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2009 Horseshoe Hammond
Event 2 - $500 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 #2 Results
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Hammond
Oct. 17-18
Event #2
No Limit Holdem
Buy-In: $500 + $55
Number of Entries: 550
Total Prize Money: $261,550
Marvin Thompson
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
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Marvin Thompson
Darryl Ronconi
Steve Quirin
Jason Newburger
Phil Sourn
Benjamin Beebe
Cullen Kurzmann
Mark "Pegasus" Smith
John Nguyen
Matt Duffy
Kevin Dooley
Kyle Cruse
Stephen Buell
Sean Stevens
Marko Doljevic
Chamroeun Uon
Frederic Winter
Spilios Venetsanopoulos
Martin Thomas
James Petzing
James Sparks
Phillip Ang Li
Michael Foster
Jeffrey Reimer
Dale Robinson
Todd Fooks
Robert Rounsfall
Robert Salawa
Kyle Kalbus
Glenn Scheck
Brent Vanhooser
Michael Bowersock
Joaquin Sosa
Michael Evers
Micahel Cohen
Mark Hirleman
Christopher Michael
Peter Hotalling, II
Mark Juncaj
Donald Wray
Brian Yaremych
Kevin Manley
Jacob Livingston
Douglas Barr
Steven Trepachko
John Sullivan
Michael Stucker
Devang Kothari
Phillip Kissee
Patrick Heneghan
Randy Shearek
Gary Dosey
Michaelo Silvestro
Emanuel Moraitis
Fowler, IN
Naperville, IL
Freeburg, IL
Vernon Hills, IL
Chicago, IL
West Lafayette, IN
Farmington Hill, MI
Georgetown, KY
Schaumburg, IL
Ridgeway, IL
Borthbrook, IL
Kalamazoo, MI
Green Bay, WI
Auburn, NY
Highland, MI
Holland, MI
LaGrange, IL
Hinsdale, IL
Aurora, IL
Chicago, IL
Warsaw, IN
Lisle, IL
Chicago, IL
Spring Grove, IL
Otisco, IN
Chicago, IL
Glenview, IL
Chicago, IL
Watertown, WI
Medinah, OH
Aurora, IL
Fort Wayne, IN
Mokena, IL
Chicago, IL
Granger, IN
Tucson, AZ
Chicago, IL
Southfield, MI
Oakland Twnship, MI
Arlington Heights, IL
Chicago, IL
Arlington Heights, IL
Rolling Meadows, IL
Naappanete, IN
Plainfield, IL
Brunswick, OH
Mahoment, IL
Westmont, IL
Monee, IL
Chicago, IL
Pekin, IL
Chelsea, MI
Streamwood, IL
Chicago, IL
$60,156
$37,164
$24,376
$16,967
$12,445
$9,607
$7,786
$6,612
$5,869
$4,245
$4,245
$4,245
$3,175
$3,175
$3,175
$2,432
$2,432
$2,432
$1,886
$1,886
$1,886
$1,886
$1,886
$1,886
$1,886
$1,886
$1,886
$1,517
$1,517
$1,517
$1,517
$1,517
$1,517
$1,517
$1,517
$1,517
$1,242
$1,242
$1,242
$1,242
$1,242
$1,242
$1,242
$1,242
$1,242
$1,023
$1,023
$1,023
$1,023
$1,023
$1,023
$1,023
$1,023
$1,023
Official Report

Event #2 Headlines

1.  Marvin Thompson Wins First WSOP Gold Ring and $60,156 Cash Prize

2.  Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) Continues to Draw Huge Fields – So Far, Attendance
Has Increased Ten Percent Over Last Year

3.  Chicagoland Proves to be One of Tournament Poker’s Hottest Markets


About the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)

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.

Adjacent to the casino is a large marina, 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.


Event #2 Champion (Marvin Thompson)

The 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit winner for Event #2 held at the Horseshoe Casino
(Chicagoland) is Marvin Thompson, from Fowler, IN.

Thompson is a 45-year-old professional poker player.  

