Posts Tagged ‘2010-2011 wsop circuit events’

2010-2011 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Main Event Results

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

2010-2011 World Series of Poker Circuit
Season Seven
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
Event #9
Main Event Championship
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,600
Total Entries: 246
Total Prize Pool: $354,240
November 21-23, 2010

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

2010-2011 Harveys Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Main Event Winner Stanley Quinn

2010-2011 Harveys Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Main Event Winner Stanley Quinn

1 Stanley Quinn Danville, CA $86,789

2 John McNeilly Glen Ellen, CA $53,625

3 Michael Traylor Houston, TX $38,743

4 Dan Black Cloverdale, CA $28,513

5 Drew Caseri Merced, CA $21,361

6 Ned Mantua Bodega Bay, CA $16,277

7 Donna Jetter Sparta, TN $12,611

8 Grant Hillman Oakland, CA $9,929

9 Joseph Mongkul-Ua-Aree Gardnerville, NV $7,942

10 Tom Masinter Dublin, CA $6,451

11 Leroy Patitz Hastings, NE $6,451

12 Ray Martin Bargersville, IN $6,451

13 Arthur Molloy La Jolla, CA $5,321

14 Kevin Fleming Pleasanton, CA $5,321

15 Dustin Leary Mountain View, CA $5,321

16 Stephen Brown Simi Valley, CA $4,456

17 Anthony Winters Patterson, CA $4,456

18 John Miner Carlson City, NV $4,456

19 Kenneth Churchill Auburn , WA $3,790

20 Jason Stern San Jose, CA $3,790

21 Jason Moe Roseville, CA $3,790

22 Archie Raimer Boerne, TX $3,270

23 Andrew Barber Rocklin, CA $3,270

24 Zachary Gilbert Reno, NV $3,270

25 Richard Peterson Oakdale, CA $2,862

26 George Reese Sacramento, CA $2,862

27 Jeffrey Lennon Fresno, CA $2,862

Stan Quinn Wins WSOP Circuit Main Event Championship Gold Ring at Harvey’s

Andrew Barber Wins Lake Tahoe’s Best All-Around Player Points Race

Winter Blizzard in High Sierras Fails to Cool Off Two National Championship Qualifiers – Quinn and Barber

Stateline, NV – The winner of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event Championship held at the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Resort and Casino is Stan Quinn, from Danville, CA.

Quinn collected $86,789 in prize money. He was presented with his first gold ring, which is the supreme token of achievement awarded for winning a WSOP Circuit event. Quinn also received an automatic seat qualification into the 2010-2011 WSOP Circuit National Championship, to be held in Las Vegas next May.

Quinn is a 51-year-old professional poker player. He formally worked in IT management. Quinn earned his way into the championship by winning a mega-satellite in the Harvey’s Poker Room. Shortly after making the decision to play poker full-time, he cashed in this year’s WSOP Main Event – finishing in 549th place.

This marks Quinn’s debut year on the WSOP Circuit. Quinn cashed in one of the earlier gold ring events at Harvey’s finishing in 14th place in a $345 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event. With this victory, he now has more than $100,000 in WSOP-related earnings for the year.

The $1,600 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament began on Sunday at noon and ended Tuesday night. The tournament attracted a larger-than-expected field size totaling 246 entrants.

Tournament attendance was expected to suffer due to a record snowstorm which punished the Lake Tahoe area for more than four days. Around Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, nearly three feet of snow hit the ground and created white-out conditions during most of the weekend. Snowfall hit more than six feet at the higher elevations. Wind gusts on the upper ridges of the High Sierras were 80-90 mph, at times. According to some reports, this was the heaviest November snowfall in the last 100 years.

This made the trek to South Lake Tahoe treacherous for all but the most daring drivers, winter sportsmen, and poker players. Some roads were closed, and those paths that were open required snow chains. Nevertheless, players came and made this one of the busier weekends of the year.

Despite the severe weather, the number of participants in the Main Event Championship increased significantly over last year. Furthermore, the $354,240 prize pool was up by 15 percent over the previous figure, even though this year’s buy-in ($1,600) was reduced from the previous year ($5,000).

The first day opened with 246 players playing down to 51 survivors — which took about 12 hours. The first day chip leader was Dan Black, who would end up making it to the final table – ending up in fourth place. The second day of play whittled the field down to the final nine — which lasted about 10 hours. The second day chip leader was Michael Traylor, who enjoyed a 2 to 1 advantage over his closest rival when the final table started on the third day of competition. Traylor ended up as the third-place finisher.

The final table began at 12 noon on Tuesday and ended about 5 hours 15 minutes later. When the nine finalists took their seats, the chip counts were as follows:

SEAT 1: Dan Black (Cloverdale, CA) – 585,000 in chips
SEAT 2: Donna Jetter (Nashville, TN) – 111,000 in chips
SEAT 3: John McNeilly (Sonoma, CA) – 263,000 in chips
SEAT 4: Joe “13” Mongkol-ua-aree (Gardnerville, NV) – 287,000 in chips
SEAT 5: Michael Traylor (Houston, TX) – 1,843,000 in chips
SEAT 6: Drew Caseri (Merced, CA) – 164,000 in chips
SEAT 7: Grant Hillman (Oakland, CA) – 484,000 in chips
SEAT 8: Ned Mantua (Bedega Bay, CA) – 945,000 in chips
SEAT 9: Stan Quinn (Danville, CA) – 377,000 in chips

Blinds began at 10,000-20,000 with a 3,000 ante. Players were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place – Joe “13” Mongkol-ua-aree, from nearby Gardnerville, NV was the first player to exit. He went out after only about 20 minutes. Mongkol-ua-aree lost most of his stack with Ad Js. He moved all-in and got a quick call by Dan Black, who showed Ks Kc. Just a few hands earlier, Black had lost half of his stack when his K-K lost to Q-Q (a queen flopped). Black avoided a devastating repeat this second time around as his K-K survived a board which showed Qs 8d 3s 5s 5c. Mongkol-ua-aree was left with just 75,000 in chips and went out a few hands later when his A-Q lost to Michael Traylor’s straight.

Mongkol-ua-aree is a 38-year-old small business owner. He has been playing on the WSOP Circuit for 4 years. Mr. Mongkol-ua-aree loves playing poker with his wife Yvette, who has also cashed at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe. He once served proudly with the 82nd Airborne Division. Monghol-ua-aree collected $7,942 in prize money for ninth place.

8th Place – Grant Hillman, from Oakland, CA went out next. He was lowest in chips and moved all-in on a semi-bluff, which lost. Hillman was dealt Td 8d. After the flop came Qd Js 6h, Hillman moved all-in. Michael Traylor was delighted to call and tabled Qs Jd, good for top two pair. The cards ran out 3h Ad, pushing another pot to Traylor and putting Hillman out in eighth place with $9,929 in prize money.

Grant Hillman is a 38-year-old bio-informatics manager, which means he applies computer science and statistics to the field of molecular biology. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and a Masters Degree from the University of Colorado. Hillman won his way into the Main Event through a single-table satellite. This is his second year to play on the WSOP Circuit.

7th Place – Donna Jetter began play with the lowest stack. She managed to move two spots up the money ladder. Jetter doubled up three times during her two-hour session. She had a chance to go over 1,000,000 in chips at one point, but lost a critical race and fell back to a short stack. Jetter went out when she moved all-in with Js Ts. Michael Traylor faded her raise and called with Ad Kh. The flop gave Jetter several more outs, but she missed as two blanks hit the turn and river. The final board showed Qc 9c 3h 4c 3c giving Traylor more chips, and bankrupting Jetter. She is the only female to make a WSOP Circuit Main Event final table this season (through four championship events). Seventh place paid $12,611.

Donna Jetter specializes in renovating homes in and around the Nashville area. She has been playing on the WSOP Circuit for the past three years. She won the Ladies Championship at Harrah’s Tunica last January. Jetter is the first female poker player to make it to a WSOP Circuit championship final table this season.

