WSOP & WPT Tournament Blog

2009 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event # 2
Buy In $40,000
Date 5/31/2009
Game No Limit Hold’em
Number of Entries 201
Net Prize Pool $7,718,400
First Place Prize $1,891,012
Players to Cash 27

In the Money Finishers:

1 Lunkin, Vitaly $1,891,018 Moscow Russia
2 Haxton, Isaac $1,168,565 Las Vegas NV
3 Raymer, Greg $774,927 Releigh NC
4 Stern, Dani $548,315 New York NY
5 Bonomo, Justin $413,165 Las Vegas NV
6 Torelli, Alec $329,730 Orange County CA
7 Veldhuis, Alexander $277,939 Rotterdam The Netherlands
8 Schwartz, Noah $246,834 Bay Harbor FL
9 Forrest, Ted $230,317 Las Vegas NV
10 Guaga, Antanas “Tony G” $172,120 Melbourne Australia
11 Lehr, Keith $172,120 Shreveport LA
12 Marafioti, Matthew $172,120 Toronto ON, Canada
13 Townsend, Brian $128,665 Santa Barbara CA
14 Rast, Brian $128,665 Las Vegas NV
15 Baker, David $128,665 Rochester Hills MI
16 Doshi, Suresh $96,171 Las Vegas NV
17 Hamagami, Clark $96,171 Vancouver BC, Canada
18 Glantz, Matthew $96,171 Lafayette Hill PA
19 Black, Andrew $71,858 Dublin United Kingdom
20 Channing, Neil $71,858 Maide Vale United Kingdom
21 Chiu, David $71,858 Rowland Heights CA
22 Kassela, Frank $71,858 Rossville TN
23 Robl, Andrew $71,858 Las Vegas NV
24 Pham, David $71,858 Cerritos CA
25 Mizzi, Sorel $71,858 Toronto ON, Canada
26 Tran, Justin $71,858 Sacramento CA
27 Rousso, Vanessa $71,858 Las Vegas NV

Tournament Highlights:

The Winner

The 2009 World Series of Poker Special 40th Anniversary Championship is Vitaly Lunkin, from Moscow, Russia.

Lunkin is a 38 year-year-old business manager and poker player. His first occasion to cash in a poker tournament was in 2003. Aside from
attending the WSOP the previous two years, most of Lunkin’s past poker
success has taken place in Russia.

This was Lunkin’s second WSOP-gold bracelet victory. At the 2008 WSOP, Lunkin won the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em championship (Event #39), where he pocketed $628,417.

Incredibly, the two WSOP events won by Lunkin were very different. Last year’s victory came in a massive field of 2,706 players. This year’s title came in what must be considered the toughest No-Limit Hold’em tournament in history. The mega-sized buy-in ($40,000) mandated that just about every player in the field of 201 was at a world-class level.

Lunkin is married and has two children.

Lunkin has been playing poker since 2001.

“This was the most difficult tournament of my life,” Lunkin said through a Russian translator in a post-tournament interview.

“When I was young, we did not have poker,” Vitaly said about growing up in the former Soviet Union. When asked about his reaction to coming to Las Vegas and winning more money in the past two years than most people earn in a lifetime, Vitaly was quite diplomatic. “I think we don’t have this barrier (between our countries) anymore. “Poker is one of the things that helped our countries come together.”

Lunkin collected $1,891,018 for first place. He was also awarded his second WSOP gold bracelet

Lunkin’s victory came on the same day another player won his second WSOP gold bracelet. In an event which concluded about an hour earlier, Thang Luu won the $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low title, after winning the same event last year.

The massive cash prize for first place at nearly $1.9 million rocketed Lunkin into 34th place on the all-time WSOP money winner’s
list, one spot ahead of Chris Moneymaker. He now has $2,534,032 in three WSOP cashes.

The Players

The final table was comprised of players from three different nations – The Netherlands, Russia, and the United States.

Only one former WSOP Main Event champion made it to the final table, Greg “Fossilman” Raymer (2004).

Only three former WSOP gold bracelet winners made it to the final table, Ted Forrest (5 wins), Vitaly Lunkin (1 win), and Greg Raymer (1 win).

The runner up was Isaac Haxton, from Las Vegas, NV. Haxton started heads-up play against his Russian adversary as chip leader, but was unable to close out the victory. His nickname is “Ike.” Haxton, who holds a degree in philosophy from Brown University, now has nine WSOP cashes and three final table appearances. He cashed three times last year. However, this was Haxton’s biggest poker win, as $1,168,565 was paid to the second-place finisher.

The third-place finisher was 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer. He was the chip leader during much of the 11-hour finale. When Raymer was eliminated late in the event, he received a rousing standing ovation. Raymer waved gracefully to the crowd as a true champion, obviously disappointed with the final result, but proving once again that he can play No-Limit Hold’em with the best in the world.

The final table was a memorable experience for Raymer. While engaged in one of the toughest final table battles of his life, Raymer was simultaneously entered in the “Champions Invitational,” which was being played in an adjacent area. The “Champions Invitational” was a competition of all the former living WSOP Main Event winners. Raymer was gradually blinded down while he remained at the final table. When Raymer busted out at about 11 pm, he transferred to the other tournament, only to bust out on the very first hand. It was still an impressive performance by the former patent attorney from North Carolina. Raymer’s cut of the prize pool amounted to $774,927.

The fourth-place finisher was Dani Stern, from New York, NY (Note: Name is pronounced “Donny”). He cashed in last year’s No-Limit Heads-Up championship.

The fifth-place finisher was Justin Bonomo, From Las Vegas, NV. Bonomo has joined the ranks of those players considered to be among the best of the game who have yet to win a gold bracelet. Bonomo was the runner up in the $5,000 buy-in Mixed Hold’em event at last year’s WSOP. He also won the WSOP Circuit championship (gold ring) two months ago at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.

The sixth-place finisher was Alec Torelli, from Orange County, CA,

The seventh-place finisher was Alexander “Lex” Veldhuis, a.k.a.
“RaSZi,” from Rotterdam, Holland.

The eighth-place finisher was Noah Schwartz, from Miami Beach, FL.

The ninth-place finisher was Ted Forrest, from Las Vegas, NV. His bid for a sixth-gold bracelet came up short, as he was eliminated about 35 minutes into play at the final table.

Finishing in tenth place was the bombastic Lithuanian-born Antanas Guaga, a.k.a. “Tony G.”

Former WSOP gold bracelet winner Keith Lehr finished in 11th place.

Three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner David Chiu finished in 21st place.

Former WSOP gold bracelet winner David Pham finished in 24th place.

The unfortunate 28th-place finisher (the “bubble”) was Niel Chriss, from New York, NY. The difference in 28th and 27th place was $71,858.

Among the 201 entrants were former WSOP champions – Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Doyle Brunson, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Chris Moneymaker, and Johnny Chan.

Odds and Ends

The tournament began with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel placed at center stage. Effel revealed to the crowd how the Special 40th Anniversary No-Limit Hold’em Championship was initially created. Effel stated that he and his wife Alicia were sitting down to dinner at their Las Vegas home several months ago when Effel asked what the WSOP might do to commemorate the tournament’s 40-year anniversary. Alicia Effel contemplated the idea and suggested a new $40,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em championship might be added to the schedule. This was taken to Jeffrey Pollack and summarily approved by the WSOP Players Advisory Council.