Prior to playing poker for a living, Thompson was a carpenter for about 12 years.  He was a
member of the carpenters union.

Following his high school graduation, Thompson initially joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a
reservist.  He also earned a college degree at the Purdue University-Calumet.  He has
returned to school and is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Purdue University.

Thompson has been married for 21 years.  He and his wife have three sons – ages 19, 15,
and 12.  His 19-year-old son is a sophomore attending Purdue University, where he is
studying philosophy.

Thompson became a serious poker player somewhat by accident.  Years ago, he joined a
friend and went to a local poker tournament on one of the Indiana riverboats.  To his great
surprise, he won the event, which was his first live tournament.  Since then, Thompson has
gone on to cash in several major tournaments including events held at the Bellagio in Las
Vegas and Borgata in Atlantic City.

This was Thompson’s first recorded cash in a WSOP-related tournament.  He now has 1
win, 1 final table appearance, and 1 cash in WSOP play.  He earned $60,156 for this
victory.  Thompson will also receive an entry into the WSOP Circuit Main Event in Chicago,
which is played October 23-25, 2009.

Thompson stated that he only had about three hours sleep on the night between play on
Days One and Two.

Thompson says he intends to play more poker and enter more tournaments in the future
with the prize money.


Winner Quotes (Marvin Thompson)

On his expectations coming into this final table and when he thought he could win the
tournament:  “I knew I was going to win this as soon as I got in it.  I called a friend up and
told him I was going to come home with the ring.”

On how he became a poker pro:  “My poker career started when I went to play in a poker
tournament for the first time.  I didn’t even know they had poker (at the casino).  I went up
there and played and I won the tournament.  I went back and won again and I just went
around and was (playing well).  I went to Las Vegas next where I cashed at the Bellagio for
40-grand.  That was nice.  And I’ve been playing poker ever since.”

On winning more than $60,000 in prize money:  “I’ll certainly play in more tournaments.  I’ll
keep playing, for sure.”

On which November Nine player he hopes will win at the 2009 WSOP Main Event
championship:  “Phil Ivey.  How can you not pick Phil?  He’s going to destroy them.”


The Final Table / In-the-Money Finishers

The chip leader when final table began was Jason Newburger, who started play with
1,100,000 in chips.  He enjoyed about a 4 to 3 advantage over his three closest rivals –
John Nguyen (800,000), Ben Beebe (750,000), and Marvin Thompson (716,000).  The
remaining players were all behind the chip leader by a greater than 2 to 1 margin.  The
most notable player in the final nine was Mark “Pegasus” Smith, a former WSOP Circuit Main
Event champion and two-time gold ring winner.  Darryl Ronconi, with three WSOP cashes
and one previous WSOP final table appearance would also prove to be a serious threat.

The ninth-place finisher was John Nguyen, from Schaumburg, IL.  The 23-year-old poker pro
suffered early misfortune in the finale by taking a few beats and had to settle for $5,869 in
prize money.

The eighth-place finisher was Mark “Pegasus” Smith, from Georgetown, KY.  The 57-year-old
part-time poker pro, who also raises horses, previously won the WSOP Circuit Main Event
held at Tunica in 2006.  In fact, Smith was shooting for his third WSOP Circuit gold ring in
this tournament, but came up short.  He also won an event held at Caesars Indiana in
2007.  This marked Smith’s 10th time to cash on the WSOP Circuit, which places him along
the top 25 in that category.  Eighth place paid $6,612.

The seventh-place finisher was Cullen Kurzmann, from Farmington Hill, MI.  He is a 26-year-
old professional poker player.  Prior to playing poker for a living, Kurzmann owned a coffee
shop.  He also worked in local charity-run poker rooms.  Kurzmann has previously done well
in both online and live tournaments, winning more than $100,000 at various sites in
addition to final tabling events at the Venetian in Las Vegas.  He added $7,786 to his poker
bankroll for seventh place.

The sixth-place finisher was Ben Beebe, from West Lafayette, IN.  He is a 31-year-old officer
in the U.S. Navy.  He is an active duty pilot who is currently instructing prospective cadets in
the NROTC program at Purdue University.  This marked Beebe’s first major cash in a live
poker tournament – good for $9,607.

