WSOP & WPT Tournament Blog

2009/2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Event #18
No Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $500 (+50)
Total Entries: 142
Total Prize Pool: $68,870
April 25-26, 2010

Final Results:

1. Siriwan “Magnets Lady” Sukmekerd Las Vegas, NV $18,251

2. Jon Lactaoen Honolulu, HI $11,019

3. Juan Ramos Mexico City, Mexico $7,059

4. William Gaffney Henderson, NV $5,510

5. Mitchell Mantin Las Vegas, NV $4,304

6. Steve Sztraky Houston, TX $3,444

7. Allen Carter Lewisville, TX $2,755

8. Doug Redmann Barrington, IL $2,238

9. Dan Morgan Las Vegas, NV $1,894

10. Tony Velasquez Miami, FL $1,550

11. KC Panjwani $1,550

12. Nesrin Can $1,550

13. Brian Bumpas $1,377

14. Duc Tran $1,377

15. Mohamed Bennis $1,377

16. Wade Kyser $1,205

17. Honguan Tran $1,205

18. Joe Brandenburg $1,205

A Magnetic Victory

Siriwan “Magnets Lady” Sukmekerd Takes Final Tournament at WSOP Circuit Series before Main Event

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Event #18 Winner Siriwan Sukmekerd

Las Vegas, NV – The last tournament prior to the start of the Main Event Championship concluded today as Siriwan “Magnets Lady” Sukmekerd won first-place and $18,251 in prize money. The event was held at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. This was the 18th of 19 total tournaments on this year’s schedule, which very nearly closes out another successful year of World Series of Poker Circuit events at Caesars.

The winner Sukmekerd is a housewife from Las Vegas. She plays in many local poker tournaments and is a loyal player at Caesars. Sukmekerd is called the “Magnets Lady” because she often plays with a collection of shiny magnets on the table, which she uses as card protectors. Sukmekerd believes the magnets give her special powers and attract positive energy. After winning a WSOP Circuit ring, her first, no one could possibly argue.

The $500 (+50) buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament was played on April 25th and April 26th. There were 142 players, which created a prize pool totaling $68,870. The top 18 finishers collected prize money. Once the final table was reached on Day Two, there were no prior WSOP Circuit gold ring event winners among the final nine players, which guaranteed a first-time champion.

Bill Gaffney arrived at the final table with a slight chip advantage. But three players were very close in chips – including Jon Lactaoen, Mitchell Mantin, and Steven Sztrary – who were just a round of blinds and antes from the lead. This created a final table with several chip-lead changes and momentum shifts. During most of the ten-hour final table, Sukmekerd was an average-sized stack. But she made a big move when play reached three-handed and ended up with the victory.

When final table play began at 2:00 pm on a Monday afternoon, the nine finalists and their starting chip counts were as follows:

Seat Player Hometown Chip Count

1 Dan Morgan Las Vegas, NV 48,000

2 Jon Lactaoen Honolulu, HI 212,000

3 Juan Carlos Ramos Mexico City, Mexico 119,000

4 Siriwan Sukmekerd Las Vegas, NV 76,500

5 Mitchell Mantin Las Vegas, NV 209,000

6 Stephen Sztrarky Houston, TX 220,500

7 Bill Gaffney Henderson, NV 235,000

8 Douglas Redmann Barrington, IL 70,000

9 Allen Carter Lewisville, TX 184,000

Players were transformed from the final table to payouts in the following order:

Ninth Place: Dan Morgan Becomes an Outlander
Dan Morgan, a consultant involved in casino equipment sales from Las Vegas, was short-stacked from the start of play. On what turned out to be his final hand, he moved all in after flopping a pair of jacks, which lost to a higher pair – queens. Morgan, who cashed in last year’s WSOP Seniors Championship, collected $1,894 for ninth place.

Eighth Place: Douglas Redmann Gets Zapped
Douglas Redmann, a stock trader from Barrington, IL ran low on chips and made his final stand with AT. He failed to improve and lost to a pair. This marked Redmann’s first time to cash in a WSOP-related event. He received $2,238 for eighth place.

Seventh Place: Allen Carter Enters The Dead Zone
Allen Carter, an entrepreneur from Lewisville, TX went out in seventh place. He lasted about two hours before busting out with top pair, which lost to a heart flush. Carter won a million-dollar tournament last year held in Biloxi and has been playing in tournaments part-time since. He received a payout totaling $2,755 in what was his best WSOP-related finish, to date.

Sixth Place: Stephen Sztraky Goes into the Abyss
Stephen Sztraky, a business owner from Houston, TX took a tough beat and exited in sixth place. He had previously cashed in a few tournaments here in Las Vegas. However, this was his first time to cash on the WSOP Circuit. Sztraky added $3,444 to his poker bankroll.

Fifth Place: Mitchell Mantin Falls to Earth
Mitchell Mantin, a real estate broker from Las Vegas went out about five hours into play. He moved all in on his final hand with AJ suited, which missed a flush draw. An AQ ended up dragging the point, after making a pair of queens. Mantin, who has several tournament cashes, including events held at Harrah’s Rincon and Caesars Palace, received a payout totaling $4,304.