Pollack introduced the defending 2008 WSOP Main Event champion, Peter Eastgate, who received a warm ovation from the crowd, and was bestowed with the “Shuffle Up and Deal” honors. Pollack said of Eastgate’s championship reign: “He has served with a quiet dignity and style that has done the WSOP proud. He is a terrific champion.”

Prior to the start of the event, the tournament room was filled with popular music from the year 1970. Since this is the 40th anniversary of the WSOP, much of the music and memories that his year’s series will flashback to the earlier era. The three songs played as background music prior to the start were “American Woman” by The Guess Who, “Instant Karma” by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, and “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel.

The event was filmed by ESPN. This is one of four primary broadcasts on this year’s WSOP schedule which will air in the next few months.

A massive crowd filled the Amazon Ballroom and ESPN stage area from start to finish. Crowd were even larger due to the “Champions Invitational,” which started on the day the 40th Annual No-Limit Hold’em Championship ended.

In ESPN’s customary post-tournament interview with Norman Chad asking questions, Vitaly Lunkin used a translator. However, the first question was memorable. Chad asked Lunkin (in English) how he felt to win his first WSOP gold bracelet. Unfazed by the question he did not understand, Lunkin rattled off several lines in Russian. After a long-winded answer that few members of the audience understood, Chad deadpanned. “So, it was a good thing?” Chad’s response brought more laugher to a good-natured finale.

There were nearly a dozen Russian supporters cheering for Lunkin at the final table. Members of the Russian poker team (www.jokerteam.ru) were out in full force, waving Russian flags and singing songs which helped inspire Lunkin’s victory.

On the day following his victory, Lunkin is/was honored at the official WSOP gold bracelet ceremony. The national anthem of Russia was played inside the tournament room – a WSOP first.

Vitaly Lunkin is one of only three Russians to win WSOP gold bracelets. The others are Alexander Kravechenko and Ralph Perry.

The debate is now on as to which Russian player is the best – with Vitaly Lunkin, Alexander Kravchenko, and Ivan Demidov (last year’s WSOP Main Event runner up) as the likely three top choices.

The Event

This was the first-ever $40,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Championship. The $40,000 figure was selected in accordance with the
WSOP’s 40th anniversary which is taking place this year.

This was the largest prize pool in WSOP history for any non-Main Event tournament. The total prize pool amounted to a whopping
$7,718,400.

Most observers (and the winner) considered this event to be the toughest No-Limit Hold’em tournament ever held. While huge
tournaments such as WSOP Main Events require unmatched stamina, skill, and even some luck, this tournament required a completely different skill set.

Mega buy-in poker tournaments have been held sporadically in recent years. But none has attracted nearly as many players nor has created anywhere close to the size of the prize pool.

Six players of the 201 won their buy-ins via satellites.

The tournament was played over a four-day period. This was due to a structure which allowed players a great amount of play. Virtually everyone in the tournament complimented the structure and conduct of the tournament.

The tournament began with 201 entries, surpassing many estimates of a modest turnout. Day One lasted 13 hours and ended with 89 survivors.

The End Day One chip leader was Bruno Fitoussi, from Paris, France. Many eyes were also on the second-place survivor, 2003 WSOP champion Chris Moneymaker. However, neither Fitoussi nor Moneymaker made it into-the-money.

Players reached the prize money (27th place) late on Day Two. Day three began with 23 players.

Day Three was relatively short, lasting only about six hours. The 23 survivors played down to the final nine.

On Day Four, Isaac Haxton arrived at the final table on as the chip leader. After several hours of tribulation, he ended up with the chip lead over Vitaly Lunkin when heads-up play began. But after about 90 minutes of trading chips back and forth, Lunkin prevailed.

The final table lasted 167 hands and lasted 11 hours and 10 minutes.

The final hand came when Vitaly Lunkin won with pocket aces.

The tournament officially began on Thursday, May 27th at 12:06 pm. The tournament officially ended on Monday, June 1 at 1:36 am.

WSOP Statistics

Through the conclusion of Event #2, the 2009 WSOP has attracted 1,119 entries. $8,108,100 in prize money has been awarded to winners.

There is still time to get a seat into the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Sign up at UltimateBet Poker and download the free software to play in 2009 WSOP Satellite Tournaments

2009 World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

Official Report
Event #3
Omaha High-Low Split – Eight or Better
Buy-In: $1,500
Number of Entries: 918
Total Net Prize Pool: $1,253,070
Number of Places Paid: 90
First Place Prize: $263,135
May 29-31, 2009

1 Luu Thang Las Vegas, NV
2 Ed Smith 29 Palms, CA
3 Ming Reslock Atlantic City, NJ
4 Robert Price 29 Palms, CA
5 Leyo Pascal New York, NY
6 Jordan Rich Portland, OR
7 Jim Geary Phoenix, AZ
8 Freddy Deeb Las Vegas, NV
9 Senovio Ramirez Mercedes, TX
10 Sebastian Ruthenberg Hamburg, Germany
11 Lee Mougous Elma, WA
12 Richard Toth Miskolc, Hungary
13 Micah Brooks Phoenix, AZ
14 Daniel Spear Newton Square, PA
15 Adam Quiggle Cary, NC
16 Edgar Cheng Lindsay, ON, Canada
17 William Seale Boerne, TX
18 Henry Hull St. Augustine, FL
19 Jeremy Harkin Troutdale, OR
20 Eli Elezra Henderson, NV
21 Morten Lassen Holte, Denmark
22 Geoff Bouvier San Diego, CA
23 Jon Nakatani San Jose, CA
24 Alexander Michaels Hollywood, FL
25 Benjamin Gold Long Beach, CA
26 Sven Arntzen Oslo, Norway
27 Al Barbieri Long Beach, CA
28 James Stoddard Fenton, MI
29 David Nikithser Fieldsboro, NJ
30 Annie Duke Los Angeles, CA
31 Brandon Macdonald Marlton, NJ
32 Michael Christensen Rcho Palo Verdes, CA
33 Jason Newburger Vernon Hills, IL
34 Erick Lindgren Las Vegas, NV
35 Andreas Foulias Gilbert, AZ
36 Paul Sherr Phoenix, AZ
37 Daniel Harmetz Sacramento, CA
38 Tom Matthews Alamo, CA
39 John Parker Silver Springs, MD
40 Jonah Seewald Centennial, CO
41 Levitt Bruce Beverly Hills, CA
42 Luis Santoni Pembroke Pines, FL
43 Mike Kleist Muscatine, IA
44 Layne Flack Las Vegas, NV
45 John Racener Port Richey, FL
46 Bradley Birarda Vancouver, Canada
47 Ahmad Abghari La Crescenta, CA
48 Andre Akkari Sao Paolo, Brazil
49 Chris Chang Kelowna, Canada
50 Thomas Hunt III Las Vegas, NV
51 Derek Kadota Glendale, CA
52 Dale Kunkel Tuscan, AZ
53 Charles Jett Henderson, NV
54 Kia Hooshmand Jersey City, NJ
55 Jason Koonce Aspen, CO
56 Jason Riesenberg North Las Vegas, NV
57 Gregory Yocum Chandler, AZ
58 Julie Schneider Scottsdale, AZ
59 Casey Kay San Antonio, TX
60 Matt Savage Las Vegas, NV
61 Delmiro Toledo Visalia, CA
62 Kristopher Young St. Louis, MO
63 Clinton Steelman Cincinnati, OH
64 Patrick Poels Mesa, AZ
65 Steven Hohn Overland Park, KS
66 Stephen Ladowsky Toronto, ON, Canada
67 Robert Goldfarb Scottsdale, AZ
68 Todd Sninski Cary, NC
69 Marion Busch Greenville, MS
70 Alfredo Leonidas Riverside, CA
71 Fabrice Soulier Las Vegas, NV
72 Greg Pappas Las Vegas, NV
73 Sean Roy Ontario, Canada
74 Barry Rosenbloom Redondo Beach, CA
75 Colin Barlow Ballwin, MO
76 Matt Lefkowitz Carmel Valley, CA
77 Todd Brunson Las Vegas, NV
78 Sean McMahon Tacoma, WA
79 George DiCambio Tucson, AZ
80 Luis Deguzman West Palm Beach, FL
81 David Daneshgar Westlake Village, CA
82 Mark Ferguson Las Vegas, NV
83 Steven Farmer Imperial, MO
84 Joseph Smeraglia Birmingham, AL
85 Christopher Falconer Canton, OH
86 Mark Robinson Panama City, FL
87 Patrick Wilmes Moreno Valley, CA
88 Mitchell Schock Bismarck, ND
89 Steven Lustig Fremont, CA
90 Jeffrey Tunkel Naperville, IL

