, IL who earned $42,881. The Emory University graduate was the chip leader
after the completion of Day Two.
The sixth-place finisher was William Miner, a 23-year-old pro poker player from Chicago, IL
who earned $50,871.
The fifth-place finisher was William Schweinebraten, from Rolling Meadows, IL. He is a 45-
year-old insurance saleman. Schweinebraten had previously made it to a final table at the
Deep Stack Venetian series. But this was his best tournament cash to date, worth $63,744.
The fourth-place finisher was Tad Mosele, from Round Lake, IL. He is the 46-year-old owner
of a construction business. He earned $84,594 for fourth place.
The third-place finisher was Chris Gentile, from Plainfield, IL. The 35-year-old poker player
collected $119,556 in prize money.
When heads-up play began, Dan Livingston enjoyed a decisive chip advantage. He was at
least a 10 to 1 favorite over Tom Floros. The final duel lasted about 30 minutes before
Livingston finally prevailed.
The final hand came when Livingston was dealt J-3 of diamonds versus Floros Q-10 offsuit.
After the flop came K-10-3 and two diamonds, all of Floros chips went into the pot. The turn
was a bank. But a diamond on the river gave Livingston a flush and the victory.
The runner up was Tom Floros, from Indian Head Park, IL. Like Livingston, he too won his
seat via the “high-card” promotion held at the Horseshoe Casino. Flores is a 42-year-old
project manager. He received his biggest payout ever, which amounted to $180,287.
The winner was Dan Livingston, who collected $291,749 and his first WSOP Circuit gold
ring. Livingston was cheered to victory by his parents and several well-wishers.
Five players who finished in the money were high-carded into the tournament via the
Horseshoe Casino’s special promotion – including the top two finishers. In all, there were
56 seats given away as part of the Horseshoe Casino’s high-card giveaway.
The Tournament
This was the eleventh tournament of the new WSOP Circuit season, and the 11th of 13
events held at this Circuit series in Chicago. The Main Event attracted 248 entries making it
one of the larger championship events on the Circuit.
The buy-in was $5,000 (+200). This is the standard buy-in for all WSOP Circuit
championship events. During the first two seasons (2005-2007), the championship buy-in
was $10,000. The buy-in was reduced in Season Three in order to allow greater player
participation.
Attendance for this event increased by a whopping 54 percent over last year. In the 2008
championship held in Chicago, there were 164 entrants.
With all events at the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino now complete,
combined total attendance increased by 12 percent over last year:
2008 – 4,298 total entrants
2009 – 4,747 total entrants
With all events at the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino now complete,
total prize money awarded increased by 20 percent over last year:
2008 – $2,564,097 in total prize money
2009 – $3,080,056 in total prize money
The tournament began at noon on October 23rd and was played over three days. Play
lasted 14 hours on Day One – ending up with 84 survivors. The following day, play lasted
12 hours – ending up with 17 survivors. Day Three play lasted 13 hours. The entire
duration of the tournament lasted about 40 hours.
Last year’s champion was the former WSOP gold bracelet winner Steve Billirakis. He did not
enter this year’s event and failed to defend his title.
Livingston and Billirakis are now the two lone WSOP Circuit winners from Chicago. They
were 22 and 23 years old respectively at the time of their victories.
World Series of Poker Circuits (History)
The first event held this year at the WSOP Circuit in Chicago (Event #1) set a record as the
largest WSOP Circuit of all time, with 1,412 entrants.