6th Place – Ned Mantua was eliminated in sixth place when he was down to his last 150,000 and needed to find a hand. He found one shoved with Ac Td. Michael Traylor — who covered his opponent by more than a 10 to 1 margin — called and showed Kh Js. The final board came Kd Tc 4s 7c 2h giving Traylor top two pair. Thus, Mantua ended up in sixth place.

Ned Mantua is a 68-year-old gas station manager. He is a proud father of four, and a grandfather to four. Mr. Mantua enjoys fishing, but he found no fish at this final table. Mantua earned $16,277 in prize money.

5th Place – Drew Caseri’s last five minutes at the final table were a nightmare. He managed to run his initial stack size of 164,000 up to more than 800,000. He would have had 1.4 million except for a brutal beat which took place about three hours into play. Caseri re-raised all-in holding 9-9 and had John McNeilly covered, who showed 6-6. It appeared that Caseri would knock out McNeilly and move into second place in chips. But a six on the river completely reversed the fortunes of both players. Two hands later, Caseri was down to 200,000 and moved all-in again, with Ks Ts. Michael Traylor called and showed Ac Qd. The flop was good for Caseri, but once again, the river card was a killer. The board ran Tc 9d 4c 3c Qh, giving Traylor what remained of Caseri’s stack.

Drew Caseri is a 25-year-old college student. He won his way into this tournament via a $235 mega-satellite. Mr. Caseri loves poker, but says he actually came to Lake Tahoe to snowboard. However, he didn’t get to snowboard much on this trip because of his success in this tournament. Caseri earned $21,361 in prize money.

4th place – Dan Black was eliminated during the fifth hour of play. He was all-in on an unusual hand where both players had straight-flush draws. Black was dealt Td 9d and was up against Michael Traylor, with 6d 5d. After the flop came 9c 8d 7d Black moved in with top pair and the straight-flush draw. But Traylor had the made straight which held up as the final two cards were 7d and Qh. Black collected $28,513 in prize money.

Dan Black is a 61-year-old retired construction specialist and former fireman. He prefers to play in cash games and paid his way into this event through his cash game winnings. Mr. Black owns his own ranch which is 5,000 acres, where he escorts visitors on hunting trips around his property. This marks his fifth year to play on the WSOP Circuit.

3rd Place – Despite being the powerhouse force during much of the final table, Michael Traylor ended up finishing in third place. At one point during the finale he held a 4 to 1 chip lead over his closest rival. In fact, Traylor was dealt a flurry of big hands during his stay. Trouble was, several of the hands were cracked and he ended up losing a number of big pots at critical times during the finale. He managed to double up players at the worst possible times, which was no fault of his own since he always seemed to have big cards. Traylor was finally eliminated while low on chips holding Ts 4s. The flop came Qd Jh 8d, with the Js on the turn and the Kd on the river. Stan Quinn’s Ac 9c – good for ace-high — took what remained of Traylor’s once-towering stack.

Michael Traylor is a 28-year-old professional poker player. He previously worked in sales and was an actor. Mr. Traylor has only recently begun a full-time poker career, but says he is in the game to stay and is determined to improve one step at a time. Traylor took a solid step forward with his third-place finish in this tournament. He collected $38,743.

2nd Place – John McNeilly was the runner up. He collected a very respectable consolation prize totaling $53,625.

The final hand of the tournament came quickly and unexpectedly. After five hours of final table action, a routine looking hand developed when the flop came 8h 6c 3h. McNeilly moved all-in and showed 8c 7h (after his bet was called), good for top pair. Unfortunately, Stan Quinn had Js Jc — good for an overpair. McNeilly added several outs to his shot of seizing the chip lead after the 5d fell on the turn. But the river bricked with the Ks coming, which gave the victory to Quinn and put McNeilly out in second place.

John McNeilly is a 54-year-old part-time player who says he is currently out of work. He previously worked as a manager at a winery. He was also a high school basketball coach at one time. Mr. McNeilly has been playing on the WSOP Circuit for two years. He wished to acknowledge the support he received from his wife, two daughters, and older brother, who is diagnosed with ALS, who followed his progress online.

1st Place – Stan Quinn won his first major poker tournament and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring. First place paid $86,789 in prize money.

The overall winner in the point race for this year’s Harvey’s Lake Tahoe series is Andrew Barber, from Rocklin, CA. He edged out two rivals, Tom Masinter and John Deng, both of whom won gold ring events. Barber won the point tally with a second and a third place finish in two events. He also cashed in the Main Event.

Joining the Main Event champion Stan Quinn, Barber earns an automatic bid into the WSOP Circuit National Championship.

This year, all players on the WSOP Circuit who cash will accumulate points which are used to qualify towards the WSOP Circuit National Championship. The tournament is to be held in May 2011 in Las Vegas.  The $1 million freeroll tournament will be nationally televised and will be open to only 100 qualifiers.  For the first time ever, a WSOP gold bracelet will be presented to the winner.
  
This was the final WSOP Circuit gold ring event held this year at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe. The WSOP Circuit gold ring winners at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe were as follows:
 
Phillip Hui (Event #1 champion — NLHE)
Manh Tran (Event #2 champion — NLHE)
James Sparks (Event #3 champion – Omaha High-Low Split)
Devin Jackson (Event #4 champion – H.O.R.S.E.)
Cyle Curtis (Event #5 champion – NLHE)
Matthew Hughes (Event #6 champion – Six-Handed NLHE)
Joel Casper (Event #7 champion – NLHE)
Tom Masinter (Event #8 champion — NLHE)
Stan Quinn (Event #9 MAIN EVENT champion – NLHE)
 
A total of 2,197 players participated in the ten WSOP Circuit events played at this year’s Harvey’s Lake Tahoe series.  That means each event has attracted an average of 220 players.

The impressive attendance figures at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe are consistent with big turnouts at all WSOP Circuit stops, so far.  All four WSOP Circuit events now completed have experienced increases in both attendance and prize money.  Numbers were up significantly at Council Bluffs, Hammond (Chicago), and Southern Indiana.  A new addition to this year’s schedule held at the IP Casino-Resort and Spa in Biloxi also produced impressive numbers.

This is the seventh WSOP Circuit stop to be held at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe. It is one of only three stops which have been a part of the WSOP Circuit season every year. The others are Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego) and Harrah’s Atlantic City.
 
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe is located on the south shore of crystal blue Lake Tahoe, beneath a wall of snow-capped mountains, making for one of the most astounding views of any poker destination in the world.
 
Northern Nevada has a rich poker history.  The WSOP had its origins, not in Las Vegas, but rather in Northern Nevada.  The first WSOP-style tournament was played in Reno at the Holiday Casino in 1969.  That first gathering of poker players was called the “Second Annual Gambling Fraternity Convention,” and was won by Crandell Addington, later a Poker Hall of Fame inductee.  Poker patriarch Benny Binion was so impressed with the concept that he held the first WSOP the following year at Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas, in 1970. Now some 41 years later, poker remains alive and well in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area.