Fourth Place: Bill Gaffney is Flatlined
Bill Gaffney, a retiree from Henderson, NV enjoyed his biggest WSOP cash when he took fourth place. He nursed a short stack for several hrs before finally busting out on a missed flush draw. A pair of queens ended up dragging the pot, which gave Gaffney a prize amounting to $5,510.

Third Place: Juan Carlos Ramos Gets Terminated
Juan Carlos Ramos battled in three-handed play for two hours and held the chip lead at one point. But he could not hold onto the advantage. Ramos ultimately went out after losing most of his chips on a big hand, holding AQ against pocket Ks. Following that defeat, Ramos was terminated a few minutes later when his pocket Js lost to a full-house. Ramos, a computer software specialist from Mexico City, who was hoping to become the first Caesars Palace champion ever from Mexico, settled for a payout totaling $7,059.

Second Place: Runner Up for the Ironman: Jon Lactaoen
Jon Lactaoen finished in second place for the second time this week. He was runner up in a previous event held here at Caesars. This time, Lactaoen came close to victory, and had the chip lead for a time at the final table. But he could not close out the victory and had to settle for the mixed blessing of $11,019 and second place.

The last hand came when Sukmekerd was dealt As Ad. Turkzadeh was dealt Jh Jd. Lactaoen moved all in pre-flop and Sukmerkerd was thrilled to call. The final board showed Kd Qc 9h 6d 4c, which meant the pocket aces took down the last pot of the night.

First Place: Lady in Black
Siriwan “Sukmekerd, a.k.a. “Magnets Lady” won $18,251 for first place and her first WSOP Circuit gold ring. She was dressed in a black leather jacket, which she called her “lucky jacket.” She also had several magnets on the table. In previous tournament results, Sukmekerd was once named the “Poker Queen” at a tournament held at the Golden Nugget. This was her third time to cash at a WSOP Circuit tournament held at Caesars Palace.

The WSOP Circuit at Caesars Palace continues through April 30th. This year’s schedule includes 14 gold ring events, along with multiple second-chance tournaments, single table and mega satellites, in addition to cash games going around the clock inside the Caesars Palace Poker Room. This marks the fifth straight year Caesars Palace has been a part of the WSOP Circuit. This is the tenth WSOP Circuit stop (of 11) of the 2009-2010 season following previous tournaments held in Chicago, Southern Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s Atlantic City, Tunica, Council Bluffs, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Rincon, and Harrah’s St. Louis.

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit – Event #18 Final Results

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit – Caesars Palace Las Vegas

Jim Pedulla – Poker Room Manager
Jed Wickers – Tournament Director
Mitch Dietze — Assistant Tournament Director

2009/2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Event #16
No Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,000 (+80)
Total Entries: 138
Total Prize Pool: $133,860
April 24-25, 2010

Final Results:

1 Paul Alterman London, UK $35,472

2 Samuel McGrath San Jose, CA $21,418

3 Shane Sigsbee Las Vegas, NV $13,721

4 Jeff Sluzinski Las Vegas, NV $10,709

5 Ted Mikael Stockholm, Sweden $8,366

6 Kory Mitchell Denver, CO $6,693

7 Cameron Anicete Elk Grove, CA $5,354

8 Thomas Barnard Lake Mary, FL $4,350

9 Kurt Fitzgerald Millinocket, ME $3,681

10 William Smith S. Lake Tahoe, CA $3,012

11 Bryan Sneed $3,012

12 Adam Murphy $3,012

13 Jake Lam $2,677

14 William Graham $2,677

15 Daniel Alspach $2,677

16 Lon Merwick $2,343

17 Eugene Baker $2,343

18 Michael Putaansuu $2,343

An Englishman Wins in Las Vegas

London Poker Player Earns First WSOP-Related Victory at Caesars Palace Las Vegas

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Event 16 Winner Paul Alterman

Las Vegas, NV – Paul Alterman, from London, has an impressive list of tournament cashes in Europe. During the past decade, he’s finished in-the-money a whopping 45 times in live tournaments held in England, Austria, Italy, Ireland, and elsewhere. But Alterman remains a relatively unknown player in the United States, having no World Series of Poker cashes on what is otherwise an impressive tournament resume.

That all changed tonight when Alterman won the most recent WSOP Circuit event, held at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. The Londoner won the $1,080 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament and officially pocketed $35,472 for first place. He was also presented with his first gold ring, in what was his first attempt ever in a WSOP Circuit tournament.

Alterman was the beneficiary of a deal reached between the final four players. But his achievement is impressive nonetheless, particularly in light of his chip position when final table play began. He was ranked seventh in chips, and was outchipped by a 5 to 1 margin when he sat down to play on what was the second of a two-day tournament.

The tournament was played during April 24th and 25th and attracted 138 entries. The top 18 finishers divided a prize pool totaling $133,860. After 128 players were eliminated on the first day, final table play began on a Sunday afternoon. There were no prior WSOP Circuit gold ring event winners among the final nine players, which guaranteed a first-time champion.