The World Series of Poker Circuits began in January 2005. WSOP Circuits were designed to
bring the excitement of the world’s largest and most prestigious poker series to more
players and fans in various regions throughout the United States. Over the past five years,
WSOP Circuits have taken place at Harrah’s Entertainment properties in the following
locations:
Las Vegas, NV (Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, and Bally’s/Paris)
Lake Tahoe, NV (Harvey’s Lake Tahoe)
San Diego, CA (Rincon)
New Orleans, LA (Harrah’s)
Tunica, MS (Tunica Grand)
Council Bluffs, IA (Harrah’s)
Elizabeth, IN/Louisville, KY (Horseshoe Southern Indiana)
Hammond, IN/Chicago, IL (Horseshoe Casino)
Atlantic City (Caesars, Harrah’s, Showboat)
This event kicks off WSOP Circuit season number six. This season officially began on
October 16, 2009 at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) and will conclude seven months later
on May 19, 2010 at Harrah’s New Orleans. This year, there are 11 WSOP Circuit stops held
at the following locations:
Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
Horseshoe Southern Indiana
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Tunica Grand
Harrah’s Council Bluffs
Caesars Atlantic City
Harrah’s Rincon
Harrah’s St. Louis (new location)
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Harrah’s New Orleans
Only three locations have hosted WSOP Circuits during all six seasons. They are:
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s New Orleans
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
WSOP Circuit stops typically include 10-15 tournaments played over a two-week period
(some of the more popular events run longer and include as many as 23 events). Buy-ins
range from $200 for the lower tournaments up to $5,000 for championship events. During
the first two years of WSOP Circuits, all championship events had a $10,000 buy-in. This
has been reduced to a $5,000 buy-in since the 2006-2007 season began.
WSOP Circuits consistently attract large fields and payout impressive prize money. Here
are the ten largest poker events in WSOP Circuit history:
1,412 -- Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 16-17, 2009 -- Event #1
1,345 -- Tunica Grand (Mississippi), Jan. 7-8, 2006 – Event #3
1,187 -- Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 24-25, 2008 – Event #1
1,181 – Harrah’s Atlantic City, Dec. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,106 -- Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2007 – Event #1
1,056 -- Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,050 -- Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 7-8, 2008 – Event #3
983 -- Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 6-7, 2009 – Event #3
954 – Caesars Indiana, Oct. 20, 2005 – Event #1
940 -- Tunica Grand (Mississippi) Jan. 5-6, 2006 – Event #1
Winners of WSOP Circuit tournaments receive a gold ring as the token of their
achievement. This prize is patterned after the coveted gold bracelet, which is awarded to
all winners of WSOP events in Las Vegas.
The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit gold rings is Men “the Master” Nguyen,
with four victories. Nguyen also has 12 WSOP Circuit career cashes.
The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit championship events is Chris “Jesus”
Ferguson, with three Main Event victories. Ferguson won Main Events at Harrah’s Rincon
(2005), Harrah’s Las Vegas (2005), and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (2007).
The player with the most prize money winnings in WSOP Circuit history is Chris “Jesus”
Ferguson. His combined career earnings currently total $1,359,143. Ferguson has cashed
six times.
World Series of Poker Circuit at Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
This is the 51st WSOP Circuit tournament series played since January 2005.
What is now the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) originally opened up as the Empress
Casino, back in 1993. The casino has since been sold twice and has undergone both
expansion and renovation. It is now the largest casino (measured by number of tables and
gaming devices) in the greater Chicago area. The current Horseshoe Casino configuration
has more than 100 live table games, 3,200 electronic gaming devices, and a 34-table poker
room, making it one of the largest casinos in the Midwest.
Poker pioneer Jack Binion bought and took over the Empress Casino in 2001. He renamed
the property as the “Horseshoe Casino.” It became officially known as “Horseshoe
Hammond,” since it is actually located in Hammond, IN. Harrah’s Entertainment purchased
the casino from Binion in 2004, and retained the name. However, in an effort to align itself
with the Chicago area, the casino is now known as the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland).
The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) underwent a $500 million renovation, which was
completed last year. On August 8, 2008 (8-8-08) entertainment diva Bette Midler hosted
and performed at the grand re-opening.
The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) is the closest gaming facility in proximity to downtown
Chicago, which is just 16 miles away. In fact, the downtown skyline can be seen from many
parts of the casino, which is located along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
A large marina is adjacent to the casino, which holds many water craft. The casino is a
popular destination for boats which come to the resort from all over the region, especially
during summer months.
The casino is located less than a mile from the Indiana-Illinois border. The closest major
airport is Midway, on Chicago’s south side. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is about an hour
away. The casino offers shuttle service to many parts of Chicago and the region.
The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) draws visitors predominately from the Chicago area.
However, the WSOP Circuit attracts many players from all over Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, and Ohio.