2010-2011 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Main Event Championship Results

2010-2011 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Event Schedule and Results

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2010-2011 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Event #1 Results

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

2010-2011 World Series of Poker Circuit
Season Seven
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
Event #1
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $300 (+45)
Total Entries: 407
Total Prize Pool: $115,866
November 12-13, 2010

2010-2011 Harvey's Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Event #1 Winner Phillip Hui

2010-2011 Harvey's Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Event #1 Winner Phillip Hui

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

1 Phillip Hui San Antonio TX $25,494

2 Timothy O’Brien San Francisco CA 15,752

3 Andrew Barber Sacramento CA 11,510

4 Merle Avila Rohnert CA 8,546

5 Nick Coukos Richmond Hill Ontario 6,444

6 Soarabh Gupta Fremont CA 4,932

7 Donald Shank Citrus Heights CA 3,831

8 Ted White San Jose CA 3,017

9 Russell Cooper Healdsburg CA 2,410

10 Ismael Silva Hayward CA 1,951

11 Hoang To Elk Grove CA 1,951

12 Anthony (Tony) Eddy Elk Grove CA 1,951

13 Della Katkuoy Santa Rosa CA 1,601

14 Daniel Chiu Reno NV 1,601

15 Robert Everman Lodi CA 1,601

16 Michael Kaviani Lafayette CA 1,332

17 Paul Sterling S.Lake Tahoe CA 1,332

18 Edmundo Velazquez Winton CA 1,332

19 Matthew Luther Occidental CA 1,123

20 Ryan Gastineau Woodland CA 1,123

21 Daniel Casetta Los Gatos CA 1,123

22 Neng Vang Sacramento CA 958

23 Michael Dahl Pleasant Hill CA 958

24 Kathleen Vranek Batavia IL 958

25 Adam Bachrach Las Vegas NV 828

26 Mark Johnson Mill Valley CA 828

27 Bradford Jensen Fremont CA 828

28 Randall Wilson San Jose CA 725

29 Ricky Salinas Vacaville CA 725

30 George Ochoa Newbury CA 725

31 Cory Marazita Willits CA 643

32 J Hijar St. Louis MO 643

33 Richard Peterson Oakdale CA 643

34 Jock Millspaugh Fresno CA 577

35 Brent Carter Oak Park CA 577

36 Daniel Gunn Orangeville CA 577

37 Thomas Lloyd Walnut Creek CA 524

38 Gregory Sayabalian Gardnerville NV 524

39 Christopher Mann Folsom CA 524

40 Eddy Vataru Hillsborough CA 524

41 John Manuele Visalia CA 524

42 Tim Francis Sparks NV 524

43 Peter Handal Sacramento CA 524

44 Daniel Temko El Granada CA 524

45 Dokyun Kim San Rafael CA 524

Golf Pro Phillip Hui Aces Opener at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe

First WSOP Circuit Event in High Sierras Draws 407 Entrants – 17 Percent Increase over Last Year

Stateline, NV – The winner of the opening World Series of Poker Circuit event held at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe was Phillip Hui, from San Antonio, TX.

Hui is a 22-year-old golf pro. He played golf in college, while attending the University of Texas at San Antonio. Starting last spring, Hui played in half of the golf tournaments on the Adams Golf Pro Tour Series. He passed the first stage of qualifying for the PGA, but just missed making the tour this past year. Hui, who describes his two passions as golf (first) and poker (second) hopes to make another run at the PGA tour next year.

Hui collected $25,494 in prize money. He was also presented with the gold ring, which is the ultimate token of achievement given for winning a WSOP Circuit event. This was his first WSOP-related tournament victory following two previous cashes in Circuits events.

With his victory, Hui became the early leader in the point race for the top player at this year’s Harvey’s Lake Tahoe series. The poker player who accumulates the most overall points receives a freeroll entry into the $1 million 2010-2011 WSOP Circuit National Championship, to be held next May.

This $345 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament began on a Friday and ended late on Saturday night. The tournament attracted 407 entrants, which was up significantly from last year’s number, at 348 players.

The first day opened with 407 players playing down to 29 survivors. The final table finally began at 6 pm during a busy weekend on the Nevada-California border resort. Phillip Hui held a decisive chip lead and never lost his advantage. When the ten finalists took their seats, the seating order and chip counts were as follows:

SEAT 1: Andrew Barber (Sacramento, CA) – 691,000
SEAT 2: Ted White (San Jose, CA) – 241,000
SEAT 3: Bryan Shank (Citrus Heights, CA) – 358,000
SEAT 4: Phillip Hui (San Antonio, TX) – 1,157,000
SEAT 5: Ismael Silva (Oakland, CA) – 120,000
SEAT 6: Merle Avila (Sebastopol, CA) – 231,000
SEAT 7: Russell Cooper (Healdsburg, CA) – 136,000
SEAT 8: Tim O’Brien (San Francisco, CA) – 597,000
SEAT 9: Nick Coukos (Richmond Hill, Ontario – Canada) – 333,000
SEAT 10: Soarabh Gupta (San Francisco, CA) – 226,000

Players were eliminated in the following order:

10th Place – The short-stacked Ismael Silva was eliminated quickly. The auto painter from Oakland, CA was airbrushed off the final table after he moved all-in with A-Q, when ended up losing to pocket kings.

9th Place – Russell Cooper, a 51-year-old real estate broker from Healdsburg, CA was the second lowest in chips when final table play began. He moved all-in about 20 minutes into play holding K-4, after catching a four on the flop. But Cooper ended up losing to pocket jacks. Cooper, who has traveled extensively and plays poker regularly, collected $2,410 in prize money.

8th Place – Ted White, from San Jose, CA suffered a tough blow on what turned out to be his final hand. He ended up making his flush, which lost to a full house. White pushed all-in with A-6 suited diamonds. He was up against pocket jacks. The final board showed J-8-7-8-3, with three diamonds. The flush was to no avail. White, who works as a meat cutter, was butchered in eighth place, which paid $3,017.

7th Place – Bryan Shank was eliminated in a three-way pot. Shank was dealt A-2 offsuit and faced two hands — K-Q suited and pocket threes. The flop essentially killed Shank’s chance of making a comeback as Nick Coukos flopped a set of threes. The final board ended up giving Coukos a full house, which tripled him up and put Shank out on the rail in seventh place. Shank, an insurance agent from Citrus Heights, CA collected a nice poker commission amounting to $3,831.

6th Place – Soarabh Gupta went bust on a hand that pretty much masqueraded as poker’s equivalent of getting run over by a roaring freight train. Gupta moved all-in holding A-6. The flop initially looked good for Gupta, as A-J-J came on board, giving him aces up. Trouble was — Phillip Hui had been dealt J-J and made quad jacks. Gupta, from San Francisco, CA staggered away from the final table in sixth place, worth $4,932 in prize money.

5th Place – About three hours into play, former WSOP Circuit gold ring winner Nick Coukos was eliminated in fifth place. Coukos made things interesting for awhile, especially after he tripled up and had about 700,000 in chips at one point. But Coukos ran card dead late and ended up collecting $6,444 in prize money. Coukos, who won his gold ring at Caesars Palace Las Vegas last year, previously worked as a horse racetrack executive.

4th Place – Merle Avila, an architect from Sebastopol, CA was the fourth-place finisher. He lost a few big hands late and then finally went out when he was forced to play a weak hand which did improve. Avila, who finished sixth in this same event back in 2008, added another impressive finish to his tournament resume. He earned $8,546 in prize money.

3rd Place – Andrew Barber was the third-place finisher. The poker pro from Sacramento, CA busted out with 10-9, which was bested by A-K. An ace flopped which took away Barber’s last chip. The former engineer could certainly be proud of his finish, which paid $11,510.

2nd Place – Tim O’Brien, a 32-year-old poker pro was the runner up. He made a strong late run and was a serious threat to Phillip Hui after he managed to double up at one point. But O’Brien was never able to gain the chip lead and eventually went out with $15,752 in prize money.

The final hand of the tournament was dealt when Hui had about a 2 to 1 advantage over O’Brien. Hui was dealt 9h 9s against O’Brien’s 6h 5h. On the turn, the board showed 8d 8c 7d 6s. That gave both players a straight draw. But Hui enjoyed a big advantage with the bigger pair (nines). O’Brien needed to catch a 4 or 6, but missed when the Jd tumbled down on the river.

1st Place – Phillip Hui was thrilled with his first major live tournament victory. He plays regularly online and has won tournaments at various sites. But this was his best cash in a live tournament. Hui collected $25,494, the WSOP Circuit gold ring, and the early point lead at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe.