Tournament Highlights:

The Winner

The 2009 World Series of Poker $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low champion is Thang T. Luu, from Las Vegas, NV.

Luu accomplished one of the most astonishing feats in many years at the WSOP. He successfully defended his title as the $1,500-buy-in Omaha High-Low champion after winning the same event last year. Furthermore, Luu managed to finish second in this same 2007 event. This means Luu has now finished second, first, and first – in the same event over three consecutive years. In the future, poker historians will debate poker’s greatest accomplishments and this feat is certainly among them.

The last time any player has finished 1-1-2 (in any order) was Johnny Chan’s accumulated record in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event between 1987-1989, when he finished 1-1-2. However, it may be argued that since Chan’s number of opponents was considerably smaller, that Luu’s accomplishment is even more impressive. In 2007, he finished second in a field of 690. In 2008, he topped a field of 833. In 2009, he defended his title with 918 entrants.

Luu is 34-years-old. He is a professional poker player. Luu is originally from Vietnam. He arrived in the United States at the age of 17. Prior to becoming a poker pro, Luu worked as a table games dealer in Las Vegas. He is single, and is also known as ‘Tiger Luu.’

Luu is primarily known as a cash game player. He plays regularly in $80-160 limit games at various casinos in Las Vegas. His favorite game is $200-400 mixed games when it’s spread, because he does not think many players play multiple games well. Luu doesn’t play tournament poker very often, but does try to play in most major Omaha High-Low Split tournaments, which he enjoys. Aside from Omaha High-Low Split, Luu says his favorite poker game is Badugi.

In a post-tournament interview, Luu stated: “It feels even better than the last one,” in referring to the comparison of winning the previous year.

“I think these kinds of $1,500 buy-in events are the best for me,” Luu said. “There are a lot of new players in the (lower buy-in tournaments).

An interesting coincidence: Luu remembered that he won the same event last year at the exact same level (30,000-60,000 limits).

Luu stated afterward, “I know one thing for sure. I will play in this event every year from now on!”

Luu collected $263,135 for first place, the largest cash prize ever awarded in an Omaha High-Low tournament. He was also awarded his second WSOP gold bracelet. He now has cashed five times at the WSOP and has amassed $727,755 in career winnings.

The Players

The final table was comprised of two former WSOP gold bracelet winners – Freddy Deeb (2 wins) and Thang Luu (1 win).

The runner up was Ed Smith, from Twentyninepalms, CA. Smith appears to be snake-bit with “second-itis” at the WSOP. He has now finished second three times in WSOP events. Smith finished as the runner up in tournaments played in 1999 and 2000.

The third-place finisher was Ming “Joy” Reslock. She is from Atlantic City, NJ. This was Reslock’s best WSOP finish ever. She is married to former WSOP gold bracelet winner Chris Reslock.

The fourth-place finisher was Robert “Animal” Price. He is a poker pro from Cornwall, UK. He previously worked as an accountant and was born in Honk Kong. Price also cashed in the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

The fifth-place finisher was Pascal Leyo, from New York, NY. He is a day trader. This marked his first time to cash in a WSOP event.

The sixth-place finisher was Jordan Rich, from Portland, OR.

The seventh-place finisher was Jim Geary, from Phoenix, AZ. He is a pro poker player who is a master gamesman. Geary was the chess champion at Arizona State University at age 17. He is also a four-time U.S. representative to the World Scrabble Championship.

The eighth-place finisher was popular poker pro Freddy Deeb, from Las Vegas, NV. Deeb’s quest for gold bracelet number five ended early at the final table.

The ninth-place finisher was Senovio Ramirez III, from Mercedes, TX.

Other notable former WSOP gold bracelet winners who cashed in this event, included Eli Elezra (20th), Annie Duke (30th), Erick Lindgren (34th), Layne Flack (44th), and Todd Brunson (77th).

This marked Annie Duke’s first re-appearance back in the poker spotlight since her runner-up finish to comedian Joan Rivers on NBC’s hit television show, “Celebrity Apprentice.” Predictably, Duke was bombarded by autograph seekers and with table questions while returning to the green felt of the WSOP.

Odds and Ends

The tournament began with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel at center stage. “Shuffle Up and Deal” honors went to Effel himself, who began the tournament on time.

Prior to the start of the event, the tournament room was filled with popular music from the year 1970. Since this is the 40th anniversary of the WSOP, much of the music and memories that his year’s series will flashback to the earlier era. The three songs played as background music prior to the start were “American Woman” by The Guess Who, “Instant Karma” by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, and “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel.

The final table had to be played on a standard tournament table, rather than on one of the main poker/television stages supplied by ESPN. This was due to two enormously popular events being played on the same day – the finals of the $40,000 Buy-In No-Limit Hold’em Championship and the Champions Invitational, also known as “The Binion Cup.” With all due respect to the higher profile events, Thang Luu’s successful defense of his title had the entire room applauding when the winner was announced at slightly past mindnight. In a very unusual spectacle, many players playing in cash games and other tournaments actually stopped, stood, and applauded Luu’s extraordinary accomplishment.

The Event

This was the largest live Omaha High-Low Split tournament in history. The previous record was set at the 2008 WSOP when the same event attracted 833 players. The number of entrants this year – 918 – smashed the previous mark and represented a nine percent increase in attendance over the same tournament held last year.

