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2009 Horseshoe Hammond
Event 13 - $300 Buy-in No Limit Holdem. Final Results. 2009 Horseshoe Hammond WSOP Circuit Events.

2009 Horseshoe Hammond
World Series of Poker Circuit Events
Official Results
World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Results
2009 Horseshoe Hammond Event #13 Results
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Hammond
Oct. 25
Event #13
No-Limit Hold’em  
Buy-In: $300 + $45
Number of Entries: 574
Total Prize Money: $167,034
Phillip Zigulich
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
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
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
Phillip Zigulich
Son Zhou
Joshua Rupplecht
David Earnest
Eric Nguyen
Rami Jaber
Ellen Connolly
Jennifer Kasten
Musa Mustafa
Ryan Gatrel
George Baba
Kristine Wiltfong
Joseph Tozer
Ronnie Rogers
Thomas Kosmerl
Steven Czarnecki
Robert Thomas
Peter Graham
Michael Lawrence
Brian Tom
Daniel Pyszynski
Bruce Liebowitz
Bill Spencer
Willie Muahmmad
Robert Tucker
Colin Davy
Peter Brandt
Son Nguyen
William Kelly
Marcello Lane
Scott Anderson
Nicholas Gualamdri
Patrick Sauer
Lawrence Salato
Steve Boonstra
Tuyen Ngo
Garabed Uluhogian
Michael Cassity
Scott Carlos
Scott Molling
Janith Embree
Timothy Harris
William Lois
Mitchell Seifer
Brandon Calabrese
Paul Yoshimura
Joyce Ketelhut
Michael Bernal
Danny Manzella
Darwin Smith
Trong Tran
Sean McDonald
Cory Butler
Domingo Hernandez
Chicago, IL
Palatine, IL
Lisle, IL
Chicago, IL
McHenry, IL
Mt. Prospect, IL
Fort Atkinson, WI
Star City, IN
Orlando Park, IL
Delevan, WI
Chicago, IL
Elkhart, IN
Chicago, IL
Edwardsburg, MI
Joliet, IL
South Bend, IN
Chicago, IL
Peru, IN
Trevor, WI
Chicago, IL
River Grove, IL
Farmington Hills, MI
Hobart, IN
Phoenix, AZ
Wyandotte, MI
Kenilworth, IL
Fremont, WI
Milwaukee, WI
Concord, OH
Chicago, IL
Downers Grove, IL
Molena, IL
Columbus, OH
Mount Prospect, IL
Molena, IL
Yorkville, IL
Canton, MI
Schererville, IN
New Lenox, IL
Green Bay, WI
Holt, MO
Porter, IN
Milwaukee, WI
South Bend, IN
Crown Point, IN
Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL
Peru, IL
Mokena, IL
Muskegon, MI
Wheaton, IL
LaPorte, IN
Martinton, IL
Joliet, IL
$38,424
$23,734
$15,568
$10,835
$7,947
$6,135
$4,973
$4,223
$3,748
$2,711
$2,711
$2,711
$2,028
$2,028
$2,028
$1,553
$1,553
$1,553
$1,204
$1,204
$1,204
$1,204
$1,204
$1,204
$1,204
$1,204
$1,204
$969
$969
$969
$969
$969
$969
$969
$969
$969
$793
$793
$793
$793
$793
$793
$793
$793
$793
$653
$653
$653
$653
$653
$653
$653
$653
$653
Official Report

Event #13 Headlines

1.  Phillip Zigulich Engineers First Major Tournament Victory in Chicago

2.  Engineer From Chicago Takes Down Event #13, Wins $38,424

3.  “My Kind of Town, Chicago” -- Attendance Up 12 Percent, Prize Money Up 20 Percent
Over Last Year

4.  Final Circuit Event in Chicago Attracts 574 Entrants – Next Up:  Chicago Poker Classic
Scheduled For February

Event #13 Champion (Phillip Zigulich)

The 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit winner of Event #13 at the Horseshoe Casino
(Chicagoland) is Phillip Zigulich, from Chicago, IL.

Zigulich is a 58-year-old operating engineer.

Zigulich has been playing poker for about six years.  He is mostly a recreational player.

This marked Zigulich’s first major tournament victory.  He has only played in ten
tournaments, previously.  

Zigulich collected $38,424 for first place in this tournament.


Winner Quotes (Phillip Zigulich)

On winning his first ever WSOP Circuit gold ring:  “I am ecstatic.  My goal when I started
was to get to Number 54 (the first position in the money).  That way, I could get my $350
back.  Then, once I hit Number 54, all the pressure went off me.  I just played the cards
after that.”

On his change of attitude once he was guaranteed to finish in-the-money:  “I just played
the cards and pushed the chips and I really did not care if I lost.  I mean, I cared, but the
pressure was gone.  Then, I finally closed it out and won.  It’s terrific.”

On when he started believing he might win:  “When we got down to about six-handed or
so, I thought I really had a chance to win and could go all the way.  And sure enough, that’
s exactly what happened.”

On where this tournament win ranks:  “I’ve been playing for six years and this is by far my
biggest payday.”

On his poker preferences:  “This tournament was perfect.  You spend $300 or so and spend
the entire day and get lots of play.  This was great.”

On his advice for other players who might be thinking about trying out tournament poker:  
“I am not a professional.  I am just an amateur player.  It can happen to you – go play!”


The Final Table / In-the-Money Finishers

When final table play began, the chip leader was Songjie Zhou.  He was the dominant stack
with about 1.3 million.  Three other players – including Phillip Zigulich, Ellen Narkis, and Eric
Nguyen – were all within striking distance and were bunched together around 900,000.  
The five remaining players needed help and were outchipped by at least 2 to 1.

The ninth-place finisher was Musa Mustafa, from Orland Park, IL.  He is a 38-year-old
professional poker player.

The eighth-place finisher was Jennifer Kasten, from Star City, IN.  She is a stay-at-home
mom.

The seventh-place finisher was Ellen Narkis.  She is a CPA.  Narkis once cashed for
$200,000 in an online tournament.

The sixth-place finisher was Rami jabber, from Mount Prospect, IL.  He is a 33-year-old
contractor.

The fifth-place finisher was Eric Nguyen, from Chicago, IL.  He is a 31-year-old nail
technician.

The fourth-place finisher was David Earnest, from Chicago, IL.  He is a 26-year-old teacher.  
He collected $10,835.

The third-place finisher was Josh Rupprecht, from Lisle, IL.  He is a 26-year-old personal
trainer.  His payout amounted to $15,568.

When heads-up play began, Phillip Zigulich enjoyed the chip lead.  It did not take long for
him to defeat his final opponent.  The final table ended in relatively quick fashion, closing in
at just over two hours.

The runner up was Songjie Zhou, from Chicago, IL.  He is a 40-year-old engineer.  Zhou
was paid a very respectable $23,734.

The winner was Phillip Zigulich, who collected $38,424 and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring.  
This was his first time to cash in a WSOP Circuit event.


The Tournament

This was the thirteenth tournament of the new WSOP Circuit season, and the final event
held at this Circuit series in Chicago.  The tournament attracted 574 entries.  This was a
single-day event.

The buy-in was $300 (+45).  The total prize pool was $167,034.

Attendance for this event was about the same as last year.

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 25th and was played over an entire day.  Play
lasted 14 hours and ended at about 2 am.


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 officially 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
2009 Horseshoe Hammond WSOP Circuit Event #13 Winner