The impressive opening number at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe is consistent with big turnouts at all WSOP Circuit stops, so far.  All four WSOP Circuit events have experienced increases in both attendance and prize money.  Numbers were up significantly at Council Bluffs, Hammond (Chicago), and Southern Indiana.  A new addition to this year’s schedule held at the IP Casino-Reort and Spa in Biloxi also produced impressive numbers.
 
Several inches of snow on the ground and a winter wonderland atmosphere outdoors could not freeze the enthusiasm of hundreds of poker players who showed up this weekend at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe.  The casino-resort is located on the south shore of crystal blue Lake Tahoe, beneath a wall of snow-capped mountains, making for one of the most astounding views of any poker destination in the world.

Northern Nevada has a rich poker history.  Few may remember that the WSOP had its origins, not in Las Vegas, but rather in Northern Nevada.  The first WSOP-style tournament was played in Reno at the Holiday Casino in 1969.  That first gathering of poker players was called the “Second Annual Gambling Fraternity Convention,” and was won by Crandell Addington, later a Poker Hall of Fame inductee.  Poker patriarch Benny Binion was so impressed with the concept that he held the first WSOP the following year at Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas, in 1970.

Now some 41 years later, poker remains alive and well in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area.  In addition to the ten scheduled gold ring events on this year’s schedule, there are nightly No-Limit Hold’em tournaments and plenty of mega-satellites.  Cash games are going on inside the poker room around the clock.

Poker players can still come and join the action. Hotel reservations can be made by calling 1-800-HARRAHS.  Ask for a special tournament player’s rate under the code:  “WSOP1″  Special hotel rates are $39 weekdays and $69 for Friday nights.  Saturday nights are based on availability.  Hotel reservations can also be made online at http://www.harveystahoe.com.
 
This year, all players on the WSOP Circuit can accumulate points which are used to qualify towards the WSOP Circuit National Championship tournament, to be held in May 2011 in Las Vegas.  The $1 million freeroll tournament will be nationally televised and will be open to only 100 qualifiers.  For the first time ever, a WSOP gold bracelet will be presented to the winner.

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Horseshoe Indiana to Host WSOP Circuit October 2 through October 12

Friday, October 1st, 2010

HORSESHOE SOUTHERN INDIANA TO HOST WSOP CIRCUIT OCTOBER 2 THROUGH OCTOBER 12

The WSOPC returns to the Midwest in its second of 13 scheduled stops for the 2010/2011 season

ELIZABETH, IN – SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 – After a successful opener in Council Bluffs, IA, the Midwest again plays host to the richest sporting event on the planet when the World Series of Poker comes to Horseshoe Southern Indiana October 2.

Horseshoe Southern Indiana is located in Elizabeth, IN, just 23 miles southwest of Louisville, KY.

The second of 13 stops scheduled for the 2010/2011 season, this year’s Circuit Events at Horseshoe Southern Indiana look to be one of its biggest ever and will feature a variety of WSOPC ring events to include H.O.R.S.E., mixed pot limit hold’em/Omaha and for the first time ever, a no limit hold’em shootout.

Other events slated for the Horseshoe Southern Indiana Circuit include the $225 buy-in no limit hold’em ladies event on Sunday, October 3rd and the $225 buy-in seniors no-limit hold’em event on Monday, October 4th.

The $1,600 buy-in Main Event begins on Sunday, October 10.

The winner of the Main Event will be awarded first place prize money, the coveted diamond-encrusted gold Circuit Event ring and an automatic entry to the $1 million WSOPC National Championship to take place in May, 2011 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

A second National Championship entry will be awarded to the player earning the most points through 10 ring events at the Horseshoe.

For more information about the WSOP Circuit National Championship, click here.

Click here for information about the 2010/2011 WSOP Circuit points system.

The schedule and structures for the Circuit Events at Horseshoe Southern Indiana have been well-received by players on various online forums. Players of all skill levels take part in the fun. Pros like TJ Cloutier are expected to play the Main Event at Horseshoe Southern Indiana and will likely face off against amateurs similar to last years Circuit champion Gabriel Cook of Terre Haute. Cook, a 33-year-old high school education teacher, earned his Main Event seat via satellite and went on to take first place, worth $92,430.

“We are very excited to be hosting our eighth Circuit Event here in Southern Indiana and are planning on this Circuit stop being one of the biggest we have had in years,” said poker room manager and tournament director, Jimmy Allen, who has been at the Horseshoe poker room since it opened in 1998.

“Players are really excited about the standardized structures across all of the stops and the increase in starting chips is a big bonus.  The entire staff here at Horseshoe Southern Indiana is getting geared up for a huge two weeks.”

Allen, who dealt the very first hand of poker at the Horseshoe, took a few minutes with WSOP.com in 2009 to answer a few questions about him and his card room. You can read the entire interview here.

Horseshoe Southern Indiana is currently offering special room rates to players participating in the upcoming WSOP Circuit. Availability is limited, so click here to book now!

2010-2011 Horseshoe Southern Indiana WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

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2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #6 Results

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

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

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2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #4 Results

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

2010-2011 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Council Bluffs
August 23-24
Ring Event #4
H.O.R.S.E.
Buy-In: $300+$45
Number of Entries: 75
Total Prize Money: $31,825

Final Results:

1 Kevin Marcus Massapequa, NY $6,885

2 Alan Cutler Vernon Hills, IL $4,260

3 Duster Ellis Gretna, NE $2,804

4 Brian Schwartz Chicago, IL $1,963

5 Jimmy Blevins Oakland, NE $1,455

6 Betty Davidson St. Charles, MO $1,138

7 Michael Altman Mequon, WI $936

8 Daniel Thomas Lincoln, NE $809

Accounting Student Kevin Marcus Bullies His way to Win in H.O.R.S.E.

Key to Win is Using His Big Stacks to Steal from Shorties Trying to Move Up

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #4 Winner Kevin Marcus

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #4 Winner Kevin Marcus

Council Bluffs, IA — Kevin Marcus is a 25-year-old accounting student from Massapequa, New York whose normal style of play is tight. But two situations presented itself in today’s H.O.R.S.E. tournament, the fourth ring event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, that allowed him to bully his way to victory, earning $6,885 and a diamond-encrusted gold trophy ring..

The first came the night before, with nine players left, one away from the final table. Playing a hand against Betty Davidson, he had her down to 2,000 on the river and was pretty sure he had her beat with two pair. But he just checked. Was he playing partners with her? No, not exactly. There were two other short stacks at the table, he was the chip leader, and he knew they were trying to make the final table and he could bully them and steal blinds and antes if play were to continue. He did just that, and was able to considerably build his stacks.

At the final table, he went down a lot in early action. Then with six players left and sensing that two short stacks were trying to move up another notch or two, he began pushing them around, picking up 20,000 or 30,000 chips six or seven times in a row, and moved up from 300,000 to 450,000 chips, After that he was unstoppable. “It only works when you’re a big stack,” he explained.

Marcus began playing poker 13 years ago with friends. He prefers tournaments, but ends up playing mostly cash games because of the underground clubs in New York. He has one prior small cash in Atlantic City. Asked for any final thoughts, he exclaimed “Let’s go, Islanders!” cheering on his favorite New York hockey team.

This event drew 75 players with a $31,825 prize pool. Play commenced in a razz round at level 16 with five hands left and 20:34 on the clock. Antes were 2,000, the bring-in 4,000, blinds 5,000-10,000, and limits 10,000-20,000. Marcus was now well in front with 246,000 chips, nearly 2-1/2 times as much as anyone else. And Davidson (at least due in part to Marcus’ strategy) became the first lady to grace a final table in any of the noon or 4 p.m. events thus far.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat
1. Jimmy Blevins 102,000
2. Alan Cutler 103,000
3. Brian Schwartz 52,000
4. Michael Altman 106,000
5. Betty Davidson 22,000
6.Kevin Marcus 246,000
7. Daniel Thomas 29,000
8. Duster Ellis 91,000

Eighth Place: The next round was stud, and we lost our first player when Daniel Thomas, starting second-lowest in chips, missed his gut-shot straight draw. He lost to Jimmy Blevins’ aces and cashed for $809. Thomas, 33, is a professional poker player and entrepreneur from Lincoln, Nebraska who was an advertising manager before turning pro. His biggest cash was $82,000 for finishing sixth in a WSOP no-limit event this year. Thomas, who only plays no-limit tournaments live, decided to enter his first H.O.R.S.E. event because of the national Circuit points race and because he made a few friendly side bets with other players.