Omaha High-Low Split has been offered at the WSOP every year since 1990. Omaha (high) was first seen at the WSOP back in 1983. The game phased its way onto the annual schedule as draw poker and lowball began to fade in popularity. All WSOP Omaha events played between 1983 and 1989 were Limit (high) and Pot-Limit. Now, Pot-Limit Omaha and Omaha High-Low Split are the most popular forms of this poker game. Omaha High tournaments are now rare. It was last played at the WSOP in 2003.

Omaha High-Low Split is also called ‘Omaha Eight-or-Better.’ This means the low hand must be an ‘eight or better’ qualifier to split half of the pot.

The tournament was played over a three-day period. The End Day One chip leader was defending champion, Thang Luu.

Jordan Rich arrived at the final table as the chip leader. However, he ended up in sixth place.

The final table lasted about 150 hands and last six hours and 10 minutes.

The final hand took place when Luu was dealt Q-9-8-7 double suited. Smith was dealt J-9-9-3 double suited. The final board showed Q-5-4-5-10. Luu’s two pair (queens and fives) bested Smith’s two pair (nines and fives). There was no low hand.

Thang Luu’s back-to-back defense of his title is the first such feat since 2000-2001. He is one of only nine players to have accomplished this. Here is the list of “Back-to Back WSOP Champions:”

Johnny Moss — $10,000 World Championship (1970-1971)
Lakewood Louie — $5000 Limit 5-Card Draw High (1978-1979)
Bones Berland — $500 7-Card Stud (1978-1979)
Doyle Brunson — $10,000 World Championship (1976-1977)
Stu Ungar — $10,000 World Championship (1980-1981)
Johnny Chan — $10,000 World Championship (1987-1988)
Susie Issacs — $1000 Women’s Seven-Card Stud (1996-1997)
Nani Dollison — $1,000 Women’s Mixed Stud/Hold’em (2000-2001)
Thang Luu — $1,500 Omaha High-Low Split (2008-2009)

The tournament officially began on Friday, May 29th at 12:01 pm. The tournament officially ended on Monday, June 1st at 12:24 am.

WSOP Statistics

Through the conclusion of Event #3, the 2009 WSOP has attracted 1,985 entries. $9,361,170 in prize money has been awarded to winners.

World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack

Vice President of Sponsorship and Licensing — Ty Stewart

Vive President of Broadcasting and New Media – Craig Abrahams

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

As the second and thrid event of the 2009 World Series of Poker continue, we have received photos of the 2009 WSOP Main Event Bracelet. Photos are provided courtesy of IMPDI for the 2009 WSOP.

40th Annual World Series of Poker® Posts Three Records

WSOP Start Boasts Largest Non-Main Event Field, Largest Omaha Tournament and Largest Non-Main Event Prize Pool

LAS VEGAS (May 30, 2009) – Each of the first three open events of the 2009 World Series of Poker Presented By Jack Link’s Beef Jerky has broken a record.

First, it was Event #2, which set the record for largest prize pool for a non-Main Event field, when 201 players anted up $40,000 each to create a massive $7,718,400 prize pool. The previous record prize pool was $7,104,000 (2007) – a solid $614,000 behind the new record.

Then, Event #3, the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low, had 918 entrants, besting the old record of 833 and becoming the largest live Omaha tournament ever played.

But the most impressive feat thus far has been the sellout of Event #4 – a $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament. Billed as a “stimulus special,” it has blown away the then-record 3,929 entrants who participated in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament at last year’s WSOP – by selling a capacity of approximately 6,000 entries.

The new mark means the $1,000 event, which features two start days (May 30 and 31), is the largest non-WSOP Main Event tournament ever played. Registration for Event #4 is now sold out, with a maximum capacity of approximately 3,000 players per start day – or 6,000 players total.

“The demand for the Stimulus Special could be felt the moment we announced it,” said World Series of Poker President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. “We welcome all the first-time players to the World Series of Poker and wish everyone good luck in their pursuit of a gold bracelet.”

The total prize pool for Event #4 will exceed $5 million, with the winner guaranteed to earn more than 750 times the entry fee and the coveted gold bracelet. Each of the final table participants will receive at least six-figure paydays.

The 40th annual WSOP began May 26 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and will continue until July 15. For the second consecutive year, the final nine players in the WSOP Main Event will halt play this summer and return in November to compete for the most prized trophy in all of poker, the WSOP Main Event gold bracelet.

2009 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event # 1
Buy In $500
Casino Employees Event
Date 5/27/2009
Game No Limit Hold’em
Number of Entries 866
Net Prize Pool $389,700
First Place Prize $83,833
Total Spots Paid Out 81

FINAL RESULTS:

Name Prize City State/Country
1 Cohen, Andrew $83,833 Las Vegas NV
2 Peterson, Paul $51,787 Las Vegas NV
3 Kuhn, Casey $33,923 Coralville IA
4 Yasui, Grant $23,483 Waipahu HI
5 Elpidio, Dulay $17,127 Las Vegas NV
6 Rooney, Robert $13,125 Oakland CA
7 Mcavoy, John $10,545 Gilbert AZ
8 Boleski, Ferdinand $8,865 Las Vegas NV
9 Porter, Sam $7,782 Bullhead City AZ
10 Williams, Jonathan $5,502 Dupont WA
11 Chavez, Cesar $5,502 Las Vegas NV
12 Fernandez, Osmel $5,502 Las Vegas NV
13 Vonalst, Jeffrey $4,087 Pahrump NV
14 Medrano, Aaron $4,087 Las Vegas NV
15 Karli, Felix $4,087 Zurich Switzerland
16 Duangrudeesawat, Jesse $3,152 Las Vegas NV
17 Adler, Alan $3,152 Bakersfield CA
18 Rafaele, Tuni $3,152 Billings MT
19 Donahue, Stephanie $2,474 Long Beach CA
20 Hecht, Daniel $2,474 Las Vegas NV
21 Lan, Alex $2,474 Las Vegas NV
22 Ludwick, Steven $2,474 Henderson NV
23 Liu, Sang $2,474 Las Vegas NV
24 McNeel, Ryan $2,474 Las Vegas NV
25 Harris, John $2,474 Las Vegas NV
26 Abrahim, Amen $2,474 El Cajon CA
27 Devlin, Joe $2,474 Las Vegas NV
28 Sanders, Jodie $2,045 Mentone CA
29 Tran, Phi $2,045 Stockton CA
30 Houghtaling, Lesley $2,045 Maricopa AZ
31 Hillis, David $2,045 Normal IL
32 Bell, Clayton $2,045 Las Vegas NV
33 Sergeant, Theanne $2,045 Las Vegas NV
34 Zakaria, Ramy $2,045 Spring Valley CA
35 Armstrong, John $2,045 Bullhead City AZ
36 Sallot, Stephen $2,045 Albuquerque NM
37 Pettit, Matthew $1,745 Las Vegas NV
38 Beddow, Christopher $1,745 Sterling Heights MI
39 Quintanilla, Cavin $1,745 Torrance CA
40 Sanchez, Stephen $1,745 Las Vegas NV
41 Zhen, Cai $1,745 Melbourne FL
42 Buccieri, Adam $1,745 Las Vegas NV
43 Trinidad, Angelito $1,745 Las Vegas NV
44 Karakaskyan, Tigran $1,745 Henderson NV
45 Platt, Charles $1,745 Silsbee TX
46 Mason, Robert $1,512 Oad View CA
47 Day, Ming $1,512 Miami FL
48 Fischer, David $1,512 Cheektowaga NY
49 Lopez, Michael $1,512 Stockton CA
50 Ouellette, Michael $1,512 Las Vegas NV
51 Surbeck, Aaron $1,512 Hoquiam WA
52 Alper, Thomas $1,512 Los Angeles CA
53 Baverman, Dayne $1,512 Las Vegas NV
54 LaLaw, Wern $1,512 Sacramento CA
55 Bergida, Barry $1,328 Yuma AZ
56 Price, Daniel $1,328 Henderson NV
57 Gardner, Sunshine $1,328 West Wendover NV
58 Haughey, Richard $1,328 Las Vegas NV
59 Ghrist, Randi $1,328 Henderson NV
60 Petersen, Brian $1,328 Las Vegas NV
61 Parker, Matthew $1,328 Burnaby BC, Canada
62 Marcus, Edward $1,328 Las Vegas NV
63 Salonek, Aaron $1,328 Belle Plaine MN
64 Bartlett, Stanley $1,145 Snohomish WA
65 Silverstein, Marshall $1,145 Oceanside CA
66 Maxwell, Robert $1,145 Pismo Beach CA
67 Presley, Frank $1,145 Denver CO
68 Baptista, Robert $1,145 Pomona CA
69 Patton, Mary $1,145 Las Vegas NV
70 Gaw, Bruce $1,145 Santa Fe NM
71 Stroud, Timothy $1,145 Montecito CA
72 Carbajal, Guadalupe $1,145 Las Vegas NV
73 Bakunowicz, James $974 Longview WA
74 Brown, David $974 Hemet CA
75 Suk, Geoffrey $974 St. Catharines ON, Canada
76 Jankowski, Guy $974 Wellington FL
77 Girdpool, Thanva $974 Las Vegas NV
78 O’Mara, Robert $974 Mea AZ
79 Kelley, Tyrone $974 N. Las Vegas NV
80 Avery, Colton $974 Denton TX
81 Cloutier, Jean $974 Montreal QC, Canada