This marks the second year that the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has hosted a WSOP
Circuit stop. Last year’s field came close to setting attendance records. A big turnout is
also expected this year, and the first event of the new 2009-2010 season did not
disappoint. The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has now hosted two of the three largest
WSOP Circuit tournaments in history.
The Horseshoe Casino poker room regularly holds 34 tables. However, the WSOP Circuit
took over the special events center called “The Venue.” This additional floor space holds 78
more poker tables. This means the Horseshoe Casino holds up to 112 poker tables
combined, making it the largest capacity facility of any WSOP Circuit event.
“The Venue” is regularly used for shows and attracts many of the biggest names in music
and entertainment. The Venue holds up to 3,000 people. But most of the theatre seating
was moved aside for nearly two weeks in favor of poker tables, all packed with players.
This is one of two major poker tournaments held annually at the Horseshoe Casino. In
addition to the WSOP Circuit, the casino will be hosting the “Chicago Poker Classic,” to be
held February 26 through March 7, 2010. This tournament is expected to offer nine major
events, plus several second chance tournaments. Attractions include $350,000 in added
prize money, plus a brand new Porsche Cayman luxury car as the grand prize. A complete
schedule of the 2010 Chicago Poker Classic will be forwarded to media at the completion of
this year’s WSOP Circuit events.
__________________________________
HORSESHOE CASINO (CHICAGO)
Horseshoe Casino Senior Vice President and General Manager: Dan Nita
Director of Table Games: Jose Lebron
Poker Room Manager: Jason Newman
Special Events Manager: Amie Hill
Tournament Director: Charlie Ciresi
Co-Tournament Director: Steve Frezer
WORLD SERIES OF POKER
World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
WSOP Vice President -- Ty Stewart
Director of Communications – Seth Palansky
Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming -- Howard Greenbaum
WSOP Events Manager -- Angele Marshall
WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill
WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel
WSOP Media Director – Nolan Dalla
Event #11 Headlines
Dan Livingston Wins Chicago’s WSOP Circuit Championship
Livingston Freerolls His Way into WSOP Circuit Championship and Walks Away with
$291,749 Top Prize
“Chicago, My Kind of Town,” -- Attendance Up 12 Percent, Prize Money Up 20 Percent from
Last Year
Top Two Finishers in Chicago’s WSOP Circuit Championship Win Free Seats at Horseshoe
Casino Poker Room – Take Home a Combined Nearly Half-Million in Winnings!
WSOP Circuit Ends Completing Biggest Poker Event Ever Held in Chicago
Main Event Champion (Dan Livingston)
The 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event champion at the Horseshoe Casino
(Chicagoland) is Dan Livingston, from Oak Forest, IL.
Livingston is a 22-year-old part-time poker player who is currently between jobs. He
recently left his job working at an auto-detailing shop.
Livingston mostly plays low- to middle-limit buy-in tournaments, usually at the Horseshoe
Casino. His typical tournament is a weekly $100 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event. Livingston’
s best run took place recently when he played three consecutive $100 buy-in tournaments
and finished 3rd, 3rd, and 1st respectively. This victory, worth far more in prestige and
prize money, validate that the victories in smaller buy-in tournaments were no fluke.
Livingston won first prize totaling $291,749. He was also presented with his first ever gold
ring, the ultimate token of achievement for winning a WSOP Circuit event.
Incredibly, Livingston was on a complete freeroll for this tournament. He gained his entry,
which was valued at $5,200, by playing one afternoon inside the Horseshoe Casino Poker
Room. As part of a special promotion, the Horseshoe gave away as many as four Main
Event seats daily – which is probably one of the very best freeroll opportunities to play in a
major tournament anywhere in the world. Each day, on four different occasions for two full
weeks prior to the start of this year’s Chicago series, one poker table was randomly
selected. Then, one player at the table was high carded and received an entry into the
Main Event championship. Livingston was high carded about two weeks ago, and was
pleasantly surprised to play in his biggest poker tournament ever. He then managed to
defeat a large field of 248 players and win over a quarter of a million dollars. Amazing story.
Livingston has not played in any WSOP events (in Las Vegas). But he plans to attend in
2010.
