WSOP & WPT Tournament Blog

2008-2009 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs
Event #8
Feb. 17-18, 2009
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,500 + $80
Number of Entries: 38
Total Prize Money: $55,290

Payouts:

1. Matt Culberson Biloxi, MS $24,879
2. David Kruger Slater, MO $13,823
3. Troy Ethridge Salina, Kansas $8,294
4. Becky Makar Las Vegas, NV $5,529
5. Kyle Schroeder Auora, IL $2,765
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Self-Confidence Helps Matt Culberson Overcome Chip Deficit as He Wins Event 8

Council Bluffs, IA–Severely out-chipped in a heads-up finale, Matt “Cub” Culberson never quit or lost hope. “I’m not gonna give up; it’s not over,” he told his final opponent, David Kruger. He made good on his promise, quickly doubling up, gradually working his way into the lead, and eventually building it up to about 370,000 chips to 200,000 to Kruger. At that point the two made a deal and Culberson was declared the winner. First place in the eighth event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, $1,500 no-limit, paid an official $24,879, along with the coveted trophy ring.

“I’m not cocky, I just believe in myself,” he explained later. Culberson is a 26-year-old pro with dual residences in Biloxi and New Orleans. He’s been playing poker for five years, right after junior college, at first grinding out a living in small no-limit cash games. He now plays mainly tournaments, only hold’em. He had a very good year in 2008, making 14 final tables and winning events in various locales throughout the south and Midwest. His biggest cash was $72,500 for winning a World Poker Open event in Tunica.

Culberson said his playing style varies a lot because he’s very adaptable to table conditions. Tonight it was pretty much a come-from-behind victory all the way, because for the first five hours he was down to under 15 big blinds. He finally went on a rush, building his stacks from 19,000 to 100,000 in 15 minutes.

Because of a small field, this tournament was changed to a one-day event. There were five pay-outs, and we worked down to that number at 12:30 a.m. after Becky Makar, with Q-J, flopped a jack to outrun the pocket 6s held by the sixth-place finisher. The final five began play with blinds of 1,500-3,000 with 400 blinds and 33 minutes left at that level. Chip leader with 190,000 was Makar.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat 1. Becky Makar 190,000
Seat 2. David Kroger 44,000
Seat 3. Matt Culberson 87,000
Seat 4. Kyle Schroeder 89,000
Seat 5. Troy Ethridge 103,000

It was an interesting line-up. Out of the five players, one had won the Horseshoe Poker Classic a few months ago, Culberson had 14 final tables last year, and another player in his early 20s won $1.3 million from his living room by finishing first in the PokerStars WCOOP championship.

Just as the level ended we had our first all-in and call. Kyle Schroeder moved in with pocket treys and doubled through Kruger, who pushed in with A-K but couldn’t improve when the board came 5-10-2-2-10.

Players took a break, returning to blinds of 2,000-4,000 with 500 antes. Makar still had a slight lead. On the first hand, Schroeder, finding himself short-chipped and one away from the big blind, decided to push in without looking. Kruger called with A-10 in the small blind, and Schroeder discovered he was way behind with just 10-7. He didn’t come close to helping and finished fifth, which paid $2,765. Schroeder, from Omaha, is 25 and in pharmaceutical sales. He’s been playing seven years and he was the one who won the WCOOP championship in 2007.

Not longer after, Makar, holding A-10, bet 27,000 into a flop of 10-4-9 and called when Kruger moved in. He turned up pocket 10s for a set, filled when two queens came, doubled through, and suddenly Makar was seriously short-chipped. Two hands later she pushed in for 22,500 with A-9 and was called by Kruger and Troy Ethridge. When the flop came 4-K-4, Kruger moved in and Ethridge folded. Kruger turned up Ac-4c for trips and Makar, dead to a near-impossible two running 9s, or two running aces for a chop, went out in fourth place, which paid $5,529.

Makar, 66, is a professional from Las Vegas who won the Horseshoe Poker Classic championship here last September that paid $45,000. In that series, she made four final tables in a row, winning another one of the events. Last week she won the Oklahoma State 6-handed championship. Her husband, whom she described as “the greatest in the world,” is also a poker player.

Kruger, who started lowest chipped with a mere 44,000, was now the chip leader. The match got two-handed after Ethridge went out on a very bad beat. On a flop of 9-J-6, Kruger, with K-10, bet 40,000 and Ethridge, who had J-9 and flopped two pair, moved in. Kruger called and caught a queen on the river for an inside straight.

Ethridge cashed third for $8,294. He is 45, from Salina, Kansas, has been playing 25 years and works as an AT&T technician.