Seventh Place: One more player went out in this round. On sixth street, Dustin Ellis was in the lead with a pair of eights. An all-in Michael Altman, holding A-2-K-7-9-3 with four diamonds, needed an ace, a king, a 9 or a diamond to overtake him. Instead, he caught a brick while Ellis made an overkill gut-shot straight. Seventh was worth $936.
Altman, 43, is an attorney from McQueen, Wisconsin who’s played six years. He has a final table at this event in 2008 and another at a Hammond Circuit. He is the “proud father” of two boys.

Sixth Place: In this same stud round, Davidson, starting with (Q-10)2, was left with a single chip after having to post the low-card bring-in, and had no choice but to play. She ended up with a pair of queens, losing to Brian Schwartz’s trip aces, leaving with $1,138 for sixth. Davidson, retired, is from St. Charles, Missouri, learning to play two years ago by reading books.

Fifth Place: Another player went out in a hold’em round. Blevins was all in on fourth street holding J-10. With a board of 5d-Ks-Jh-Ah, he was in bad shape, with a pair of jacks and an inside straight draw against Alan Cutler, who had Kh-7h for kings and a flush draw. A river 4h gave Cutler his flush, and Blevins cashed fifth for $1,455. Blevins is 55, from Oakland, Nebraska and works as a technician. His nickname is “Rebuy.” He taught himself poker 17 years ago. He has two cashes in the WSOP main event, along with numerous cashes in smaller tournaments. Blevins spent three years in the army and is married with two children and three grandchildren.

Fourth Place: Two players went out in the next hold’em round. Finishing fourth for $1,963 was Brian Schwartz. He had A-5 versus Cutler’s 8c-7c and went out when a board of K-2-4-7-4 paired Cutler’s 7. Schwartz, 30, is from Chicago where he runs a sports memorabilia business which he started while in college. He’s played six years and has three small cashes at WSOP events and another Circuit final table.

Third Place: On the next hand, Duster Ellis had to post his last chips in the small blind with an anemic 8-3 against Cutler, holding 10-8 in the big blind. A board of A-J-6-Q-5 didn’t do much for either player, and Cutler’s 10-high was enough to leave Ellis in third place, paying $2,804. Ellis, whose name is “Husker Hustler,” is a 21-year-old pro from Gretna, Nebraska, who “grew up playing poker” and has been a pro four years. His recent cashes include one in the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza and a ninth out of 1,484 at the Hustler Casino’s Grand Slam of Poker.

Second Place: The two remaining players went on break, returning for their final match-up, with Marcus holding a 425,000 to 325,000 chip advantage over Cutler. Play started in an Omaha round and ended during stud high play. On the final hand, Cutler, reading his opponent as weak, raised all in on fifth street holding (4-7)Q-5-7, and was surprised when Marcus, showing 5-3-A, turned up 5-3 for two pair. Marcus didn’t improve when a king and six were dealt to him, but neither did Cutler when he got a 10 on sixth street and a 6 on the river. For second, Cutler, 52, whose nickname is “Chgocut,” picked up $4,260. He is a CPA from Vernon Hills, Illinois who learned poker as a kid in home games and has been playing professional-level tournaments since 2006. Cutler has a WPT bracelet at the Bellagio in $1,500 no-limit, a $225,000 final table cash in $2,000 no-limit at the WSOP, and a H.O.S.E. title at the Majestic Star in Indiana. The father of four children, he also likes golf and movies.

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #4 Final Results

–Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

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2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #3 Results

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

2010-2011 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Council Bluffs
August 22-23
Ring Event #3
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $300+$45
Number of Entries: 111
Total Prize Money: $30,618

Final Results:

1 Dean Jackson Waukon, IA $9,185

2 Allan Moore Manhattan, KS $5,677

3 Michael Lynch Appleton, WI $4,042

4 Peter Mavro Douglaston, NY $2,936

5 Robert Nelson Omaha, NE $2,175

6 Brian Brashaw Papillion, NE $1,642

7 Ross Jones Manhattan, KS $1,263

8 Kostas Mantzaris Council Bluffs, IA $989

9 David Summers Spearfish, SD $789

10 Paul Sterk Charlotte, IA $640

11 Travis Batenhorst Columbus, NE $640

12 Jean Laurent Naples, FL $640

Playing His Favorite Game, Omaha Hi-Lo, Dean ‘Action’ Jackson Wins Ring Event #3

Jackson, a Farmer and Salvage Man from Waukon, Iowa, has Fairly Easy Win

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #3 Winner Dean Jackson

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #3 Winner Dean Jackson

Council Bluffs, IA — They call him “Action Jackson,” and action in poker is what Dean Jackson wants. He doesn’t like sitting around for hours waiting for good hold’em cards, and that’s why he likes Omaha hi-lo, where you can find all kinds of playable hands. He got enough of them today to take down the third ring event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. His triumph was worth $9,185, along with a diamond and gold trophy ring.

Jackson is a 58-year-old farmer (corn, beans and some beef cattle) from Waukon, Iowa, who also operates a salvage business – “A better word than junk,” he said. He learned poker from his father 30 or 40 years ago, and also likes mixed-game tournaments. He was in good shape throughout this tournament, came to the final table in second chip position, and took over the lead in late going. Jackson, describing himself as down-to-earth “nothing fancy,” has a bracelet in Omaha at the Jack Binion Mid-America Poker Classic in Tunica. This year he played his first WSOP event, Omaha hi-lo, finishing 43rd and knocking out Phil Ivey along the way.

This event drew 111 players for a prize pool of $30,618. Day one ended with nine players left, and they resumed play at 2 p.m. today. Holding a good lead with 411,000 chips was Allan “Bossman” Moore. At the other end, with just 12,000, was David “Guru” Summers.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat
1. Kostas Mantzaris 47,000
2. Paul Summers 12,000
3. Peter Mavro 75,000
4. Mike Lynch 51,000
5. Allan Moore 411,000
6. Dean Jackson 232,000
7. Ross Jones 111,000
8. Robert Nelson 128,000
9. Brian Brashaw 41,000

Play started with blinds of 3,000-6,000 and 6,000-12,000 limits, seven minutes remaining at level 18.

Ninth Place: It didn’t take long to lose the first player. Summers was immediately all in with A-3-10-Q, up against Peter “Dragon” Mavro, who held A-4-5-9. Both players missed their low draws when the board came K-4-3-4-10, Summers made 10s and treys, not nearly good enough after Mavro ended up with trip 4s, and he cashed ninth for $789.

Summers, 45, is a motorcycle builder from Spearfish, South Dakota with 15 years experience. He has a second in the spring Deadwood Shootout. His hobby, unsurprisingly, is motorcycle riding

Eighth Place: Limits became 8,000-16,000. On a flop of A-K-5, Kostas Mantzaris bet his last chips and had three callers. Holding A-3-5-J, Mantzaris had his low draw double-counterfeited, but made aces and 5s. He didn’t improve when a king hit the turn and a 6 came on the river. The cards were turned up. Moore, with an A-K in his hand, had kings full. He took the high end while Ross “King Size” Jones took the low as Mantzaris cashed out eighth for $989. Mantzaris is 71, retired, and from Council Bluffs.