Winner Quotes (Dan Livingston)
On his feelings immediately after the victory: “I feel really good. What was it? Forty hours
of work for nearly $300,000? I’ll take it.”
On how he thinks he played in the Main Event: “I think my game worked fine.”
On his plans for the future: “It’s going to make me consider giving poker a shot. I am
going to see if I can play for a living.”
On how this victory compares to some other tournament successes: “My biggest cash
playing online was for $4,000. So, this was a big jump.”
On when he began thinking about the possibility of victory: “When we got to the final
table, I had about 900,000 in chips. Then, I won a few early pots and I was up to
2,000,000. Then I said to myself, ‘wow, I might win this – I have about a fourth of the chips
in play. I have a really good chance. And, I did it.”
On taking a massive chip lead late when play became four-handed: “Everybody else as the
table was around a million and I was up to four-million at that point. So, I could pretty
much do what I wanted.”
On his poker goals: “I have always wanted to really win a gold bracelet. But I must say
that the gold ring will really do for now. This win was a big confidence booster.”
The Final Table / In-the-Money Finishers
When final table began, the chip leader was Tom G. Floros (with 1,410,000). He enjoyed a
slight lead over Tao Mosele (with 1,340,000). But four players were with within striking
distance, at around 1 million in chips. Three of the finalists began play with short stacks
and needed help to move into contention.
The WSOP Circuit “unofficial” Player of the Year from last season was the highly-personable
Dwyte Pilgrim, from Brooklyn, NY. He won two WSOP gold rings, including the Main Event
held at Harrah’s Rincon in March 2009. Pilgrim cashed in this championship event, finishing
in 19th place. This means Pilgrim has now cashed in five of the last six WSOP Circuit Main
Events – a most impressive feat.
There were no former WSOP Circuit gold ring winners in the final group of nine, which
guaranteed a first-time champion.
The ninth-place finisher was Mike Parisi, a 35-year-old poker player who received $35,533.
The eighth-place finisher was Jacob Bazeley, a 26-year-old poker pro from Cincinnati, OH
who earned $38,082.
The seventh-place finisher was Joshua Goldstein, a 25-year-old pro poker player from
Northbrook, IL who earned $42,881. The Emory University graduate was the chip leader
after the completion of Day Two.
The sixth-place finisher was William Miner, a 23-year-old pro poker player from Chicago, IL
who earned $50,871.
The fifth-place finisher was William Schweinebraten, from Rolling Meadows, IL. He is a 45-
year-old insurance saleman. Schweinebraten had previously made it to a final table at the
Deep Stack Venetian series. But this was his best tournament cash to date, worth $63,744.
The fourth-place finisher was Tad Mosele, from Round Lake, IL. He is the 46-year-old owner
of a construction business. He earned $84,594 for fourth place.
The third-place finisher was Chris Gentile, from Plainfield, IL. The 35-year-old poker player
collected $119,556 in prize money.
When heads-up play began, Dan Livingston enjoyed a decisive chip advantage. He was at
least a 10 to 1 favorite over Tom Floros. The final duel lasted about 30 minutes before
Livingston finally prevailed.
The final hand came when Livingston was dealt J-3 of diamonds versus Floros Q-10 offsuit.
After the flop came K-10-3 and two diamonds, all of Floros chips went into the pot. The turn
was a bank. But a diamond on the river gave Livingston a flush and the victory.
The runner up was Tom Floros, from Indian Head Park, IL. Like Livingston, he too won his
seat via the “high-card” promotion held at the Horseshoe Casino. Flores is a 42-year-old
project manager. He received his biggest payout ever, which amounted to $180,287.
The winner was Dan Livingston, who collected $291,749 and his first WSOP Circuit gold
ring. Livingston was cheered to victory by his parents and several well-wishers.
Five players who finished in the money were high-carded into the tournament via the
Horseshoe Casino’s special promotion – including the top two finishers. In all, there were
56 seats given away as part of the Horseshoe Casino’s high-card giveaway.
The Tournament
This was the eleventh tournament of the new WSOP Circuit season, and the 11th of 13
events held at this Circuit series in Chicago. The Main Event attracted 248 entries making it
one of the larger championship events on the Circuit.