Kory Mitchell dominated the second half of this tournament in a way that had not been seen in quite some time. When players reached the prize money (18 players), Mitchell had nearly a 4 to 1 chip over his closest rival. By the time the final table began, Mitchell’s chip lead was 3 to 1 – the greatest disparity of chips of any event so far at this year’s Caesars series. In fact, Mitchell had one-third of the total chips in play. But his good fortune would not last. The nine finalists and their starting chip counts were as follows:

Seat Player Hometown Chip Count

1 Shane Sigsbee Las Vegas, NV 219,000

2 Ron Anicete Elk Grove, CA 155,500

3 Thomas A. Barnard Lake Mary, FL 90,000

4 Kurt Fitzgerald Millinocket, ME 144,000

5 Sam McGrath San Jose, CA 196,000

6 Jeff Sluzinski Las Vegas, NV 76,500

7 Kory Mitchell Denver, CO 630,000

8 Ted Gemzell Stockholm, Sweden 225,500

9 Paul Alterman London, England 138,000

Final table play began at 2:00 pm and lasted eight hours, ending at midnight. Players were eliminated in the following order:

Ninth Place: Kurt Fitzgerald Gets Tangled Up by Pocket Kings
Kurt Fitzgerald, from Millinocket, ME went low on chips and busted out about 45 minutes into play. He moved all in with KJ and ran into pocket Ks. Fitzgerald failed to improve and had to settle for a payout totaling $3,681. Fitzgerald, who recently started playing live poker, had previously cashed in a few other Las Vegas tournaments. But this was his first time to cash in a WSOP-related event.

Eighth Place: Desolation Row for Thomas A. Barnard
Thomas A. Barnard, an ophthalmologist from Lake Mary, FL went out in eighth place. He failed to win a hand of any consequence and finally moved all in with A6, which lost to pocket kings. Barnard, winner of a $1,000 buy-in event held recently at the Bellagio, collected $4,350 in prize money. Barnard also cashed in the 2007 WSOP Main Event.

Seventh Place: A Hard Rain’s Gonna’ Fall for Ron Anicete
Ron Anicete, a stock broker from Elk Grove, CA made a frustrating call on what turned out to be his final hand of the tournament. After the board paired and showed a straight possibility as well his opponent announced all-in. Anicete went into the tank for two full minutes before finally announcing his intent to call. The opponent turned up two sixes, good for quad-sixes and Anicete fired his hand (unseen) into the muck. Anicete, who has previously cashed several times at other tournaments, including the WSOP in Las Vegas, added $5,354 to his poker bankroll for seventh place.

Sixth Place: Kory Mitchell Shall Be Released
In an amazing turn of events, the player who dominated much of play ended up going out as the sixth-place finisher. Kory Mitchell, a contractor from Denver, CO was the unfortunate victim. The first hit to Mitchell’s stack took place when his AT flopped top pair, top kicker, but ended up losing to two pair. That cost Mitchell half of his stack. A half hour later, Mitchell tried a bluff which failed, hemorrhaging additional chips. Mitchell went out a short time later, pushing with a weak hand which lost. Thus, Kory Mitchell, who cashed in the 2008 WSOP Main Event (414th) and also took 14th place in a Pot-Limit Omaha event at last year’s WSOP, ended up with $6,693 in what has to be considered one of the most disappointing finishes for any final table player at this year’s Caesars series.

Fifth Place: North Country Blues for Swedish Player, Ted Gemzell
Ted Gemzell, from Stockholm, Sweden has already cashed five times this month in Las Vegas poker tournaments. This was his first time to play at Caesars Palace and he enjoyed a nice showing by taking fifth place and $8,366. Gemzell went out about five hours into play when he flopped top pair (jacks) but lost to a pocket overpair (queens).

Fourth Place: Positively Fourth, Says Jeff Sluzinski
When play reached four-handed, the finalists battled for more than two hours before finally agreeing to a deal. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. However, the players continued to play it out for the gold ring. Jeff Sluzinski was the official fourth-place finisher. The Las Vegas poker pro previously took third place in an event here at Caesars played last week. This time, fourth place paid $10,709.

Third Place: Shane Sigsbee is Blowin’ in the Wind
Shane Sigsbee, a former options trader-turned poker pro now living in Las Vegas, ended up in third place. Sigsbee collected $13,721. Sigsbee previously won a Heartland Poker Tour championship event two years ago.

Second Place: It’s All Over Now, Sam McGrath
Sam McGrath, a software engineer from San Jose, CA was officially designated as the runner up. It was interesting that the final two players of this Las Vegas event were actually born in England. Both Sam McGrath and Paul Alterman have called London their home. Nowadays, McGrath plays recreationally in the Bay Area. This was his first time to cash in a WSOP-related tournament.

First Place: Paul Alterman Brings It All Back Home
Paul Alterman, a 51-year-old semi-pro poker player from London, England won the 16th of 19 events on this year’s WSOP Circuit schedule at Caesars Palace. The longtime-poker player had previously cashed many times in Europe. But this marked his first victory on U.S. soil. His official payout amounted to $35,472.