Seventh Place: With limits now at 10,000-20,000. Jones found himself all in from the big blind holding a weak 2-4-6-6. There were three callers. A flop of K-Q-J made a set for Peter Mavro, who held K-K-10-2. He bet out when a deuce turned, and the other two players folded. Ross was now drawing dead, and after an irrelevant 9 came on the river, he finished seventh, paying $1,263. Jones, 32, is from Manhattan, Kansas, and is manager of a Chilis bar grill. Prior cashes include a 32nd in a Sunday Million event and a 13th in a Venetian Deep Stack event. His hobbies are fishing and creating music.

Sixth Place: Next out was Brian “Specialist” Brashaw. On a flop of A-4-K, he went all in holding A-3-3-10, up against Mike Lynch, holding A-5-7-9. A queen and then a 5 came, giving Lynch aces and fives to beat Brashaw’s lone pair of aces. Brashaw is a 29-year-old stock broker from Papillion, Nebraska who’s played 10 years. His best finish was a win in a $300 Omaha hi-lo event here in 2008.

Fifth Place: Robert Nelson quickly followed Brashaw to the payout window. In three-way action he was all in with K-Q-9-9 against Jackson with a premium hand of A-A-2-3, and Moore, who held A-A-9-J. The board came 7-8-2-8-4, completely missing Nelson. Jackson got three-quarters of the pot by making a nut low and splitting the high with Moore, each of them holding pocket aces. Fifth paid $2,175. Nelson, 32, is from Omaha working as a liquor store manager. He’s played for 14 years, going from home games to the Internet, to live. He has a prior final table in no-limit hold’em. Hobbies are golf, fishing and bartending.

Fourth Place: The players returned from break with Jackson now in the lead with nearly 590,000 chips, followed by Moore with 315,000, and Lynch with 165,000, while Mavro was down to just 16,000. Limits now were 15,000-30,000. On the first hand there was three-way action. The flop came J-Q-A, making a Broadway straight for Jackson, who held A-K-10-8. He bet and Mavro jokingly saying “I raise,” tossed in his last chip. He was virtually dead holding 6-6-Q-5, and was totally dead when a king turned. He earned $2,936 for fourth. Mavro, 31, is a full-time player from Douglaston, New York who listed his occupation as “space cowboy” before turning pro. He’s played seven years, his biggest cash being $70,564 for finishing third in a Borgata Deep Stack event in Atlantic City last year. He said his poker highlight was “meeting Ted Ely and Ian Palomo,” and his highlight outside poker was scoring the lead in a 6th grade production of “The Pajama Game.”

Third Place: Third place and $4,042 went to Mike Lynch. He was all in with J-10-8-3 against Moore, who had A-4-4-6, A flop of 3-5-6 left him in bad shape, giving Moore a higher pair and a wraparound straight draw. Instead, a 4 turned to give Moore a set along with a low, leaving Lynch no outs. Lynch, collecting $4,042 for third, is 62, retired, and from Appleton, Wisconsin. He learned poker with school friends 50 years ago. His hobby is fishing.

Second Place: Heads-up, Jackson enjoyed a 2-1 chip lead, and after taking a couple of pots had Moore down to 60,000. Moore hung around a while, doubling up a couple of times, but couldn’t make much headway. The end came soon after blinds went to 10,000-20,000 with 20,000-40,000 limits. On the final hand the board showed 7d-2s-7s-5c-Qd. Moore bet his last chips and Jackson called. Moore turned over 2-4-5-10 for 7s and 5s, losing to Jackson, who held A-4-J-Q. Jackson had made a low on the turn and the river gave him the higher two pair, queens and 7s. Settling for second, Moore was paid $5,677.

Moore, 31, from Manhattan, Kansas, is a Verizon wireless manager. He began playing 10 years ago with the Northview Poker Crew, which he is representing here. His prior poker highlight was making the top 30 in the Sunday Million.

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #3 Results

–Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

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Posted in World Series of Poker Circuit Events | No Comments »

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #2 Results

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

2010-2011 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Council Bluffs
August 21-22
Ring Event # 2
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $300+$45
Number of Entries: 350
Total Prize Money: $101,850

Final Results:

1 David Finney Council Bluffs, IA $22,879

2 Daniel Roth Ravenna, NE $14,141

3 Ian Wiley Las Vegas, NV $10,316

4 Harry Heistand Kansas City, MO $7,652

5 William Ellis Blue Springs, MO $5,764

6 Daniel Girard Kearney, NE $4,409

7 Brian Brashaw Papillion, NE $3,421

8 Robert Reid Smithville, MO $2,693

9 Gabriel Costner Biloxi, MS $2,150

10 Christopher Parsley Sioux City, IA $1,739

11 Christopher Drew Omaha, NE $1,739

12 Christopher Henderson Albia, IA $1,739

13 James Jelinek Alliance, NE $1,427

14 Dustin Meyers Hastings, NE $1,427

15 Robert Moralez Floresville, TX $1,427

16 Timothy Myers St. Louis, MO $1,186

17 David Oste Russell, KS $1,186

18 David Cyrus Youngsville, NC $1,186

19 Sara Muehlenkamp Tomah, WI $999

20 Joseph Basso Omaha, NB $999

21 Juan Lopez Topeka, KS $999

22 Louis Cheffy Naples, Fl $853

23 David Hengen Omaha, NE $853

24 Kurtis Linenberger Hays, KS $853

25 Todd Weigandt Omaha, NE $738

26 Corey Sanders Sioux Falls, SD $738

27 Christopher Hughes Council Bluffs, IA $738

28 Jason Joerling Shawnee, KS $646

29 Edward Sullivan Durhan, NC $646

30 Carl Jensen Lincoln, NE $646

31 Daniel Yi Overland Park, KS $573

32 Paul Stratman Kansas City, MO $573

33 Joel Hansen Omaha, NE $573

34 John Waugh Council Bluffs, IA $514

35 Douglas Rustand Omaha, NE $514

36 Allen Stern (Tie) Waverly, IA $257

37 William Copeland (Tie) Omaha, NE` $257

Patience Pays Off for David Finney as He Comes From Behind to Win Ring Event #2

Fuel Company Dispatcher Starts Final Table in Last Place, Works Up to Win

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #2 Winner David Finney

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #2 Winner David Finney

Council Bluffs, IA — David Finney, a dispatcher for a wholesale fuel company, started today’s final table last in chips with only 175,000, well under half average. But by carefully picking and choosing his spots, he worked his way up and finally won the second ring event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, $300 no-limit hold’em. “You can’t be too aggressive when you’re the short stack forever,” he explained. Victory brought him $22,879 and the coveted diamond and gold trophy ring. He had plenty of time to be patient, because the final table lasted close to eight hours, largely due to the new structure giving players lots of room with plenty of chips and slowly escalating blinds.

Finney, 48, is from Council Bluffs and plans his vacation time to play tournaments at his “home casino.” He’s been playing poker for six years, splits his poker time between cash games and tournaments, and three years ago won a second-chance event here.

This event drew 350 players and the prize pool was $101,850. Twenty-five players returned on day two. It took two hours to lose 15, and then another hour to lose one more and get to the final table of nine. Action started with blinds of 6,000-12,000 and 2,000 antes, 37:27 left on the clock at level 25. Brian Brashaw had the lead with 716,000 in chips.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat
1. Daniel Girard 355,000
2. David Finney 175,000
3. William Ace Ellis II 263,000
4. Dan Roth 396,000
5. Ian Wiley 422,000
6. Kent Reid 396,000
7. Brian Brashaw 716,000
8. H.J. Heistand 248,000
9. Gabe Costner 524,000

Ninth Place: First out was Gabe “Danny” Costner after Daniel Girard, holding A-K, flopped a king to outrun Costner’s pocket 6s. Ninth paid $2,150. Costner, 33, is a pro from Biloxi, Mississippi who before that was a stockbroker. He started playing in home games and has been playing professionally eight years. His long list of accomplishments include most POY final tables in the country in 2008; over $1 million in winnings; 35th in this year’s WSOP main event; and two WSOP and one WPT final table. Hobbies are sports, hiking, fishing and day trading.