The buy-in was $5,000 (+200). This is the standard buy-in for all WSOP Circuit
championship events. During the first two seasons (2005-2007), the championship buy-in
was $10,000. The buy-in was reduced in Season Three in order to allow greater player
participation.
Attendance for this event increased by a whopping 54 percent over last year. In the 2008
championship held in Chicago, there were 164 entrants.
With all events at the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino now complete,
combined total attendance increased by 12 percent over last year:
2008 – 4,298 total entrants
2009 – 4,747 total entrants
With all events at the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino now complete,
total prize money awarded increased by 20 percent over last year:
2008 – $2,564,097 in total prize money
2009 – $3,080,056 in total prize money
The tournament began at noon on October 23rd and was played over three days. Play
lasted 14 hours on Day One – ending up with 84 survivors. The following day, play lasted
12 hours – ending up with 17 survivors. Day Three play lasted 13 hours. The entire
duration of the tournament lasted about 40 hours.
Last year’s champion was the former WSOP gold bracelet winner Steve Billirakis. He did not
enter this year’s event and failed to defend his title.
Livingston and Billirakis are now the two lone WSOP Circuit winners from Chicago. They
were 22 and 23 years old respectively at the time of their victories.
World Series of Poker Circuits (History)
The first event held this year at the WSOP Circuit in Chicago (Event #1) set a record as the
largest WSOP Circuit of all time, with 1,412 entrants.
The World Series of Poker Circuits began in January 2005. WSOP Circuits were designed to
bring the excitement of the world’s largest and most prestigious poker series to more
players and fans in various regions throughout the United States. Over the past five years,
WSOP Circuits have taken place at Harrah’s Entertainment properties in the following
locations:
Las Vegas, NV (Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, and Bally’s/Paris)
Lake Tahoe, NV (Harvey’s Lake Tahoe)
San Diego, CA (Rincon)
New Orleans, LA (Harrah’s)
Tunica, MS (Tunica Grand)
Council Bluffs, IA (Harrah’s)
Elizabeth, IN/Louisville, KY (Horseshoe Southern Indiana)
Hammond, IN/Chicago, IL (Horseshoe Casino)
Atlantic City (Caesars, Harrah’s, Showboat)
This event kicks off WSOP Circuit season number six. This season officially began on
October 16, 2009 at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) and will conclude seven months later
on May 19, 2010 at Harrah’s New Orleans. This year, there are 11 WSOP Circuit stops held
at the following locations:
Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
Horseshoe Southern Indiana
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Tunica Grand
Harrah’s Council Bluffs
Caesars Atlantic City
Harrah’s Rincon
Harrah’s St. Louis (new location)
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Harrah’s New Orleans
Only three locations have hosted WSOP Circuits during all six seasons. They are:
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s New Orleans
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
WSOP Circuit stops typically include 10-15 tournaments played over a two-week period
(some of the more popular events run longer and include as many as 23 events). Buy-ins
range from $200 for the lower tournaments up to $5,000 for championship events. During
the first two years of WSOP Circuits, all championship events had a $10,000 buy-in. This
has been reduced to a $5,000 buy-in since the 2006-2007 season began.
WSOP Circuits consistently attract large fields and payout impressive prize money. Here
are the ten largest poker events in WSOP Circuit history:
1,412 -- Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 16-17, 2009 -- Event #1
1,345 -- Tunica Grand (Mississippi), Jan. 7-8, 2006 – Event #3
1,187 -- Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 24-25, 2008 – Event #1
1,181 – Harrah’s Atlantic City, Dec. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,106 -- Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2007 – Event #1
1,056 -- Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,050 -- Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 7-8, 2008 – Event #3
983 -- Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 6-7, 2009 – Event #3
954 – Caesars Indiana, Oct. 20, 2005 – Event #1
940 -- Tunica Grand (Mississippi) Jan. 5-6, 2006 – Event #1
Winners of WSOP Circuit tournaments receive a gold ring as the token of their
achievement. This prize is patterned after the coveted gold bracelet, which is awarded to
all winners of WSOP events in Las Vegas.