Heads-up with Culberson, Kruger held about a 5-1 chip advantage. But Culberson began eating away, doubling up quickly when his pocket 9s held up against Kruger’s K-2.

He dropped back, but later gained more ground, doubling up again when he held 7-6 and flopped a straight.

Blinds were now 3,000-6,000 with 500 antes. As play went on the two battled back and forth, with Culberson slowly closing the gap and eventually, with the time past 3 a.m., moving into the lead. He then increased it to 470,000 to 350,000 for Kruger after taking down a big pot. He had K-7, flopped a king, and picked off Kruger’s bluff.

The two now made their deal and this event was in the books. For second, Kruger was paid an official $13,823. Kruger, 47, is from Slater, Missouri and is self-employed. He’s been playing three years and this is his third final table.

–Max Shapiro

World Series of Poker Commissioner: Jeffrey Pollack
Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment: Jack Effel
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Poker Room Managers: Gary Margetsen
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Tournament Director: Janis Sexton

2008-2009 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs
Event #7
Feb. 16-17, 2009
Omaha Hi-Lo
Buy-In: $300 + $45
Number of Entries: 107
Total Prize Money: $31,137

Final Results:
1. Jeff Wiemers Battle Creek, NE $10,088
2. Robert Sprouse Omaha, NE $5,293
3. Mike Meng Independence, MO $3,114
4. Lonnie Price Ainsworth, NE $2,491
5. Steve Moy Omaha, NE $1,868
6. Pattty Merksick Council Blufs, IA $1,557
7. John Sozio York, NE $1,245
8. Ed Conradt Lincoln, NE $940
9. Brett Michalsky Sioux City, IA $623
10.Scott Thompson $498
11.David Kerrigan $498
12.Mary Ann Matthews $498
13.Charles Bell $436
14.Jamie Doray $436
15.Shawn Marley $436
16.Brad Newman $374
17.Robert Daughtery $374
18.Anthony Fischer $374

Airport Operations Man Jeff Wiemers Flies Off with Circuit Win in Omaha/8

Council Bluffs, IA–Jeffrey Wiemers, who works for the Norfolk, Nebraska Airport Authority, managing the private and charter plane sector, had a high-altitude flight in the seventh event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, $300 no-limit Omaha high-low. He arrived as chip leader, knocked out the first three players and ended up with a fairly easy $10,088 win. Wiemers, 44, is from Battle Creek, Nebraska. He’s been “dabbling” in poker for 20 years, more seriously the last six, and prefers tournaments because once a player goes broke “he’s gone gone.”. He’s won a few small tournaments, but this is by far his biggest win.

Wiemers plays all games, but prefers Omaha. He likes it so much that he signed up for the H.O.R.S.E. tournament going on simultaneously with the Omaha/8 final table here and rushed to play as soon as he was photographed and interviewed. Ironically, he was knocked out during the Omaha round in that event.

With a lot of chips tonight, he found it easy to push out the small stacks, and said that was a key to his win. He plans to play more tournaments now, providing his wife doesn’t object, and after this win he said he doesn’t think that she will..

Second-day final-table play started with blinds of 800-1,600 and limits of 1,600-3,200, 14 minutes remaining.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat 1. Robert Sprouse 13,100
Seat 2. Ed Conradt 36,600
Seat 3. Lonnie Price 36,600
Seat 4. John Sozio 5,800
Seat 5. Patty Merksick 19,400
Seat 6. Steve Moy 38,500
Seat 7. Jeff Wiemers 59,800
Seat 8. Brett Michalsky 2,600
Seat 9. Mike Meng 22,900

Brett “Butters” Michalsky started very low-chipped with only 2,600 and quickly went out, losing to Wiemers with a busted low in three-way action. Ninth paid $623. Michalsky, 24, is a recent college graduate who lives in Sioux City, Iowa. He’s been playing three years and this is his first final table.

Limits were now 2,000-4,000. Ed Conradt went out at this level when he paired his jack but lost to Wiemer’s two pair. Eighth paid $9,340. Conradt, 56, lives in Lincoln, Nebraska and is a government state auditor. He’s played five years and has a second in a Vegas tournament

John Sazio finished seventh, which paid $1,245. He went all in with all big cards in a multi-way pot, only to see all small cards hit the board. Sozio, born in Italy, now lives in York, Nebraska. He’s been playing poker “too long,.” and Omaha/8 is his favorite game.