2009 World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

Official Report
Event #1
Casino Employees Championship
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $500
Number of Entries: 866
Total Net Prize Pool: $389,700
Number of Places Paid: 81
First Place Prize: $83,833
May 27-28, 2009

Tournament Highlights:

The Winner

The 2009 World Series of Poker “Casino Employees Champion” is Andrew Cohen, from Las Vegas, NV. Cohen is originally from New York.

Cohen is a 39-year-old bartender. He works at The Palms Casino, inside the Nine steakhouse. Cohen is married and has one child, a daughter who was born last December.

“The one thing that I always wanted – for any poker player, this is it,” Cohen remarked in reference to winning the first WSOP gold bracelet of 2009. “I told all these guys here, it’s not about the money to me, and I’m not even a rich guy. I’m a bartender. And, I don’t care about the money. You can always get money. It’s the bracelet that counts.”

Cohen plays regularly in Las Vegas poker tournaments, mostly nightly events spread at various Strip casinos. He has done well recently, with three consecutive cashes. But this was his biggest poker victory, by far.

Cohen was moved emotionally by his victory. He was unable to contain his enthusiasm at various points during the post-tournament interview and took a few seconds to regain his focus on questions asked by reporters.

Cohen called his wife moments after winning. He stated that she was crying at their Las Vegas home. “She knows how much the gold bracelet means to me. Life doesn’t get much better than today,” he said.

Cohen is close friends with Alex Outhred, who is an instructor at the WSOP Academy. Outhred remarked afterward: “Andrew played flawlessly. He just played flawless all night long. This is the stuff you teach and you see it actually happen – it’s even better to see it come out so perfectly in the end.” Cohen also wanted to note the contribution of his friend, poker player Floyd Lewis.

Cohen came into this year’s WSOP planning to enter five events – three $1,500 buy-in events and a $1,000 buy-in event. He had just enough bankroll ($5,000) to cover a select number of modestly-priced tournaments. Cohen now says he will likely add the $10,000 buy-in Main Event to his future plans.

Cohen collected $83,833 for first place. He was also awarded his first WSOP gold bracelet. The bracelet is/was to be presented at a special ceremony held at center stage held the following day. Cohen is/was the first gold bracelet winner to be honored in this way, which will include the winner’s national anthem.

The Players

The final table was comprised of nine players, which included the following occupations:

Poker Dealers (4)
Casino Games Dealers (2)
Bar Back (1)
Floorman (1)
Bartender (1)

Two of the nine players at the final table were born in The Philippines. The remaining seven players were born in the United States.

The runner up was Paul Peterson, from Las Vegas, NV. He is a bar back who works at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas. “Don’t tell them where I work, because I called in sick today,” Peterson joked to the media.

Interestingly, in a tournament filled with poker dealers, it was a bartender and bar back who ended up as the top two finishers.

The third-place finisher was Casey Kuhn, from Bettendorf, IA. He is a casino games dealer formally employed at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort in Iowa.

The fourth-place finisher was Grant Yasui, originally from Waipahu, HI. He now works as a poker dealer at Fitzgerald’s in Downtown Las Vegas.

The fifth-place finisher was Jun Dulay, from Las Vegas, NV. He now works at The Mirage as a blackjack dealer.

The sixth-place finisher was Bobby Rooney, from Oakland, CA. He is a Floorman at The Oaks Card Club in Emeryville, CA. Rooney previously cashed at the 2005 Aussie Millions poker tournament in Australia.

The seventh-place finisher was John McAvoy, from Chandler, AZ. He is a poker dealer at the Gila River Casino at Wild Horse Pass. This was McAvoy’s first time to play in a WSOP event.

The eighth-place finisher was Ferdinand Boleski, from Las Vegas, NV. He is a table games dealer.

The ninth-place finisher was Sammy Porter, from Bullhead City, AZ. He is a poker dealer at Harrah’s Laughlin.

The defending champion was Jonathan Kotula (Las Vegas, NV). He did not enter this year’s event.

Odds and Ends

The tournament kicked off in grand style with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel standing at center stage. The center stage platform is positioned at the center of the Amazon Ballroom at the Rio Convention Center, which holds 160 of the tournament’s 295 tables.

During his introduction, Jack Effel thanked the tournament players, who are all casino employees. He stated, “It’s you who are out there spreading the word about the World Series of Poker which keeps the players coming back again and again. Thank you!”

During his introduction, Jeffrey Pollack noted “Jack Effel is the best tournament director on the planet,” which brought a rousing ovation. Effel and his staff have worked tirelessly for months refining and some say perfecting the schedule and structures to the players’ benefit.

Jeffrey Pollack, speaking to the large gathering of casino employees and poker players stated, “Without you, the WSOP would not be possible. You make it happen.”

While exiting the stage, Jeffrey Pollack casually remarked to that he had difficulty sleeping the night before, in great anticipation for the opening of the 2009 WSOP. Summing up the thoughts and feelings of millions of poker players around the world he stated, “Last night felt like Christmas Eve.”

