2010-2011 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Council Bluffs
August 25-26
Ring Event # 6
Six-handed No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $500+$55
Number of Entries: 114
Total Prize Money: $53,370
Final Results:
1 Drazen Ilich Lincoln, NE $16,013
2 Jason McKelvey Lincoln, NE $9,896
3 Drew Woodke Omaha, NE $7,107
4 Jeffrey Fielder Des Moines, IA $5,130
5 Brett Schwertley Omaha, NE $3,707
6 Joel Merwick Lincoln, NE $2,685
7 Mark “Pegasus” Smith Georgetown, KY $1,952
8 Bob Slezak Omaha, NE $1,952
9 Robert Townsend Woodridge, IL $1,423
10 Tommy Nguyen Sioux City, IA $1,423
11 Timothy Sciscoe Omaha, NE $1,041
12 David Weeks (Tie) Port Murray, NJ $520
13 Thomas Culberson (Tie) Ellisville, MS $520
Bosnia Immigrant Drazen Ilich has Easy Win in 6-Handed No-Limit
Six-Handed Format Lets Him Play Aggressively And Plenty of Chips Allows Him to Gamble
Council Bluffs, IA — Drazen Ilich is a 31-year-old poker player who came to this country from Sarajevo, Bosnia 12 years ago. Originally working as a machinist, he began playing poker with friends, and four years ago decided he was good enough to play full time. He won two prior Circuit rings last year, including a $1,000 no-limit event here that paid $32,825, and tonight added a third ring by winning the $500 six-handed no-limit hold’em event that earned him $18,013, along with a diamond and gold trophy ring. He also has three final tables at the Horseshoe Poker Classic in 2008, including two wins, along with numerous online tournament wins. Hobbies are golf and tennis.
Normally a selective/aggressive player, Ilich said the six-handed format permitted him to turn up the heat and, because he was never short-stacked, he could gamble with less-than-premium hands. He said he also had a pretty good read on the final table players, and was able to pick his spots successfully. Ilich, who now lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, divides his poker time between cash games and tournaments, preferring tournaments because of the bigger prize potential, and because they’re more fun. He also had high praise for the new tournament structure giving entrants a lot more play. His hobbies are golf and tennis.
This tournament had 114 players and a $53,370 prize pool. The final six began play at level 17 with blinds of 2,000-4,000, 500 antes and 22:34 remaining at that level. With 356,000 chips, Jason McKelvey was the leader.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat
1. Joel Merwick 194,000
2. Jeff Fielder 119.000
3. Brett Schwertley 116,000
4. Drew Woodke 239,500
5. Drazen Ilich 330,000
6. Jason McKelvey 356,000
Sixth Place: Joel Merwick was first out. He went all in holding 10s-9s, after a flop of Qs-7s-2s gave him a flush. However, Jeff Fielder, holding pocket 7s, went after him with a set. A 9 turned, and then a river deuce filled Fielder, leaving Merwick in sixth place, paying $2,685. Merwick, 29, is a pro from Omaha playing for seven years. His biggest cashes were $39,000 for finishing 189th in the 2005 WSOP main event, and $37,000 for sixth in a New Orleans Circuit championship. His hobbies are “Sports, sports, sports.”
Fifth Place: Just as the next level ended, so did another player. Brett Schwertley looked at pocket 9s and raised, and then Drew Woodke re-raised him all in. “Wow!” Schwertley exclaimed as Woodke turned up pocket aces. A board of 4-3-Q-8-8 changed nothing and Schwertley went out fifth for $3,707. Schwertley, 27, is from Omaha. He learned to play seven or so years ago from his grandma.
Fourth Place: Several more levels of careful play went by without any more called all-ins. Then, with blinds of 6,000-12,000, Woodke was called after moving in with pocket kings, but he easily survived by flopping a set. A couple of hands later, another player finally was eliminated. The board showed 4d-6d-7s. Drazen Ilich, holding 7-6, was ahead with two pair, but an all-in Jeffrey Fielder, holding Ad-5d, had 15 outs with draws to a flush and open-end straight. Instead, a turn-card 7 filled Ilich, and Fielder checked out with $5,130 for fourth place. Fielder, 33, is from Des Moines, Iowa where he owns a construction business. He began playing in home games and later the on Internet seven years ago. He had a deep run in the main event here in February, along with other cashes here and in Vegas, in total giving him four out of eight WSOP cashes. His hobby is traveling for music.
At the next break, the three remaining players weren’t that much apart. Ilich led with about 480,000, while Woodke and McKelvey were in the 400,000 range. Blinds were now 8,000-16,000 with 3,000 antes. Late in the level, McKelvey pushed in for 178,000, and got a call from Woodke. “I’ve got a decision to make,” Ilich said, finally deciding to “let you guys tangle.” McKelvey turned up Qh-2h, way behind Woodke’s pocket kings. The flop came Qc-3s-9h, and then runner-runner hearts rescued and doubled-up Woodke with a flush. flush.
Third Place: Returning from a dinner break to blinds of 10,000-20,000 and 3,000 antes, Ilich led with 840,000 chips to 340,000 for McKelvey and 200,000 for Woodke. Later, down to under 100,000, Woodke moved in from the small blind with As-6s, getting called by Ilich with Jc-8c. A flop of Jh-2s-4-s gave Ilich top pair, while Woodke needed an ace or a spade, He got neither when an offsuit queen and 4 came. Woodke, cashing third for $7,107., is 28 and a real estate agent from Omaha who’s played for 10 years, learning online. He has four Circuit final tables.
Second Place: One hand later it was all over. Ilich pushed in with Ah-2c, and McKelvey called with Qs-10s. A flop of 9c-Js-2s paired Ilich’s deuce but gave McKelvey all kinds of outs: a spade for a flush, an 8 or king for a straight, or a queen or 10 for a better pair, making him a 69 percent favorite. But two bricks came off, and McKelvey settled for $9,896 for second. McKelvey, 26, is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and his occupation is working with adults with disabilities. He’s only been playing eight months, online and bar poker, and has a few online tournament cashes.
2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results
2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #6 Results
By Max Shapiro
Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld
Tags: 2010 wsop circuit events, 2010-2011 wsop circuit events, 2010-2011 wsop circuit events horseshoe council bluffs