Patty Merksick, the only woman at this final table went out sixth. She flopped a set and filled on the turn, only to lose to a bigger filly. Sixth paid $1,557. Merksick 41, lives in Council Bluffs where she is a human resources assistant and is married with three children. She’s been playing five years, learning Omaha from “the best Omaha player in the Midwest” — her husband. This is her first final table.

Steve Moy was down to his last chip when he went all in from the big blind with A-3-5-8. He missed his low when the board Q-10-J-3-6, losing to Robert Sprouse who had Q-J-10-3-6 and paired his 10. Moy 31, lives in Omaha and owns a concrete company. This is a first final table. He wrote that his fiancé, Crystal Boyer, is here to bring him good luck and informed him he would win. Well, fifth is better than nothing. It paid $6,383.

Lonnie Price went out fourth when he ran into Sprouse’s quads. Price, 58, is a farmer from Ainsworth, Nebraska who’s been playing about 40 years. Fourth paid $2,491.

This tournament got down to two after Mike “Ðinger” Meng ran into Sprouse’s set of aces and collected $3,114 for third. Meng is a 39-year-old craps dealer from Independence, Missouri. His poker highlights were being in Costa Rica and watching his best friend Scott make a final table and win $72,000, as well as playing against Kathy Liebert and Erik Seidel in a WSOP event. He just had a baby boy six weeks ago.

Blinds had now reached 5,000-10,000 with 10,000-20,000 limits. Wiemers had a good lead but lost a lot of chips when Sprouse, holding Q-8-4-2, made a straight. But that’s as far as Sprouse got. On the final hand, Wiemers raised with a high hand, K-Q-10-8 double-suited and Sprouse called all in with 9-9-K-3. The board came Q-7-4-2-6, and Wiemer’s paired queen was enough to end the contest.

Sprouse, paid $5,293 for second, is 38, comes from Germany and now lives in Abilene Kansas where he is a restaurant owner. He’s been playing five years and this is his first final table.

–Max Shapiro

World Series of Poker Commissioner: Jeffrey Pollack
Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment: Jack Effel
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Poker Room Managers: Gary Margetsen
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Tournament Director: Janis Sexton

2008-2009 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs
Event #6
Feb.16-17, 2009
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,000 + $70
Number of Entries: 94
Total Prize Money: $91,180

Final Results

1. Drazen Ilich Lincoln, NE $32,825
2. Brandon Mifsud Gilbert, AZ $18,236
3. Jeff Reimer Spring Gove, IL $10,030
4. Brian Falcone Omaha, NE $7,294
5. Jovan Sudar Omaha, NE $6,383
6. Leroy Patitz Hastings, NE $5,471
7. Mark Samich Topeka, KS $4,559
8. Ben Smith Viola, WI $3,647
9. Charles Casavant Avilla, IN $2,735

Win in #1,000 Event Gives Drazen Ilich A 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Horseshoe Events

Council Bluffs, IA–Pro player Drazen Ilich had been sticking pretty much to cash-games until last year when he started playing tournaments because of the bigger pay-outs. He’s done pretty well in that short time, having already placed third at the Horseshoe Poker Classic last year, and taking second in the first event of the WSOP Circuit tour here at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. And now he topped those two by winning the sixth eventin this series, $1,000 no-limit hold’em. His victory was worth $32,825, accompanied by the prized trophy ring. Even so, he still prefers cash games, $2-$5 and $5-$10 no-limit, because he finds tournaments too much of a grind.

Ilich, 29, was born in Bosnia and now lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. He’s been playing poker 15 years, eight seriously and was mainly a five-card draw player until Chris Moneymaker made hold’em the national anthem of poker. In this event he said he was in good shape throughout. He describes his style as selective/aggressive. He found the final table fairly easy to read because players were largely sitting back waiting for big hands, which allowed him to play more aggressively.

Final-table action in this event began with blinds of 2,000-4,000 and 500 antes, 28 minutes left. In front with 175,500 chips was Brian Falcone.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat 1 Leroy Patitz 66,000
Seat 2 Brian Falcone 175,500
Seat 3 Mark Samich 89,000
Seat 4 Jovan Sudar 79,000
Seat 5 Brandon Mifsud 139,000
Seat 6 Jeff Reimer 91,500
Seat 7 Drazen Ilich 119,500
Seat 8 Charles Casavant 87,000
Seat 9 Ben Smith 96,000

Charles Casavant was first out. He called with pocket jacks after Brandon Mifsud moved in with pocket kings and couldn’t catch up when the board came 10-10-9-Q-3. Ninth paid $2,738. Casavant, 42, is from Avilla, Indiana and owns a True Value hardware store. He’s played 10 years and has multi final-table cashes at different Circuits. His largest was $15,223 for a fourth in a $500 event at Caesars Indiana in 2007.