The WSOP Circuit at Caesars Palace continues through April 30th. This year’s schedule includes 14 gold ring events and 19 major tournaments, along with multiple second-chance tournaments, single table and mega satellites, in addition to cash games going around the clock inside the Caesars Palace Poker Room. This marks the fifth straight year Caesars Palace has been a part of the WSOP Circuit. This is the tenth WSOP Circuit stop (of 11) of the 2009-2010 season following previous tournaments held in Chicago, Southern Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s Atlantic City, Tunica, Council Bluffs, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Rincon, and Harrah’s St. Louis.

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit – Event #16 Final Results

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit – Caesars Palace Las Vegas

Jim Pedulla – Poker Room Manager
Jed Wickers – Tournament Director
Mitch Dietze — Assistant Tournament Director

2009/2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Event #15
No Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $200 (+30)
Total Entries: 331
Total Prize Pool: $64,214
April 23-24, 2010

Final Results:

1 Bill Michaelski Syracuse, NY $15,413

2 Michael Ovellette Las Vegas, NV $9,472

3 Anthony DeFelice Henderson, NV $5,940

4 Chad Dubendorf St. Johns, MI $4,816

5 Israel Elias Perez Monterrey, Mexico $3,853

6 Michael Holm Naperville, IL $3,050

7 Dave Tonkery Fairmont, WV $2,408

8 Neal Cooke Loveland, CO $1,926

9 Christopher Forkin Henderson, NV $1,445

10 Howard Snyder Los Angeles, CA $963

11 Earl Merritt $963

12 Tyler Martin Folsom, CA $963

13 Timothy Burke Las Vegas, NV $803

14 Joshua Domsky Las Vegas, NV $803

15 Jordan Lightman $803

16 Jesse Starke $642

17 Gerald Rhodes $642

18 Polina Ivaneeko $642

19 Jason Rowland Vancouver, Canada $514

20 Courtney Wolfe Houston, TX $514

21 Kevin Wright $514

22 Luis Silva $514

23 James Mitchell Newport Beach, CA $514

24 Bon Koo Las Vegas, NV $514

25 William Croft Las Vegas, NV $514

26 Si Le Stockton, CA $514

27 Reinhard Schark $514

28 Christopher Greene $449

29 Anthony Blanda Las Vegas, NV $449

30 Rip Fritzer San Diego, CA $449

31 George Shaker Las Vegas, NV $449

32 Thomas Houghteling $449

33 Blake Kelso $449

34 Fausto Saucedo $449

35 Troyce Krumme $449

36 Travis Coleman $449

Bill Michaelski Wins WSOP Circuit Tournament

New Poker Pro from Syracuse Collects First Gold Ring at Caesars Palace

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Event 15 Winner Bill Michaelski

Las Vegas, NV – Bill Michaelski won the most recent World Series of Poker Circuit event held at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. He was declared the champion after an unusual deal was reached between the top seven finishers. While dealmaking is very much a part of the tournament poker scene, it’s rare for so many players to agree to a split. Michaelski was officially paid $15,413 for first place and was awarded the symbolic prize commemorating victory – the WSOP Circuit gold ring. This was Michaelski first time to cash in a WSOP event and first major tournament victory.

Michaelski, age 28, is originally from Syracuse, NY. He worked as a senior accountant before recently making the move to Las Vegas to play poker professionally full-time. Michaelski has been living in Las Vegas for only about two months and now, has a victory which should inspire some confidence in the months and years ahead. Michaelski’s previous cashes include two wins in smaller tournaments held at the Turning Stone Casino in upstate New York.

The $230 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament was the 15th of 19 events on this year’s Caesars schedule. The two-day competition was played on April 23rd and 24th. The tournament attracted a large field of 331 players, which created a prize pool totaling $64,214. The top 36 players collected prize money. After 321 players were eliminated on Day One, the final table was held on Day Two.

There were no former gold ring winners among the final nine players, which meant a first-time champion was guaranteed. Tony De Felice arrived at the Final Table with a slight chip lead. But at least five players were all within striking distance, which meant a wide open finale was expected. That’s exactly what happened, as players played conservatively during the early rounds. In fact, two hours passed before the first player was eliminated. After Neal Cooke went out in eighth place, the remaining players began discussing a deal, and with the stacks sizes very near even all around the table, an agreement was quickly made.

In other WSOP Circuit-related news, three-time gold ring winner Dwyte Pilgrim responded yesterday to the mischievous remarks made by Andrew Malott. Pilgrim’s response was posted in the blog written by veteran poker writer Kaelaine Minton who is currently working an event in Atlantic City. Malott, who won his first gold ring at Caesars Palace on Friday, called out Pilgrim and told him he’s going for multiple rings which would challenge Pilgrim’s reputation as the WSOP Circuit dominant player in recent years. “I’m going to catch up to your rings,” Malott predicted.

“Anybody can win one ring,” Pilgrim replied. “Come see me when you’ve got two.”

The WSOP Circuit at Caesars Palace continues through April 30th. This year’s schedule includes 14 gold ring events, along with multiple second-chance tournaments, single table and mega satellites, in addition to cash games going around the clock inside the Caesars Palace Poker Room. This marks the fifth straight year Caesars Palace has been a part of the WSOP Circuit. This is the tenth WSOP Circuit stop (of 11) of the 2009-2010 season following previous tournaments held in Chicago, Southern Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s Atlantic City, Tunica, Council Bluffs, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Rincon, and Harrah’s St. Louis.

