2009/2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Harrah’s Tunica
Event #8
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $300 (+40)
Total Entries: 249
Total Prize Pool: $67,059
January 27-28, 2010
Final Results:
Finish Name City State Country Prize
1 John White Powell TN USA $17,129
2 Robert Schorr Henderson NV USA $10,475
3 David Kopacz Hopkinsville KY USA $7,430
4 Lawrence Beach Decatur GA USA $5,304
5 Roy Salinas San Antonio TX USA $4,245
6 David Kopacz Hopkinsville KY USA $3,185
7 Peter Hernandez San Antonio TX USA $2,126
8 Wayne Gatheright Walls MS USA $1,723
9 Bobby Woodruff Tuckerman AR USA $1,462
10 James Stallings Stevenson AL USA $1,281
11 Edward Guynes Robinsonville MS USA $1,281
12 A Culp Marvell AR USA $1,281
13 Richard Gibson Sidon MS USA $1,053
14 Christopher Nash Dallas TX USA $1,053
15 Christopher Stolz Huntsville AL USA $1,053
16 Michael Watford Richton MS USA $878
17 Kenny Piel Tunica MS USA $878
18 Richard Stoeckmann Princeton MN USA $878
19 Carlos Hamby Dalhart TX USA $764
20 Earl Merritt Ponder TX USA $764
21 Patrick Folgleman Springfield IL USA $764
22 Lou Salamone St. Louis MO USA $684
23 Harold Mabe Abingdon VA USA $684
24 Terry Coker Robinsonville MS USA $684
It’s a Science
Retired Nuclear Researcher John White wins Circuit Event #8 at Harrah’s Tunica
TUNICA, MS – John White, a retired nuclear physicist from Powell, TN, is the winner of event #8 at the Harrah’s Tunica Circuit. The tournament drew 249 runners. White was the first player to register for the $340 buy-in Wednesday event but was last in chips going into the final nine.
Name Hometown Seat Chip Count
Wayne Gatheright Walls, MS 1 101,000
Rogelio Salinas San Antonio, TX 2 200,000
Robert Schorr Henderson, NV 3 990,000
Peter Hernandez San Antonio, TX 4 137,000
David Kopacz Hopkinsville, KY 5 290,000
Lawrence Beach Decatur, GA 6 223,000
Dale Curtis Tok, AK 7 204,000
John White Powell, TN 8 81,000
Bobby Woodruff Tuckerman, AR 9 170,000
Ninth Place
The final nine got underway shortly after 4:00 pm with blinds and antes at 6,000/12,000/2,000. The first casualty of the night was Bobby Woodruff. Woodruff, a corrections sergeant from Tuckerman, AR, busted after his pocket nines failed to hold against the K-Q of Dale Curtis. Ninth paid $1,462.
Eighth Place
Next out was Wayne Gatheright. The 70-year old retiree ran his short stack into John White’s pocket aces all-in with K-Q. Gatheright picked up $1,723.
Seventh Place
Seventh place went to Peter Hernandez, a former realtor-turned-poker pro from San Antonio, TX. Hernandez was unable to improve on an ace high board with 10c-8c vs. fellow San Antonian, Rogelio Salinas, who had pocket 3’s. Seventh paid $2,126.
Sixth Place
2008/2009 Horseshoe Southern Indiana event #10 champion, David Kopacz, was the sixth place finisher. Kopacz picked up his 8th WSOP Circuit cash worth $3,185.
Fifth Place
Salinas was eliminated soon after taking a beat from John White. Salinas’ pocket 3’s were cracked by White’s A-K after the board double-paired 9’s and 4’s on the river. He busted the next hand after moving his remaining chips all-in with 9-2 off suit. Fifth place paid $4,245.
Fourth Place
Lawrence “Andy” Beach busted in 4th after his pocket sixes failed to hold all-in against Dale Curtis’ J-Q. The 44-year old from Decatur, GA earned $5,304.
Third Place
A short-stacked Curtis was the third place finisher after being outflopped with A-J suited vs. John White’s Q-2 off. Third place paid $7,430.
At about 8:13 pm with blinds and antes at 15,000/30,000/4,000, heads-up action saw White and Robert Schorr dueling for a Circuit Event ring and the $17,129 first place prize. In the final hand, Schorr was all-in with A-2 vs. White’s A-5. The board came Ks-Qs-4h-3d-Kc to give White kings with a 5-high kicker and the win. Schorr collected $10,475.
White spent much of his career researching nuclear energy at the national lab. He was introduced to the game of hold’em back in the late 90’s. He cashed at the 2009 World Series of Poker Senior’s Event and was once a contestant on the poker game show, Poker Dome Challenge.
White says nuclear physics and poker share at least one thing in common.
“In both, there’s this element of unpredictability,” said White.
He went on in earnest trying to explain to this tournament reporter the science of calculating radiation levels and how they are affected as radiation travels through various elements.
After 10 minutes of going over hand-scrawled diagrams and discussing neutrons, isotopes and other terms that most of us have locked away forever in some dark corner of our minds, we’ll just leave it to this:
Poker and nuclear physics can both be unpredictable.
Still to come are 11 more events and single-day non-ring $125 and $230 buy-in events which begin at 4 pm and 7pm. The WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s Tunica runs through February 10th.
2010 Harrah’s Tunica WSOP Circuit Event #8 Final Results
2010 Harrah’s Tunica WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results
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 Tunica
Bill Wright – General Manager
Jimmy Sommerfeld –Tournament Director
Bill Bruce – Assistant Tournament Director
Patrick Collins – Public Relations Manager
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