Next to leave was Ben Smith, who is a gunsmith from Viola, Wisconsin and a member of the Wisconsin Trapshooting Hall of Fame. He warned on his bio sheet that he’d be taking aim at the final table. However, his aim wasn’t that good today because he got gunned down in eighth place. After Falcone raised to 10,000, Ilich moved in with pocket 9s, and Smith called all in with pocket 8s. Ilich hit the bulls-eye by flopping a set, and Smith departed with a $3,647 pay-out. Smith has been playing four years and this is his first tournament.

Blinds inched up to 3,000-6,000. Immediately, Mark :”Sammy” Samich went out on a double draw-out. He had A-J to Falcone’s A-K. He took the lead with two pair on a flop of A-J-7, only to see Falcone spike a king on the river for a bigger two pair. Seventh paid $4,559. Samich is 50, from Topeka and is a registered nurse who started playing knee-high with his dad. He is married with two kids.

Leroy Patitz went out next after he moved in with pocket treys and was called by Jovan Sudar with A-J. Sudar won easily by flopping an ace and hitting a jack on the river and Patitz cashed sixth for $5,471. Patitz, 72, is a control room operator at a power plant from Hastings, Nebraska who’s a 60-year poker veteran. He says he loves to play here, and this is his third year of WSOP Circuit play at this casino. He has a 15th at a second-chance event here two years ago. Patitz’s family includes four kids and 12 grandchildren.

Sudar was next out. He was all in with A-10 against Jeff Reimer;s As-Qs. Reimer made a flush on the river, and Sudar took home $6,383 for fifth. Sudar, 26, is a leasing agent/poker player originally from Yugoslavia now living in Omaha. He’s played eight years and has a cash in a $2,000 event at the 2008 WSOP along with a sixth in a $1,500 Circuit event here, also last year. He likes to play high-stakes, $25-$50 and $50-$100 no-limit cash games at the Bellagio.

Finishing fourth was Falcone. He had Kc-Jc against Brandon Mifsud’s pocket treys. The flop gave Falcone a flush draw, but he couldn’t hit and settled for $7,294. Falcone is 37, from Omaha and owns a luxury home building company. He’s been playing eight years and this is his first final table. He is married with two sons

This match got heads-up after Reimer went out, taking $10.030 for third.. He was in the lead with A-J against Mifsud’s K-9 until a king flopped to put him away. Reimer, 34, is from Spring Grove, Illinois where he owns a technology distribution company. He’s been playing 13 years and this is his first Circuit final table.

The final match-up lasted only a few hands. On the final deal, Mifsud was all in with pocket treys against Ilich’s pocket 6s. The bigger pair prevailed when the board came J-J-8-5-5, and Ilich was the winner of event number six.

Mifsud, who took home $18,236 for second, is a 23-year-old pro from Gilbert, Arizona, formerly a student, who’s been playing about four years. He’s mostly a cash-game player, and this is his first live tournament final table.

–Max Shapiro

World Series of Poker Commissioner: Jeffrey Pollack
Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment: Jack Effel
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Poker Room Managers: Gary Margetsen
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Tournament Director: Janis Sexton

2008-2009 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs
Event #5
Feb.15-16, 2009
Ladies
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $200 + $35
Number of Entries: 73
Total Prize Money: $14,162

Payouts:

1. Toni Haggard Emporia, KS $5,099
2. Kim Strong Glencoe, MN $2,832
3. Karen Kyle Omaha, NE $1,558
4. Sue Warner Papillion, IA $1,133
5. Michelle Hiers Council Bluffs, IA $991
6. Melyssa Gerhardt Omaha, NE $850
7. Kim Johnson Crescent, IA $708
8. Elizabeth Hunter Omaha, NE $566
9, Penny Wedige Waverly, NE $425

Toni Haggard Uses Daniel Negreanu’s Strategy to Win Ladies Circuit Event

Council Bluffs, IA–Daniel Negreanu is Toni Haggard’s “hero,” and, like him, she believes any two cards can win in hold’em, and like him, is willing to gamble with hands like 8-3 and 10-6. This is especially true, she said, when there are a lot of players in a pot and she is in late position because she knows that a lot of big cards are out and her small ones have much better chances of hitting. This strategy paid off on day one of the $200 ladies no-limit event when five people were in a hand. She called with a 5-2 and took down a huge pot.