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit – Event #15 Final Results

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit – Caesars Palace Las Vegas

Jim Pedulla – Poker Room Manager
Jed Wickers – Tournament Director
Mitch Dietze — Assistant Tournament Director

2009/2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Event #13
No Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $500 (+50)
Total Entries: 162
Total Prize Pool: $78,570
April 22-23, 2010

Final Results:

1 Andrew Malott Las Vegas, NV $20,820

2 Jason K. Smith Chandler, AZ $12,571

3 Kenton Taylor El Centro, CA $8,053

4 Matt Schwarmann Orlando, FL $6,286

5 Alfredo Leonidas Los Angeles, CA $4,911

6 Sean Mullaghy Billings, MT $3,929

7 Anton Kunikeyev Las Vegas, NV $3,142

8 Louis Lau Seattle, WA $2,554

9 KC Panjwani Houston, TX $2,161

10 Patrick Kellett Camarillo, Chile $1,768

11 Jeff Clayton $1,768

12 Warren Russell $1,768

13 Antoine Arnault $1,571

14 David Light $1,571

15 Gary Bates $1,571

16 Robert McGinn $1,375

17 Everette Carlton $1,375

18 William Graham $1,375

Andrew Malott Wins WSOP Circuit Tournament

85-Year-Old World War II Veteran Patrick Kellett Makes Top Ten

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Event 13 Winner Andrew Malott

Las Vegas, NV – Andrew Malott has taken some wicked beats in his short, but memorable professional poker career. At last year’s WSOP, Malott had a healthy stack and was down to five-handed play in a $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event. Malott moved all-in with pocket kings and was called an opponent who showed ace-jack. Malott loved his spot and seemed primed to take the chip lead en route to what could have been a gold bracelet victory and nearly life-changing prize money of half a million dollars. Instead, Malott’s kings were cracked, leaving 29-year-old aspiring champion to ponder the possibilities of what might have been.

Fast forward ten months later to Caesars Palace Las Vegas and the latest WSOP Circuit event.

Andrew Malott, a year older and a bit wiser, overcame a tough field of 162 players in the $550 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event and won his first WSOP-related victory. First place paid $20,820. But for Malott, it was just as much about the gold ring and the satisfaction of victory as the prize money.

“It’s really cool to win here because when you get to that situation (before) when you get the win within your clutches and you go out the way I did, you just come back with even more of a hunger,” said Malott moments after the victory. “Every time you get into one of these situations, you want to do everything you can so it won’t slip through your fingers because it’s such a brutal experience to go to a WSOP final table and not scoop it.”

Malott had some fun immediately following his victory. Boosted by the confidence of his first-ever WSOP Circuit win, he issued a challenge to three-time WSOP Circuit gold ring winner Dwyte Pilgrim.

“This is to my boy, Dwyte Pilgrim,” barked Malott for the entire poker world to hear. “I’m going to catch up to your rings, kid. The rings are going to be all over my fingers. You know how it’s going to go….I’m coming for you Dwyte Pilgrim, let’s go!”

Pilgrim, who did not show up at this year’s Caesars series was not available for comment.

The tournament, the 13th of 19 on this year’s Caesars schedule, was played on April 22nd and 23rd. The tournament attracted 162 players, which created a prize pool totaling $78,570. The top 18 players collected prize money. After 152 players were eliminated on Day One, the final table was held on Day Two.

Malott was not the only winner worthy of praise. Among those who cashed was Patrick Kellett, who finished in 10th place. Mr. Kellett is 85 years old, making him one of the oldest players ever to cash in a WSOP Circuit event. An English native, he served as a fighter pilot in World War II for the Royal Air Force and fought under Gen. Montgomery’s command in North Africa. When Mr. Kellett was eliminated in tenth place, all the players in the tournament gave him a round of applause and offered handshakes. It was a special moment for everyone, demonstrating that despite poker’s competitive nature, there remains room for mutual respect and admiration.

Another player who cashed in this tournament was Everett Carlton, who won Event #3 and his first gold ring. This time, Carlton took 17th place in what was his third time to cash at this year’s Caesars series. He also took 4th place in another event.

There was one former WSOP gold bracelet winner among the final nine players – Toto Leonidas, who won a seven-card stud event at the 2003 WSOP. Andrew Malott arrived at the Final Table as chip leader. Closest in chips when play began was Kenton Taylor, who was within striking distance. During most of the eight-hour finale, Malott was the chip leader. In fact, he was never in serious danger of elimination at any point.