Next, Jeffrey Pollack introduced 11-time WSOP gold bracelet winner and 1989 world champion Phil Hellmuth to the crowd, who was bestowed with the “Shuffle Up and Deal” honors. Hellmuth made it clear that he supports the new rules in effect for this year’s WSOP. He also joked with the crowd that he occasionally gets out of line, “but never, ever with the dealers – only the other players,” he said. Although Hellmuth’s introduction brought a predictable mix of cheers and boos from the good natured crowd, his comments were favorably received.

Prior to the start of the event, the tournament room was filled with popular music from the year 1970. Since this is the 40th anniversary of the WSOP, much of the music and memories that his year’s series will flashback to the earlier era. The three songs played as background music prior to the start were “American Woman” by The Guess Who, “Instant Karma” by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, and “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel.

The 2009 WSOP officially opened for business one day prior to the start of this tournament, on May 26th. While the biggest poker event in the world was underway at the Rio, less than a quarter-mile away at Harrah’s sister property, President Barack Obama was speaking to a gathering at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.

The Event

The first Casino Employees Championship was held at the 2000 WSOP. It was actually called the “Dealers World Poker Championship” at the time, since the tournament was open only to casino dealers (the following year, all casino employees became eligible). That inaugural event attracted 109 entries and was won by Dave Alizadeh, from Las Vegas.

Casino employees were given their own poker tournament, which became a gold bracelet event from the first year forward. The tournament was added to the WSOP schedule to honor the efforts and commit of poker dealers and all casino employees who help make the WSOP so successful.

The Casino Employees Championship is included amongst all official WSOP records and statistics. However, it is not an open event, since there are restrictions on entry. The event is generally grouped with the Seniors World Championship and Ladies World Championship, which are non-open events but which are still coveted titles afforded the same distinction as all gold bracelet tournaments.

From 2000-2003, the championship was a Limit Hold’em tournament. Since 2004, the championship has been a No-Limit Hold’em tournament.

The largest turnout in history for this event occurred in 2006, when 1,232 casino employees participated.

Last year, the tournament was held towards the end of the WSOP (Event #55). However, this year the tournament returned to its traditional spot on the schedule as the opening event of the WSOP.

The tournament was played over a two day period. The prize money was reached at the conclusion of the first day, which lasted 14 hours. The 81 in-the-money survivors continued play on Day Two, which lasted nearly 12 hours.

The End Day One chip leader was Zurich Karli, from Zurich Switzerland. He ended up finishing in 15th place.

Andrew Cohen (Las Vegas, NV) arrived at the final table with a slight chip lead. However, he lost his advantage about an hour into final table play. He regained the lead when his pocket kings scooped a big pot and essentially dominated play in the final two hours.

The final table lasted about 4 hours and 20 minutes.

The final hand took place when Paul Peterson re-raised all-in with ace-queen. Andrew Cohen called with pocket sixes. “I knew it was either a race situation or I had a big lead,” Cohen said later. The board failed to improve either hand, which meant the pocket sixes won the last pot of the tournament.

Although Cohen held a 5 to 1 chip advantage over Peterson when heads-up play began, he was modest about how the final hand was played out. “I got lucky on the last hand to win the race,” he said. “And you know how important it is to win the races.”

The tournament officially began on Wednesday, May 27th at 12:06 pm. The tournament officially ended on Friday, May 29th at 1:52 am.

WSOP Statistics

Through the conclusion of Event #1, the 2009 WSOP has attracted 866 entries. $389,700 in prize money has been awarded to winners.

The 2009 World Series of Poker’s title sponsor is Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. For more information, visit: www.jacklinks.com

World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack

Vice President of Sponsorship and Licensing — Ty Stewart

Vive President of Broadcasting and New Media – Craig Abrahams

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

The 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) began on May 27th. The first event is a $500 buy-in Casino Employees No Limit Holdem tournament. Event #2 is the 40th Annual No Limit Holdem tournament which features a $40,000 buy-in.

Event #1 is a two day event and Event #2 is a four day event. Results for each of these tournament will be posted as soon as results become available.

The 2009 WSOP Main Event will begin on July 3rd and will run through July 15th when the tournament gets down to 9 players. The final table players will become the next November Nine and will resume play in November of 2009.

To view a complete schedule of events and results for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) click on the link below:

2009 World Series of Poker Schedule and Results

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2009 WSOP Main Event Seats at UltimateBet Poker

Ultimate Bet Poker is currently running daily and weekly 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event satellite tournaments. They are offering various tournaments with a range of buy-ins including direct buy in qualifiers, rebuy satellites, and Step tournaments.

Ultimate Bet is also celebrating their 10th Anniversary and will be giving away $10 Million dollars to anyone who wins their 2009 Main Event Seat at UB and wins the entire tournament. That is some serious cash that someone can win in addition to the millions of dollars that the first place prize will pay.

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2009 World Series of Poker Circuit
Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego)
Event #8
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $400 (+50)
Total Entries: 153
Total Prize Pool: $59,364
March 26-27, 2009

Final Results:

1 Christopher Tryba Las Vegas, NV $14,844
2 John “All-In Finn” Finnigan Portland, OR 9,498
3 John Leo San Diego, CA 5,936
4 John “Cowboy” Land Dallas, TX 4,987
5 Lance Oliver Roseville, CA 4,155
6 David “Four Racks” Luttbeg San Diego, CA 3,562
7 Habib Khanis San Diego, CA 2,968
8 Tony Vu Dallas, TX 2,375
9 Josh Harbarger Las Vegas, NV 1,781
10 Craig Breenan San Clemente, CA 1,187
11 Rod Schrock San Diego, CA 1,187
12 Charles Rowan S. Lake Tahoe, CA 1,187
13 Clifton Allen Camarillo, CA 1,009
14 Marc Mesttovich Mantica, CA 1,009
15 Robert Buckenmayer Poway, CA 1,009
16 Scott Lyle Santee, CA 890
17 Benise Molloy La Jolla, CA 890
18 William Carlton Chula Vista, CA 890

Tryba Triumphs!

John “All-In Finn” Finnigan Makes Another Final Table Finishes Second (Again)

Harrah’s Rincon (March 25, 2009) – The goal of every poker player should be to improve. It’s not really as important what level one is playing at today. What’s far more important is how one is playing tomorrow, then next week, then next month, and so on. Indeed, poker players who consistently improve their performance are those who end up surviving the longest. They usually end up winning tournaments and the most money.

Christopher Tryba is a case study in self-improvement. This year alone, he has already cashed four times. His first cash was 16th place at the Southern Poker Championship in Biloxi, MS, followed by an eighth-place finish a week later at the same tournament. The following month, Tryba took third place at the LA Poker Classic. And now in March, he won a World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring, his first ever, after playing several years in the series. Tryba triumphed in the most recent WSOP Circuit event, held at the Harrah’s Rincon Casino and Resort, near San Diego.