She then arrived at the final table as chip leader and after a very long heads-up match with Kim Strong, ended up winning the event, earning $5,044 and an attractive trophy. She also had high praise for her final opponent, who became a bridesmaid the second year in a row after finishing second in this event here last year. Earlier, the two had played side-by-side for about six hours. “She’s tough,” Haggard said. “She plays like me.”

Haggard, 50, from Emporia, Kansas, had worked for seven years as a writer for the Daily Racing Form until she remarried and settled down as a housewife. Her poker time is largely spent in “chicken coop” home games, along with some tournaments and occasional cash games in casinos. Asked the difference between ladies and open events, she felt that women tend to play more conservatively, allowing her to be more aggressive.

When second-day play began, Haggard was well in front with 46,400 chips.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat 1. Elizabeth Hunter 21,600
Seat 2. Penny Wedige 12,800
Seat 3. Michelle Hiers 8,200
Seat 4. Karen Kyle 28,800
Seat 5. Toni Haggard 46,400
Seat 6. Sue Warner 12,400
Seat 7. Kim Johnson 28,700
Seat 8. Melyssa Gerhardt 18,700
Seat 9. Kim Strong 4,300

Soon after blinds went to 600-1,200, Penny Wedige went out ninth, which paid $425. Wedige, 41, is a field inspector for foreclosed HUD homes who’s been playing three years. This and winning a tournament at Binion’s are her poker highlights. She noted that she and her husband have been self-employed for nine years. The have two children, the oldest preparing to attend helicopter pilot school in the Nebraska National Guard.

As the level ended, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Hunter went out eighth, for $566. She had pocket 8s and lost when Karen Kyle, holding A-7, made a Broadway straight. Hunter, 32, is from Omaha where she is a decision support specialist at a major transportation company. She’s been playing four years, has made about a dozen tournament final tables, and last year was the “bubble girl” at the High Heels ladies tour. She was engaged on her birthday last year and the wedding has been set for May 8, 2010. Everyone is invited.

Kim Johnson went out seventh when she ran into pocket aces. It paid $708. Johnson is 45 and a small business owner from Crescent, Iowa. Who has been playing five years and has a number of cashes in local tournaments.

Melyssa “Missy” Gerhardt finished sixth and took home $850. Gerhardt, 30, is from Omaha where she has an interesting double job as a dry wall finisher and chef. She’s been playing 10 years and says she “knows when to hold’em and when to fold’em.”

Michelle Hiers went out fifth, worth $991.Hiers, 33, is a real estate agent from Council Bluffs who’s been playing for 10 years and placed third in a women’s poker classic event last year.

Sue Warner departed in fourth place when her Q-J was blown away by A-3 after an ace flopped. Warner, 42, is from Papillion, Nebraska where she is a marketing representative for Blue Shield Blue Cross of Nebraska. She’s been playing two years and has one son.

This tournament then got heads-up after a three-way pot where everyone pushed in. Haggard had As-10h, Kyle had Ah-10c, and Strong had Ac-Kd. When the board came 3h-8s-3s-6s-9c, Kyle, missing her nut flush draw, bowed out third, while Strong stayed alive by taking down the main pot with her king kicker. Kyle, 50, is from Colon, Nebraska and is a senior service technician for the gas company. She’s played about four years and this is her first final table.

Heads-up, Haggard had about 145,000 chips to 75,000 for Strong. Blinds now at 1,500-3,000 with 400 antes, The match would last well over an hour. In early action, Strong doubled through with a set of 7s, then later dropped down to 18,000 when she held Q-3, flopped two pair but lost when Haggard, with pocket kings, hit a set on the turn. But she held on as chips moved back and forth for the next hour.

After a break, the two finalists returned to action. Play went on for a while until the final hand. when Strong moved in with pocket 6s and Haggard quickly called with pocket 8s. The board came 8-Q-3-J-2, and Haggard’s set of 8s brought her the ladies championship.

Strong, collecting $2,832 for her second runner-up finish, is from Glencoe, Minnesota where she works in sales. She’s been playing three years and last year placed second in the ladies event here. She has a “great husband, Wayne,” with five “great kids,” six grandchildren, and one on the way. She started playing hold’em 3-1/2 years ago when she went to Vegas on a business trip. Three months after returning, she almost quit because she couldn’t win. But then she began to win two or three tournaments a month, and that hooked her.

–Max Shapiro

Haggard is a 50-year-old housewife from Emporia, Kansas She’s been playing four years and her poker highlight was holding quad 9s in a cash game with action.

World Series of Poker Commissioner: Jeffrey Pollack
Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment: Jack Effel
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Poker Room Managers: Gary Margetsen
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Tournament Director: Janis Sexton