When Final Table play began, the nine finalists and their starting chip counts were as follows:

Seat Player Hometown Chip Count

1 Toto Leonidas Los Angeles, CA 220,500

2 Matt Schwarmann Orlando, FL 200,000

3 Sean “the Bluffer” Mullaghy Billings, MT 41,500

4 Kenton Taylor El Centro, CA 271,000

5 “KC” Panjwani Houston, TX 190,500

6 Andrew Malott Las Vegas, NV 307,000

7 Louis Lau Seattle, WA 142,000

8 Jason Smith Chandler, AZ 129,500

9 Anton Kunikeyev Las Vegas, NV 37,500

Final table play began at 2:00 pm and ended nearly eight hours later at 9:45 pm. Players busted out in the following order:

Ninth Place: KC Panjwani Suffers 9th Nervous Breakdown
KC Panjwani, a remodeling contractor from Houston, was eliminated quickly and went out in ninth place. He lost a few big hands very early on, and was forced to settle for $2,161 in prize money.

Eighth Place: Time is “Not” on Lau’s Side
Louis Lau, a restaurant owner from Seattle, WA ended up in eighth place. Lau, who is originally from Hong Kong, cashed for the first time in a WSOP-related event and pocketed $2,554. He had previously won an event at The Wynn Poker Classic.

Seventh Place: Anton Kunikeyev, We Miss You
Anton Kunikeyev, a performer in the Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas show “Zumanity,” was the seventh-place finisher. The Moscow-born artist plays in many local tournaments. He has also previously cashed on the WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s Atlantic City. Seventh place paid $3,142.

Sixth Place: Tumbling Dice Come Up Snake Eyes for Sean Mullaghy
Sean Mullaghy, a welder from Billings, MT is an avid poker player. He plays in many Montana games, which is a hotbed of poker. Mullaghy, who has the poker nickname “the Bluffer,” has also previously cashed at the WSOP in Las Vegas. This was his second time to finish in the money at this year’s Caesar’s series (he was 17th in Event #3). Mullaghy received $3,929.

Fifth Place: Toto Can’t Always Get What He Wants
Toto Leonidas, former gold bracelet winner, went bust about six hours into play when he lost a race with AK versus pocket 4s. Leonidas therefore had to settle for fifth place, which paid $4,911. Leonidas currently has 24 WSOP cashesm which puts him in the top-100 all time. This was his third time to cash at the WSOP Circuit at Caesars Palace.

Fourth Place: Matt Schwarmann Gets Shattered
Matt Schwarmann, a 23-year-old graduate of University of Central Florida-now turned poker player, went out in fourth place when his draw missed and he ended up losing to a pair of aces. Schwarmann, who took fourth place in the WSOP Circuit championship held two weeks ago at Harrah’s St. Louis repeated that same finish here, which paid $6,286. Schwarmann also cashed in last year’s WSOP Main Event (279th).

Third Place: No Emotional Rescue for Kenton Taylor
Kenton Taylor went deep, but ultimately ran out of momentum late when he busted out with A9 against pocket 8s. Taylor, an accountant from the San Diego area, accepted third place, which was his best major tournament finish ever. Taylor, who finished in ninth place in one of the Harrah’s Rincon tournaments held last month, accepted a nice payout totaling $8,053.

Second Place: Jason K. Smith Gets No Satisfaction
When heads-up play began, Andrew Malott enjoyed about a 3 to 1 chip lead over Jason Smith. The two rivals battled for about 20 minutes before Malott won the final hand of the tournament.

The last hand came when Smith was dealt Qs Jd. Malott was dealt Kc Ts. Smith moved all in on the turn hoping to steal the pot and Malott quickly called holding top pair. The final board showed Kh 8c 6c 5d 4s, which meant Malott’s pair of kings took down the last pot of the night.

Jason K. Smith, from Chandler, AZ ended the tournament as the runner up. He currently has four WSOP cashes, and finished in third place just three weeks ago at the WSOP Circuit event held at Harrah’s Rincon, near San Diego. Second place paid $12,571.

First Place: Andrew Malott is a Street Fighting Man
Andrew Malott is originally from Detroit. He lived for several years in Chandler, AZ and has recently relocated to Las Vegas, primarily to play more live poker. Malott says he expects to win “at least one” WSOP gold bracelet coming up in June and July, and is confident he will achieve a breakthrough year in poker. First place paid $20,820 and the coveted gold ring, presented to all WSOP Circuit event champions.

An interview with Malott at tableside moments after the win can be seen here: http://www.twitvid.com/LQLOC

The WSOP Circuit at Caesars Palace continues through April 30th. This year’s schedule includes 14 gold ring events, along with multiple second-chance tournaments, single table and mega satellites, in addition to cash games going around the clock inside the Caesars Palace Poker Room. This marks the fifth straight year Caesars Palace has been a part of the WSOP Circuit. This is the tenth WSOP Circuit stop (of 11) of the 2009-2010 season following previous tournaments held in Chicago, Southern Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s Atlantic City, Tunica, Council Bluffs, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Rincon, and Harrah’s St. Louis.