Eighth Place: Blinds were now at 8,000-16,000 with 3,000 antes. There were several all-in survivals, and then five minutes before the round ended, another player went out. Preflop, H.J. Heistand raised 43,000 with pocket 10s and Kent Reid called with pocket deuces. When the flop came 9-3-9, Reid pushed in. Heistand called and blew him away when a river 10 gave him 10s full. Reid’s nickname is “Nine” but he did better than that today, finishing eighth for $2,693. Reid, 49, is from Smithville, Missouri, employed as an information technology consultant and has played for six years, learning “the hard way” in cash games. He is also a Little League baseball coach, practices Tae Kwon Do, and has an “understanding” wife and two boys who love all sports.

Blinds went to 10,000-20,000. As play continued, a short-chipped Dan Roth moved in twice in quick succession, surviving both times. The second time he had only 9-8 against a Q-8, but proceeded to flop a straight. All seven players were still in action when the round ended and they went to dinner. At this point, Ian “Memphis” Wiley had taken the lead with a little over a million of the 3.5 million chips on the table.

Back from dinner to blinds of 12,000-24,000 with 4,000 antes. There were five all-in bets in the first 30 minutes and each time the all-in doubled-up. The fifth time, Brashaw, holding a 6-5, made a straight on the turn when the board showed 3-4-K-7. But then a river trey filled up Girard, who had gone all in with pocket 7s. Very low-chipped, Brashaw moved in on the next hand with A-K, got three callers, registering the sixth straight survival when big slick held up.

Seventh Place: But the streak ended two hands later after Brashaw pushed in yet again, this time with K-7. William Ace Ellis II called with pocket 7s, they held up when the board of Q-4-A-2-4 missed both players, and Brashaw departed with $3,421 for seventh. (“Ace,” incidentally, is Ellis’ given middle name, not a nickname.) Brashaw is a stockbroker from Papillion, Nebraska who learned poker from his uncle 10 years ago. In 2008 he won an Omaha hi-lo event here. His hobby: “Loving his wife and kids.”

As the round wound down, a monster pot of about 1.2 million chips developed when Girard’s pocket queens went up against Ace’s pocket aces. Girard couldn’t catch up and was left with 260,000, while Ellis took the lead.

Sixth Place: Blinds went up again to 15,000-30,000 with 4,000 antes, and it took 50 minutes to lose another player. This time it was Girard, who called from the cut-off seat with K-2, in very bad shape against Ellis, who pushed in with A-K. Both players paired their king on the river when the board came 10-7-6-J-K, but Ace’s ace kicker was the difference. Girard, 23, is a nursing student from Kearney, Nebraska. He learned poker seven years ago from a friend. His poker highlight thus far came today with 10 players left. He had A-K against a player who flopped a set of 10s, then hit runner-runner kings to survive and double up Sixth paid $4,409.

Players returned from a break to blinds of 20,000-40,000 with 5,000 antes. Ellis still led, now with 1,365,000 chips. Roth, low on chips, went all in and doubled up a couple of times, and then took down a pot of about 1.3 million winning when he called with A-Q after Wiley moved in with K-4. He now was in a rough tie for the lead with Ellis.

Fifth Place: As play went on, the pot of the night developed. Now down to under a million, Ellis moved in with pocket queens and got a quick call from Wiley, who had him slightly out-chipped and holding pocket kings. A board of 6-10-A-9-4 changed nothing and Ellis went out in fifth place for $5,764 while Wiley took a huge lead, holding more than 2 million of the 3.5 million on the table. Ellis, 49, from Blue Springs, Missouri, is a contractor who owns a construction company and other businesses. He’s now made 12 final tables in his last 13 tournaments.

Fourth Place: As the final table moved into its seventh hour, we were now playing with blinds of 25,000-50,000 and 10,000 antes. Heistand had earlier been down to 40,000. He hung on and doubled up a couple of times, finally going all in again with A-4. Roth called with pocket 8s, Wiley with 9-7, and Wiley took the pot when the board came 9-4-K-3-6. Heistand, taking out $7,652 for fourth, is 34, from Liberty, Missouri, and is director of the National Education Association of Shawnee Mission. His father taught him poker as a child, he has a cash in Omaha hi-lo at a Tunica Circuit, and his highlight is his marriage to “my lovely wife Laurie, who is railing me.”

Third Place: The three remaining players, Wiley, Roth and Finney, who had been playing very cautiously, now all had over a million in chips. Suddenly, Finney was all in with Ad-2d when the board showed 5s-2s-4h-Ac, against Wiley, who was looking for a flush holding Qs-7s. Wiley missed when a 10d rivered and was down to a handful of chips. He then quickly went out, forced to put his last chips in with 4-2, losing to Finney’s A-J when the board came 10-9-8-J-3 and leaving with $10,316 for third. Wiley, 25, is a banker turned pro from Las Vegas who taught himself poker five years ago. His biggest cash so far is $265,869 for coming in third at a WSOP $1,500 no-limit event this year. His hobby is boating.

Second Place: Heads-up, Finney had around 2.1 million chips to 1.4 million for Roth.
Blinds were now 6,000-12,000. On the last hand, the flop showed 9s-6h-7c.Making top pair with 9c-8c, Finney bet 500,000 and Roth, later explaining that he lost his patience, moved in with Kh-Qc. He couldn’t hit anything when a 5h turned and a 6c rivered, and Finney had his win. Roth, getting $14,141 for second, is a 57-year-old corn and bean farmer from Ravenna, Nebraska who’s played eight years. He’s had a cash in the last two Circuits here. His hobby is golf.

2010-2011 Horsehoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #2 Results

–Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

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2010-2011 WSOP Circuit Tour Kicks Off at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

2010-2011 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Council Bluffs
August 20-21
Ring Event # 1
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $300 + $45
Number of Entries: 300
Total Prize Money: $85,050

Final Results:

1. Jeffrey Epstein Omaha, NE $20,411

2. Anthony Bower Ankeny, IA $12,615

3. Robert Georato Naples, FL $9,153

4. Daniel Drake Omaha, NE $6,753

5. Scott Clark O’Fallon, IL $5,065

6. Daniel Walker Omaha, NE $3,860

7. Phil Mader Grand Island, NE $2,987

8. Jason Curless Overland Park, KS $2,347

9. Adam Hartle Sioux Falls, SD $1,873

10,Wayne Sahl Denison, LA $1,516

11.Douglas Codner Wood River, NE $1,516

12. Darrel Lottes York, NE $1,516

16.Bryan Barnell Lincoln, NE $1,038

17.Matthew Wells Rochester, MN $1,038

18.Kristopher Wilcox Concordia, KS $1,038

19.Shaun McBride Kansas City, MO $878

20.Nathan Nielsen Exira, IA $878

21.Andrew Raddeman Neillsville, WI $878

22.Christopher Hill La Vista, NE $753

23.James Haivala Spearfish, SD $753

24.Douglas Krause Wood River, NE $753

25.Ryan Forry Firth, NE $654

26.Richard Pressler Shawnee, KS $654

27.Michael Stovall Oxford, NC $654

28.John Beane Omaha, NE $577

29.Craig Spencer Sedalia, CO $577

30.Minh Diep Sioux City, IA $289

31.James Barnes Portsmouth, VA $288

Sports Center Owner Jeff Epstein Wins First Ring Event in 6-Hour Final Table

He Misses Royal Flush Draw on Final Hand, but Settles for Winning Straight

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event 1 Winner Jeff Epstein

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event 1 Winner Jeff Epstein

Council Bluffs, IA — The seventh season of the WSOP Circuit tour, revamped, improved, and pumped up with new and attractive added features, made its eagerly awaited first-stop debut here at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. And with the schedule moved up from February to August, even the weather was much better. This stop will be offering 33 events, including H.O.R.S.E. and Omaha tourneys.