The $400 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament attracted 153 entries, generating $59,364 in prize money. The top 18 finishers collected payouts. All the action took place over a two-day period inside Rincon Pavilion Showroom.
After 144 players were eliminated on day one, nine survivors took their seats at the finale table. John “All-In Finn” Finnigan, making his second final table appearance at this year’s Rincon series, began play as the chip leader. But Las Vegas poker pro Christopher Tryba was close on his heels and ended up defeating rival Finnigan in a heads-up showdown. The top nine finishers were as follows:

9th Place – Josh Harshbarger did not last long. He was severely short stacked and hoped to double up and jump back into contention. But Harshbarger ended up losing to John Leo’s full house. The Las Vegas poker player earned a payout totaling $1,781.

8th Place – Tony Vu, from Dallas, was the next tournament casualty. He moved all-in with K-Q and was called by Habib Khanis, holding A-5. The ace-high held up, which meant an eighth-place finish for Vu – which paid $2,375.

7th Place – A short time later, Habib Khanis went from the terminator to the terminated. He was all-in with pocket kings and looked to be in great position to move up close to the chip lead. But he was called by Chris Tryba, holding A-10. The final board was a complete nightmare for Khanis — K-5-2-3-4. Tryba’s ace played which made for a straight, knocking out Khanis. The San Diego poker player received $2,968 in prize money.

6th Place – David “Four Racks” Luttbeg went to “No Racks” when he moved all-in with a pair of what turned to be not-so-lucky sevens. “Cowboy” woke up in the blind with pocket aces and re-raised all-in. Luttbeg, drawing slim, failed to catch his two outer, which meant a sixth-place finish. Luttbeg, who has made over 30 final table appearances at various tournaments (including the Ultimate Poker Challenge, World Poker Tour, and others including WSOP Circuit events) was paid $3,562 for sixth place.

5th Place – A short time later, Lance Oliver (holding J-J) moved all-in with a re-raise from the small blind. Chris Tryba called and tabled A-10. An ace on the turn knocked out Oliver, who ended up in fifth place. The poker pro from Roseville, CA earned $4,155

4th Place – The foursome battled back and forth more than an hour before the next elimination. That came when John “Cowboy” Land was low on chips and called from the blind with a weak hand. “All-In Finn” Finnigan ended up making aces-full-of-queens, which put “Cowboy” out to pasture. The Dallas business owner and poker player collected $4,987 for fourth place.

3rd Place – Jon Leo was knocked out in third place when he lost a battle of the blinds. Leo re-raised all-in from the big blind with Q-J and “All-In Finnigan,” who had his opponent covered in chips, called with K-10. the final board showed 10-7-2-9-10, giving Finnigan trip tens. Meanwhile, the retired local recreational poker player from San Diego, collected $5,936 for third place.

2nd Place – When heads-up play began, “All-In Finn” Finnigan and Christopher Tryba were just about dead even in chips. The duo waltzed back and forth across the felt for about 15 minutes, during which Tryba seized the chip lead. Then, the biggest hand of the tournament ultimately decided the outcome in Tryba’s favor.

On what turned out to be the tournament’s final hand, Tryba initially made a small pre-flop raise, and Finnigan called. The flop came A-3-2, with all clubs. Tryba flopped the stone-cold nuts, holding the K-7 of clubs. The sneaky Tryba gave his opponent a free card. When another club fell on the turn (now showing four clubs on baord), Finnigan moved all-in holding the jack of clubs. Tryba called and let out a joyous, “oh, yeah!” Both players held a flush, but Tryba had the better hand with the king of clubs. That meant Finnigan came up just short again in his quest for victory, after finishing second in a Rincon event held four days ago.

The Portland-based small business owner could be quite proud of what was his second runner-up finish. Indeed, if there was an award for “Best All-Around Player” for this tournament series, Finnigan would clearly be in the lead. “All-In Finn” collected another nice paycheck, this time for $9,498.

1st Place – The winner was Christopher Tryba. He won $14,844 and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring. The 41-year-old pro has now cashed 45 times at major events, all since 2003. This marks his third major victory. Tryba’s previous wins came at the Binion’s Poker Classic and the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge, both which came last year.

With eight events now completed at Harrah’s Rincon, the tournament has now attracted more than 3,500 total entries and has awarded in excess of $800,000 in total prize money. Still to come are six more gold ring events and three nightly “Daily Double” tournaments which begin at 4 pm. The WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s Rincon continues through April 1st.

Jeffrey Pollack – Commissioner, WSOP
Ty Stewart – Director, Sponsorship and Licensing, WSOP
Craig Abrahams – Director, Broadcasting and New Media, WSOP
Seth Palansky – Communications Director, WSOP

Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit – Harrah’s Rincon

Janet Beronio – General Manager
Robert Livingston – Assistant General Manager and VP of Operations
Jill Barrett – VP of Finance
Lee Torres – Director of Marketing
John Sebastian – Director of Casino Operations
Michelle Becket – Table Games Supervisor
Elizabeth Liemandt – Public Relations Manager
Alexia Alsop – Poker Room Manager
Jimmy Sommerfeld – Tournament Director
Bill Bruce – Assistant Tournament Director

2009 World Series of Poker Circuit
Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego)
Daily Double Tournament (4 pm)

Buy-In $200 (+30)
Game H.O.R.S.E.
Number of Entries 124
Net Prize Pool $24,056
First Place Prize $6,255
Places Paid 8

Official Results

1 Keith Watkins San Diego, CA $6,255.00
2 Paramjit Gill Diamond Bar, CA 5,052
3 Diana Forman Temecula, CA 3,849
4 Sven Arntzen Las Vegas, NV 2,646
5 Karen Pezzuto Corona, CA 1,924
6 Merlita Newcomer Escondido, CA 1,684
7 Chuck McCormick Oceanside, CA 1,443
8 Terry Anderson Bayville, NJ 1,203

2009 World Series of Poker Circuit
Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego)
Event #7
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $300 (+40)
Total Entries: 195
Total Prize Pool: $56,745
March 25-26, 2009

Final Results:

1 Adam Hannula San Diego, CA $14,185
2 Nicholas Manganaro Omaha, NE 9,079
3 Steven Monheim Pittsburgh, PA 5,675
4 Yasha Terlissi Toronto, ON (Canada) 4,767
5 Thomas Hover Blue Diamond, NV 3,972
6 David Kruger Salter, MO 3,405
7 Thao “Scratch” Thiem Minneapolis, MN 2,837
8 Stacy Kimbrel Omaha, NE 2,270
9 Michael Hook El Cajon, CA 1,702
10 Brett Schwertley Omaha, NE 1,135
11 Jonathan Bergstrom San Diego, CA 1,135
12 Robert Wilkinson Redonmdo Beach, CA 1,135
13 Sean Westra Laguna Beach, CA 965
14 Jerry Nelner Calgary, AB (Canada) 965
15 Ashley Souza San Diego, CA 965
16 Craig Brennan San Clemente, CA 851
17 Ray Blodgett Riverside, CA 851
18 Matthew Poucher Poway, CA 851

Adam Hannula – From Worst to First!

Hannula starts the final table lowest in chips, then wins WSOP Circuit gold ring

Harrah’s Rincon (March 26, 2009) – It’s intimidating enough to sit down at the final table of a major poker tournament and play for what amounts to thousands of dollars in prize money. But when the player is making his first-ever final table appearance in a World Series of Poker-related event, the pressure is even more so. Complicate matters by giving the player the lowest stack at the table and the task ahead might seem daunting, if not impossible.