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit – Event #13 Final Results

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit – Caesars Palace Las Vegas

Jim Pedulla – Poker Room Manager
Jed Wickers – Tournament Director
Mitch Dietze — Assistant Tournament Director

2009/2010 World Series of Poker Circuit
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Event #11
No Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $300 (+40)
Total Entries: 232
Total Prize Pool: $67,512
April 21-22, 2010

Final Results:

1 Jerry Flannigan Concord, NC $16,372

2 Phillip Delaney Dearborn Heights, MI $10,127

3 Jeffrey Sluzinski Las Vegas, NV $6,414

4 Sean Westra Laguna Beach, CA $5,232

5 Dante Magnoto Alexandria, VA $4,200

6 Jack Biernacki Franklin, Park, IL $3,376

7 Lirom Keden Jerusalem, Israel $2,700

8 Michael Jukich Lynchburg, VA $2,194

9 Keith Hawkins Middletonyas, UK $1,688

10 Gene Cangiani Parsippany, NY $1,181

11 Jeff Davis   $1,181

12 Nadine Savage   $1,181

13 Jason Brauda   $1,013

14 Russell Powell   $1,013

15 Sean Crozier   $1,013

16 Cinda Goodale   $844

17 George Tallas   $844

18 James Mordue   $844

19 Andrea Quadros   $675

20 John Kysel   $675

21 Mazen Ilyas   $675

22 Walter Bell   $675

23 Thomas Houghteling   $675

24 Craig Settzer   $675

25 Earl Merritt   $675

26 Joseph Wasylean   $675

27 Christopher Rivers   $675

Jerry Flannigan, We Salute You!

Retired U.S. Army Colonel from North Carolina Wins Gold Ring at Caesars Palace

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Event 11 Winner Jerry Flannigan

Las Vegas, NV – Jerry Flannigan is a poker player just about everyone roots for. Nice guy. Good family man. Great husband. Devoted father. Served his country in the military for nearly a quarter century. Now retired. Loves to play poker, and paid his dues playing in numerous tournaments in recent years. Indeed, whether he holds good card or not, Jerry Flannigan is a winner.

Sometimes, good things happen to good people. That is certainly the case in the most recent World Series of Poker Circuit event held at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. Jerry Flannigan, a retired U.S. Army colonel won first place and $16,372 in prize money. This was Flannigan’s first WSOP-related victory. Afterward, he was presented with the coveted gold ring, the ultimate achievement for winning a WSOP Circuit event.

Flannigan, who now lives in Concord, NC has been traveling around the country the last few years playing poker. He cashed in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event last year in Las Vegas. He was cheered on to victory in this tournament by his wife, Vivian, who sat near tableside for seven hours. The Flannigan’s, who were high school sweethearts, have been married for 47 years.

The victory was as unforeseeable as it was stunning, particularly to those who watched the battle over two long days. When play was down to about 30 players, Flannigan had only enough chips to post a round of blinds at one point. He not only survived the all in, he won four hands in a row and then made it into the money. Hundreds of poker hands and 24 hours later, he overcame a 6 to 1 chip disadvantage in heads-up play and became the newest poker champion.

The $300 (+40) buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament was played on April 21st and 22nd. The tournament attracted 232 players, which created a prize pool totaling $67,512. The top 27 players collected prize money. After 222 players were eliminated on Day One, the final table was held on Day Two.

There was only one prior WSOP Circuit gold ring event winner among the final nine players – Dante “the Inferno” Magtoto. Phil Delaney arrived at the Final Table as chip leader. Closest in chips when play began were Lirom Keden, Keith Hawkins, and Jeff Sluzinski who were all within striking distance. The remaining players were down by 2 to 1 or more. During most of the six-hour finale, Jerry Flannigan was an average-sized stack. But he made a big move when play went to heads-up and ended up with the victory.

When Final Table play began, the nine finalists and their starting chip counts were as follows:

Seat Player Hometown Chip Count

1 Keith Hawkins Middletonyas, UK 192,500

2 Jerry Flannigan Charlotte, NC 130,000

3 Sean Westra Laguna Beach, CA 73,500

4 Lirom Keden Sunnyvale, CA 267,000

5 Jeff Sluzinski Las Vegas, NV 274,000

6 Jack P. Biernacki Franklin Park, IL 161,000

7 Mike “Juke” Jurich Lynchburg, VA 75,500

8 Phil Delaney Dearborn Heights, MI 328,000

9 Dante “the Inferno” Magtoto Alexandria, VA 204,500

Final table play began at 2:00 pm and ended at 8:15 pm. Players were “stung” in the following order:

Ninth Place: An Englishman in Las Vegas
Keith Hawkins, who is visiting Las Vegas from England, was the first player to be eliminated when his AJ was crushed by a set of 8s. Hawkins, who played in last year’s WSOP Europe Main Event and finished 11th and has won various poker championships in Europe, collected $1,688 in prize money.

Eighth Place: Mike “Juke” Jurich Becomes the Demolition Man
Mike “Juke” Jurich was the victim of one of the most astounding calls of the WSOP Circuit season. Jurich and Dante Magtoto went to battle when the final board of the memorable hand showed Qd Jd 7c 3c Td. With about 200,000 in the pot and a straight and flush both possible, Magtoto made a small river bet. Jurich paused for a moment and then announced “all in.” Faced with calling another 200,000 in chips, Magtoto went into the tank for five minutes, contemplating the call. Finally, he clock was called and Magtoto announced, “I call.” Jurich showed Ad 3s, which was essentially a stone-cold bluff. Incredibly, Magtoto turned up As Tc for a pair of tens. Several players gasped, and Magtoto raked in the biggest pot of the tournament up to that point, which catapulted him into the chip lead. Essentially, Jurich made a very good play with the Ad (representing the nut flush), but Magtoto made a jaw-dropping read and call, which made this hand one of the most memorable of the entire Circuit season. And so, “Juke,” a poker pro from Lynchburg, VA ended up with eighth place, an amazing story, and $2,194 in prize money.