Winner of the first ring event, after a six-hour final table, was Jeff Epstein of Omaha, who owns the Omaha Sports Academy, a youth basketball center. He’s won numerous small tournaments online, but this is his first live cash. On the final hand he flopped a draw to a royal flush, missed, but settled for a straight. The win brought him $20,411, along with a diamond-encrusted gold trophy ring. Epstein, who with his father also operates a paper recycling plant, began playing online five years ago.

Epstein, describing himself as a tight-aggressive player, said the final table was tough, with constant raising. “I just tried to keep my wits about me, played patiently and tried to get my money in at the right time,” he said. He also paid tribute to thd “great staff and great tournament.”

Major changes in the Circuit tour include:

Standardized structures and payouts for all events, with the main event buy-in lowered from $5,000 to a more affordable $1,500. (However, four of the 12 or more regional Circuit championships will have $10,000 buy-ins along with national TV coverage.)

A cumulative ranking system throughout the season, with points awarded for each open ring event.

A season-ending National Championship tournament for 100 players who automatically qualify via cumulative rankings or performance-based criteria. This tournament will be at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas prior to the WSOP and will have a $1 million prize pool with a WSOP gold bracelet for the winner. The “Casino Champion” points leader and championship event winner for each Circuit event earn seats. The other two ways to qualify are by making the final table at any of the four regional championships and by accumulating enough points at all the Circuit stops to be in the top 36.

This event drew 300 players who generated a prize pool of $85,050. Day one of this event ended with 27 players still left, and they returned the next day to play down to the final table. Leading in chips with 880,000 was Danny Walker.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat
1. Jeff Epstein 377,000
2. Scott Clark 249,000
3. Adam Hartle 71,000
4. Dan Drake 294,000
5. Jason Curless 171,000
6. Danny Walker 880,000
7. Rob Georato 507,000
8. Phil Mader 193,000
9. Tony Bower 238,000

Action began with blinds of 3,000-6,000 and 2,000 antes, playing hour levels. After 45 minutes, there were three all-in survivals with everyone still around. The players then took a short break, returning to blinds of 8,000-16,000 and 3,000 antes.

Ninth Place: A half hour later we lost our first player. Adam Hartle was all in from the big blind with Ah-2h. He paired his deuce on a flop of 10-2-3, but he couldn’t catch Walker’s pocket 6s and went out ninth, which paid $1,873. Hartle, 27, is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and is employed as a server at the Olive Garden restaurant. He started playing with friends six years ago and this is his poker highlight.

Eighth Place: Walker quickly knocked out a second player when his pocket kings held up against Jason Curless’ Ac-Kc. With a board of 9-5-10-Q, Curless needed an ace or an inside-straight jack to survive, but a river trey ended his chances. Eighth paid $2,347. Curless is 36 and a data analyst hailing from Overland Park, Kansas. He started playing 15 years ago.

Seventh Place: Soon after, with blinds now at 10,000-20,000 and 3,000 antes, a short-chipped Phil Mader was all in with A-2, dominated by Scott “Scotty” Clark’s A-K. Mader was drawing dead when the board showed 5-J-9-K, pairing Clark’s king. Going out seventh, Mader took home $2,987. Mader is 48, a farmer from Grand Island, Nebraska, who’s played 30 years. He has a cash in the 2009 WSOP main event.

Sixth Place: Walker, starting as chip leader, had been losing pots since his first two knock-outs, and was now down to 150,000. After Epstein pushed in, he called with A-Q, only to see Epstein turn up A-K. In a replay of the hand that busted Mader, Walker was also drawing dead after the board showed 2-2-6-K, and settled for $3,860 for sixth. Walker, the most credentialed player at the table, is a 25-year-old pro from Omaha who learned the game from a book 18 years ago. He has a win in a $500 no-limit Circuit event here and a second in a $300 no-limit tournament. along with a cash in a WSOP razz event, and a Bellagio victory. His biggest cash-out was $94,810 for a win at Commerce Casino’s L.A/. Poker Classic.

Fifth Place: With two minutes left at this level, Clark was all in from the big blind with Ah-7d, up against Tony Bower’s suited A-K. Amazingly, for the third time in a row, A-K did the trick when each time a king on fourth street left a player drawing dead after it paired his opponent! This time the board showed 8-8-K-4, with a meaningless river 5. Clark, 45, is an “unemployable” full-time player, formerly in construction, who also does poker writing. He’s from O’Fallon, Illinois and has played 25 years. Fifth paid him $5,065.

Players now went on dinner break. At this point. Bower held the lead with about 950,000, followed by Epstein with just over 900,000, and trailed by Dan Drake with around 600,000 and Rob Georato with 540,000. Blinds now were 12,000-24,000 with 4,000 antes. Action tightened and all four were still in action when blinds went to 15,000-30,000 with 4,000 antes.

Fourth Place: Half-way through the level, we finally lost another player. Drake raised from the button to 75,000, Georato made it 180,000 to go from the small blind, and Drake moved in for 220,000 more. Georato had A-J, Drake had K-10, and he departed in fourth place after the board came all rags with 7-7-3-8-6. Drake, nicknamed “Dapperdanl,” is a 54-year-old purchasing agent from Omaha with 36 years of poker experience, starting in family games.

Third Place: With blinds at 20,000-40,000 with 5,000 antes, the pot of the night came down. Epstein and Georato went head-to-head, each pushing in about 1.2 million in chips, Epstein slightly more. Epstein had pocket 10s, Georato Ad-Qd. A flop of 7-9-7 with two diamonds gave Georato a nut flush draw. Then an offsuit 10 and jack were dealt. Georato missed his flush and went out third while Epstein raked in a huge pot with a set of 10s. Third place paid $9,153. Georato, 41, is a teacher from Naples, Florida who began playing as a teenager. He has a half-dozen WSOP cashes, the largest being $38,600 for finishing 195th in the 2008 main event. He also enjoys travel.

Second Place: Heads-up, Epstein enjoyed close to a 6-1 chip lead over his final opponent. On the last hand, Epstein held Kc-Jc to Kh-10h for Bower. A flop of Ks-10c-Qc gave Epstein a paired king and a draw to a royal flush. He bet 80,000 and Bower moved in with kings and 10s. Then Epstein pulled ahead when a 9h on the turn gave him a straight. Bower could still win by making a full house or split if a jack a\gave him the same straight, but a 6d ended the evening. For second, Bower took home $12,615. Bower is a 29-year-old engineer from Des Moines, Iowa who started playing in home games nine years ago. He has a Prairie Meadows win to his credit.

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Event Schedule

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #1 Results

–Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

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Major Revamp Announced for 2010-2011 WSOP Circuit Events

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) recently announced a major revamp and overhaul of the WSOP Circuit Events for 2010-2011, which will be it’s seventh season. These changes are in response to declining numbers of participants in Circuit Event tournaments in recent years.

“We recognized the WSOP Circuit Events needed a shot in the arm, and we believe we’ve responded with steroids,” said WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart. “The new model is exactly what the WSOP is all about, giving poker players of all bankrolls the chance for compete for the kind of fame, fortune and respect that comes only with a WSOP bracelet and a national television audience.”

The WSOP will introduce a cumulative ranking system, a season-ending National Championship tournament, 4 Regional WSOP Circuit Championships, and standardized structures and pay-outs at all events.

The 2010-2011 WSOP Circuit season schedule will include at least 12 stops with additional venues and dates to be announed in the next several months. This year’s tour will begin on August 19th at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa and will continue through May 22, 2011 at Harrah’s New Orleans.

For a complete list of changes and improvements for the 7th season of the WSOP Circuit Events, click on the link below:

WSOP Announces Revamped Tour and Schedule for 2010-2011 WSOP Circuit Season Seven

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