WSOP & WPT Tournament Blog

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

Final Results

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

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

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

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

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

Here were the starting chip counts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Max Shapiro

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

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

Payouts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here were the starting chip counts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Max Shapiro

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

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