Seventh Place: Lirom Keden Dances Alone
Lirom Keden, who is originally from Jerusalem, Israel and now lives in Sunnyvale, CA took a bad beat on his final hand and went out in seventh place. Keden flopped a pair of 8s, but lost when his opponent rivered a straight. Keden received $2,700.

Sixth Place: No Synchronicity for Jack Biernacki
Jack Biernacki, who works in export cargo sales at O’Hare Airport and lives in Franklin Park, IL got pounded holding pocket Ks on his final hand. He moved all in and was called by two players – one with AK and another with pocket As. The pocket rockets held up, which shipped Biernacki off the final table. Biernacki, who has several tournament cashes, including in-the-money finishes on the Heartland Poker Tour and other tournaments in the Midwest, collected $3,376 in prize money.

Fifth Place: Dante, We Can’t Stand Losing You
Dante “The Inferno” Magtoto went out two hours after being the chip leader. He was eliminated holding pocket Qs against Phil Delaney’s pocket Ks. A king came which essentially eliminated Magtoto. The IT consultant from Alexandria, VA previously won a WSOP Circuit gold ring at Harrah’s Atlantic City. Fifth place paid $4,220.

Fourth Place: Every Little Thing Westra Does Isn’t Magic
Sean Westra, from Laguna Beach, CA lasted nearly six hours before finally getting crushed on his final hand. Westra was dealt AJ and moved all in after flopping two pair. But chip leader Phil Delaney held pocket 7s and flopped a set. Another 7 on the river gave Delaney quads, which raked in a huge pot. Meanwhile, Westra had to settle for $5,232 in prize money.

Third Place: Jeff Sluzinski Brings on the Night
Jeff Sluzinski, a sales manager-turned poker pro from Las Vegas ran good for several hours but finally went card dead late in the tournament. He tried to steal a round of blinds and antes with 87 on what turned out to be his final hand. Phil Delaney called and tabled Q8, which dominated Sluzinski’s cards. When a Q fell, Sluzinksi was knocked out and forced to accept a $6,414 consolation prize. This was his third time to cash at Caesars Palace, after finishing in-the-money twice at last year’s Circuit series.

Second Place: Phil Delaney Becomes the King of Pain
This tournament appeared to be Phil Delaney’s from start to finish. He absolutely dominated play for most of the later rounds. Delaney held a 6 to 1 chip lead when heads-up play began. Indeed, many observers figured this was Delaney’s night, and his older rival would end up in second place.

However, if poker is an unpredictable game, poker tournaments are a virtual whirlwind. Fortunes and emotions reverse themselves with the turn of a single card. Delaney found this out the hard way when he lost a succession of hands which ultimately resulted in a disappointing – and some would say shocking – end result. Momentum seemed to shift when Jerry Flannigan caught river-river flush (actually making a higher flush) on one key hand, which led to Delaney’s downfall. A few minutes later, it was doom for Delaney.

The last hand came when Jerry Flannigan was dealt 9s 9d. Phil Delaney was dealt As 4s. Delaney moved all in and Flannigan called. The final board showed Ts 8c 9c 2c Td, which meant the pocket 9s took down the last pot of the night.

Two key hands in the heads-up confrontation can be seen here: http://www.twitvid.com/44MU8

Phil Delaney is a 27-year-old pro poker player from Dearborn Heights, MI. He won a Heartland Poker Tour championship last year. He also final tabled an event at this year’s Chicago Poker Classic held at Horseshoe Hammond. Delaney was gunning for his first WSOP Circuit victory, but finished with the mix blessing of runner up. He collected $10,127.

First Place: Fields of Gold for Jerry Flannigan
Jerry Flannigan took first place and his first WSOP gold ring, after playing in several poker tournaments over the past two years. He received $16,372. But far more meaningful to Flannigan was the victory and the opportunity to share the special moment with his wife.

A fun interview with Jerry Flannigan (with his wife Vivian) at tableside moments after the win can be seen here: http://www.twitvid.com/TJ4ON

The WSOP Circuit at Caesars Palace continues through April 30th. This year’s schedule includes 14 gold ring events, along with multiple second-chance tournaments, single table and mega satellites, in addition to cash games going around the clock inside the Caesars Palace Poker Room. This marks the fifth straight year Caesars Palace has been a part of the WSOP Circuit. This is the tenth WSOP Circuit stop (of 11) of the 2009-2010 season following previous tournaments held in Chicago, Southern Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s Atlantic City, Tunica, Council Bluffs, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Rincon, and Harrah’s St. Louis.

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit – Event #11 Final Results

2010 Caesars Palace Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit – Caesars Palace Las Vegas

Jim Pedulla – Poker Room Manager
Jed Wickers – Tournament Director
Mitch Dietze — Assistant Tournament Director