The fifth-place finisher was Phil Sourn, from Chicago, IL.  The 41-year-old part-time poker
player made $12,445.

The fourth-place finisher was Jason Newburger, from Vernon Hills, IL.  The 25-year-old
poker pro previously made three final tables at the WSOP in Las Vegas, including a runner-
up finish in 2007.  Newburger, who also used to play college baseball at Bradley University,
pocketed $16,967 for fourth place.

The third-place finisher was Steve Quirin, from Freeburg, IL.  He is a 22-year-old college
student.  Quirin had a shot to challenge the eventual winner Thompson.  But he took a few
beats late and ended up with a third-place finish, worth $24,376 in prize money.

When heads-up play began, Marvin Thompson enjoyed a 4 to 1 chip advantage over Darryl
Ronconi.  The two finalists battled for about ten minutes before the final hand eliminated
Ronconi.    

The final hand came when Ronconi moved all in pre-flop with pocket jacks.  Thompson called
with A-J.  Ronconi certainly had the advantage and it appeared that he would double up
when the turn showed a board of K-10-6-9.  But an ace on the river gave Thompson a pair
of aces, besting Ronconi’s pair of jacks, which officially ended the tournament.

The runner up was Darryl Ronconi, from Naperville, IL.  He is a 45-year-old Chief Information
Officer.  The graduate of the University of South Florida, who also holds a Masters from
DePaul University, has three WSOP cashes, including an impressive 447th-place finish in the
2008 WSOP Main Event, held in Las Vegas.  Ronconi also made a final table at the 2007
WSOP.  Second place paid $37,174.

The winner was Marvin Thompson, who earned $60,156 plus an entry valued at $5,000 into
the WSOP Circuit championship here in Chicago.

The final table was played during a Sunday night NFL game between the locally-popular
Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons.  The National League Championship Series
(baseball) was also televised on the big screens, located inside the tournament facility.  
This created a roller coaster of emotions for sports fans and poker players following all the
football, baseball, and poker action.  The Bears lost to the Falcons.  The Dodgers lost to the
Phillies.  549 players lost to Marvin Thompson.


The Tournament

This was the second tournament of the new WSOP Circuit season.  The first event, which
was held during the previous two days, attracted the largest field in WSOP history, with
1,412 entrants.  This tournament (Event #2) attracted 550 entries, up from last year’s
attendance which was 500 players.

Through the first two events of the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino
(Chicagoland), attendance is up 10 percent over last year.

The game played was No-Limit Hold’em.  The buy-in was $500 (+55).  The total prize pool
amounted to $261,550.  The top 54 finishers collected prize money.

The tournament began at noon on October 17th and was played over two days.  The entire
duration of the tournament lasted about 22 hours.

After Day One, there were 49 survivors who returned for Day Two.  Play resumed at 2 pm
and played down to the final nine, which occurred at about 6 pm.  The final table was
completed in about five hours, ending at 11:10 pm.


World Series of Poker Circuits (History)

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 begins 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 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.  In
just the last 14 months, The Venue has hosted the following performers:

Paul Anka
The Bee Gees
Lewis Black
Cedric the Entertainer
Alice Cooper
Bill Cosby
Robert Cray
Melissa Etheridge
Aretha Franklin
John Fogerty
Brad Garrett
Vince Gill
Eddie Griffin
Chris Isaak
Alicia Keys
B.B. King
Korn
Gladys Knight
Howie Mandel
Moody Blues
Liza Minelli
Wayne Newton
Don Rickles
Kenny Rogers
Seal
Sarah Silverman
Stone Temple Pilots
Hank Williams, Jr.

In addition, many other acts and top international stars have performed at The Venue.

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)

General Manager of Horseshoe Casino:  Dan Nita
Table Games Manager:  Jose Lebron
Poker Room Manager:  Jason Newman
Special Events Manager:  Amie Hill
Tournament Director:  Charlie Ciresi


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 #2 Winner