But Adam Hannula wasn’t intimidated. He didn’t feel pressure. He wasn’t even concerned by having the fewest chips of any of the final nine players. Hannula simply played his best game, made wise strategic decisions, and then outlasted and ultimately pulled off the biggest upset of any player at this year’s WSOP Circuit series at Harrah’s Rincon. Hannula, a 26-year-old business owner booked a win worth $14,185. He was also presented with a gold ring, the ultimate prize given out on the WSOP Circuit.
The $300 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament won by Hannula attracted 195 entries, generating $56,754 in prize money. The top 18 players collected payouts. In an interesting anomaly, three of the top ten finishers were from Omaha, Nebraska. All had come to Rincon separately, yet managed to take three of the top money spots. All the action took place over a two-day period inside the Rincon Pavilion Showroom.

After 186 players were eliminated on the first day, nine survivors took their seats at the final table. David Kruger, visiting Rincon from his home in Missouri, started day two with the chip lead. The top nine finishers were:

9th Place – Just a few hands into action, Michael Hook busted out when he made top pair, but ended up losing to trip jacks. Hook was dealt Q-8. He moved all-in after the turn showed Q-J-2-J. But Nick Manganaro had J-8, good for three jacks – which scooped the sizable early pot. Hook, who works as a police sergeant in El Cajon, CA, was playing in his first WSOP event ever. He collected $1,702 for ninth place, a nice start to his poker tournament career.

8th Place – Three hands later, Stacy Kimbrel became the next tourney casualty when he moved his short-stack in with A-5 suited against Thomas Hover’s A-Q suited. Kimbrel’s hand was dominated from the start and failed to improve, which meant an eighth-place finish for the poker dealer from Omaha, NE. Kimbrel received a payout totaling $2,270.

7th Place – Five minutes later, Thao “Scratch” Thiem was scratched-off the final table faster than a losing lottery ticket when he lost two consecutive pots. First, Thiem lost much of his stack to Hannula. Then, he busted out holding K-4 against David Kruger’s K-Q when the higher hole cards played and scooped the pot. Thiem, who has made 12 final tables at various tournaments over the past year and has over $100,000 in prize money earnings, added $2,837 to his poker bankroll.

6th Place – David Kruger suffered a miserable hour at the final table. The early chip leader never seemed able to generate the momentum needed to close out victory. First, Kruger got trapped for most of his chips when he tried to steal a pot, which was snapped called by Yasha Terlissi — who just so happened to be sitting on the stone-cold nuts. Terlissi had A-Q of diamonds and could hardly contain his delight when three diamonds flopped. Joy turned to ecstasy when Kruger moved all-in hoping to steal the pot. Terlissi feasted on Kruger’s aggression like a starving wolf, which left the early chip leader with the lowest stack. He went out a few hands later. Kruger, who has made four previous WSOP Circuit final tables including a second-place finish earlier this year at Council Bluffs (Iowa), earned $3,405 for sixth place.

5th Place – Thomas Hover came to the final table with the most experience of any player. He seized the chip lead early but lost a heartbreaking race holding Q-Q against A-K (an ace flopped) which very likely ruined his chances for victory. Hover then went out holding A-5 against Hannula’s A-K. Hover, who has 30 cashes in major tournaments (all since 2006), including eight in-the-money finishes in WSOP-related events collected $3,972 for fifth place.

4th Place – Play tightened up considerably when play became four-handed. In fact, the quartet battled for an hour before the next elimination. That came when Yasha Terlissi moved all-win with A-Q suited and was called by Hannula, holding pocket nines. The middle pair held up, which knocked Terlissi out in fourth place. The project manager from Toronto, Ontario received $4,767.

3rd Place – Steven Monheim went out in third place when he moved all-in with K-Q against Hannula’s A-Q. Monheim’s hand was dominated and he failed to improve, which ended the tournament for the 24-year-old poker player. Monheim, from Pittsburgh, PA, received $5,675 in prize money.

2nd Place – When heads-up play began, Hannula enjoyed a 3 to 2 chip advantage over Manganaro. The players battled for about a dozen hands during which Manganaro seized the chip lead. Then, the most decisive hand of the tournament took place when Hannula got all his money in with pocket nines, against Manganaro’s pocket queens. It couldn’t get much better than that for Manganaro, holding a dominant overpair. But a nine on the flop was a dramatic reversal of fortune for both players. Hannula caught his magic card (good for trip nines), which left Manganaro low on chips.

The final hand of the tournament was even more brutal for Manganaro. He moved all-in with pocket jacks. Hannula called the raise and tabled Q-10. As though he could do no wrong in the finale, the final board showed K-10-8-7-A, giving Hannula a straight. The event was over and while Hannula received applause and congratulations from well-wishers, Manganaro walked the death plank to a disappointing second-place finish. The 27-year-old poker pro from America’s heartland in Omaha, NE received $9,079.

1st Place – The tournament winner was Adam Hannula, who lives in San Diego. He has previously cashed in a few small tournaments in the area. But this marked his biggest payday ever and his first victory. Hannula is a graduate on the University of San Diego, where he played both college football and basketball. In fact, he says he loves sports. While his alma mater continues to enjoyed mixed success on the court and the gridiron, Hannula ultimately won his own championship – playing poker.
With seven events now completed at Harrah’s Rincon, the tournament has now attracted more than 3,393 entries and has awarded in excess of 765,745 in total prize money. Still to come are six more events and three nightly daily double tournaments which begin at 4 pm. The WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s Rincon continues through April 1st.

Jeffrey Pollack – Commissioner, WSOP
Ty Stewart – Director, Sponsorship and Licensing, WSOP
Craig Abrahams – Director, Broadcasting and New Media, WSOP
Seth Palansky – Communications Director, WSOP

Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit – Harrah’s Rincon

Janet Beronio – General Manager
Robert Livingston – Assistant General Manager and VP of Operations
Jill Barrett – VP of Finance
Lee Torres – Director of Marketing
John Sebastian – Director of Casino Operations
Michelle Becket – Table Games Supervisor
Elizabeth Liemandt – Public Relations Manager
Alexia Alsop – Poker Room Manager
Jimmy Sommerfeld – Tournament Director
Bill Bruce – Assistant Tournament Director

2009 World Series of Poker Circuit
Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego)
Daily Double Tournament (4 pm)

Buy-In $200 (+30)
Game Pot-Limit Omaha With Re-Buys
Number of Entries 56
Number of Re-Buys 144 ($100)
Net Prize Pool $24,832
First Place Prize $6,208
Places Paid 9

Official Results

1 Michael Sofen Del Mar, CA $6,208.00
2 Sean Reyes San Deigo, CA 4,966
3 Michael Martin Arcata, CA 3,725
4 Tony Vidmer Nashville, TN 2,483
5 Dominic Bencivenga Murrieta, CA 1,987
6 William Shultz Ramona, CA 1,738
7 James Pechac Phoenix, AZ 1,490
8 Ilias Kellikidis N. Chicago, IL 1,242
9 Clint Miller Vista, CA 993