The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit gold rings is Men “the Master” Nguyen,
with four victories. Nguyen also has 12 WSOP Circuit career cashes.
The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit championship events is Chris “Jesus”
Ferguson, with three Main Event victories. Ferguson won Main Events at Harrah’s Rincon
(2005), Harrah’s Las Vegas (2005), and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (2007).
The player with the most prize money winnings in WSOP Circuit history is Chris “Jesus”
Ferguson. His combined career earnings currently total $1,359,143. Ferguson has cashed
six times.
World Series of Poker Circuit at Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
This is the 51st WSOP Circuit tournament series played since January 2005.
What is now the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) originally opened up as the Empress
Casino, back in 1993. The casino has since been sold twice and has undergone both
expansion and renovation. It is now the largest casino (measured by number of tables and
gaming devices) in the greater Chicago area. The current Horseshoe Casino configuration
has more than 100 live table games, 3,200 electronic gaming devices, and a 34-table poker
room, making it one of the largest casinos in the Midwest.
Poker pioneer Jack Binion bought and took over the Empress Casino in 2001. He renamed
the property as the “Horseshoe Casino.” It became officially known as “Horseshoe
Hammond,” since it is actually located in Hammond, IN. Harrah’s Entertainment purchased
the casino from Binion in 2004, and retained the name. However, in an effort to align itself
with the Chicago area, the casino is now known as the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland).
The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) underwent a $500 million renovation, which was
completed last year. On August 8, 2008 (8-8-08) entertainment diva Bette Midler hosted
and performed at the grand re-opening.
The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) is the closest gaming facility in proximity to downtown
Chicago, which is just 16 miles away. In fact, the downtown skyline can be seen from many
parts of the casino, which is located along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
A large marina is adjacent to the casino, which holds many water craft. The casino is a
popular destination for boats which come to the resort from all over the region, especially
during summer months.
The casino is located less than a mile from the Indiana-Illinois border. The closest major
airport is Midway, on Chicago’s south side. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is about an hour
away. The casino offers shuttle service to many parts of Chicago and the region.
The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) draws visitors predominately from the Chicago area.
However, the WSOP Circuit attracts many players from all over Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, and Ohio.
This marks the second year that the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has hosted a WSOP
Circuit stop. Last year’s field came close to setting attendance records. A big turnout is
also expected this year, and the first event of the new 2009-2010 season did not
disappoint. The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has now hosted two of the three largest
WSOP Circuit tournaments in history.
The Horseshoe Casino poker room regularly holds 34 tables. However, the WSOP Circuit
took over the special events center called “The Venue.” This additional floor space holds 78
more poker tables. This means the Horseshoe Casino holds up to 112 poker tables
combined, making it the largest capacity facility of any WSOP Circuit event.
“The Venue” is regularly used for shows and attracts many of the biggest names in music
and entertainment. The Venue holds up to 3,000 people. But most of the theatre seating
was moved aside for nearly two weeks in favor of poker tables, all packed with players.
This is one of two major poker tournaments held annually at the Horseshoe Casino. In
addition to the WSOP Circuit, the casino will be hosting the “Chicago Poker Classic,” to be
held February 26 through March 7, 2010. This tournament is expected to offer nine major
events, plus several second chance tournaments. Attractions include $350,000 in added
prize money, plus a brand new Porsche Cayman luxury car as the grand prize. A complete
schedule of the 2010 Chicago Poker Classic will be forwarded to media at the completion of
this year’s WSOP Circuit events.
__________________________________
HORSESHOE CASINO (CHICAGO)
Horseshoe Casino Senior Vice President and General Manager: Dan Nita
Director of Table Games: Jose Lebron
Poker Room Manager: Jason Newman
Special Events Manager: Amie Hill
Tournament Director: Charlie Ciresi
Co-Tournament Director: Steve Frezer
WORLD SERIES OF POKER
World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
WSOP Vice President -- Ty Stewart
Director of Communications – Seth Palansky
Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming -- Howard Greenbaum
WSOP Events Manager -- Angele Marshall
WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill
WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel
WSOP Media Director – Nolan Dalla
