World Series of Poker Articles and Newstag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//32007-04-06T02:56:20ZUltimate Poker Forum WSOP Articles Blog: WSOP Poker Articles and News, Tournament Coverage and Updates. WSOP Circuit Event Articles & News.Movable Type 3.2ysb5-2005120121-Year-Old Pro Wins Circuit Ring After Three-Way Prize Money Choptag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5272007-04-06T02:56:20Z2007-04-06T02:56:20Zsange
Elizabeth, IN -- He’s only 21 and already a pro. He didn’t take down the most money in tonight’s tournament. But after a three-way money deal and five furious hands playing for the title and the gold and diamond trophy ring, Kevin Stammen had all the chips and was declared the winner of the second event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Caesars Indiana, $500 no-limit hold’em.
As the 4,000-8,000 level ended, Stammen had 216,000 chips versus 296,000 for Steve Miller and 100,000 for Dan Quade. Stammen proposed a deal, and after some lengthy negotiations, Miller accepted an unofficial $33,000 versus $30,000 for Stammen and $17,000 for Quade. The three finalists then played five more-or-less showdown hands. Quade busted out on the fourth deal when he moved in for 200,000 with A-9 and lost to Stammen’s A-Q, and on the next hand, Miller bet his last 70,000 blind, losing with K-10 when Stammen’s A-6 held up.
Stammen, an animated and outgoing young man who plays an aggressive game, is nicknamed "Stamdog g," lives in Coldwater, Ohio, is single and taught himself poker five years ago. Before playing full time he had a job installing concrete basements. He’s had a couple of cashes at the Bellagio and a second in a local event in Mississippi. Although he’s been playing both tournaments and live games, he said he decided to play tournaments exclusively after tonight. His one regret is that his iPod broke and he couldn’t listen to music. His official second-place payout was $22,766,
As happened yesterday, this event was played through in one day, with the final table again starting at about 11:30 p.m. It was a more lively table than last night, though, with plenty of action and a lot more all-in moves. The all-in shorter stacks also tended to escape much more frequently than yesterday, so that it took about two hours to lose the first three players.
Only one hand was played before blinds moved up to 1,500-3,000 with 500 antes. James Whitley Jr. led with 130,000 chips, with Quade and Stammen close behind. There were five pros at the table, unusual for a local event, as Quade, Robert Briggs, James Williams and Andrew Wade also listed poker as their occupation.
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Bill Latta Wins Event #1 at 2007 Caesars Indiana WSOP Circuit Eventtag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5262007-04-05T03:02:33Z2007-04-05T03:03:12Zsange
Caesars Indiana Riverboat Sets Sail With Full Boat in WSOP Circuit Launch
Elizabeth, IN — We’re rolling on the river again, the Ohio river. After a highly successful 2006-2007 WSOP Circuit event in October, action returned here at Caesars Indiana, the world’s largest riverboat casino. Event #1, $300 no-limit hold’em, attracted an over-capacity crowd of 714 players generating a prize pool of $219,050.
The winner was Bill Latta, a 37-year-old industrial manager from Mt. Zion, Illinois, whose only prior tournament cash-in of any note was a second-chance seventh-place finish in a Circuit event at Tunica. First place tonight paid him $54,708, a handsome gold and diamond trophy ring and a seat in the $5,000 championship event.
Latta is married with two children, has been playing poker for 20 years, learning from his father, and likes football, auto racing and heavy-metal music. He favors tournaments, but also likes $1-$2 and $2-$5 no-limit cash games. He describes his play as "selective-aggressive," and said when it got down to 24 players his strategy was to take down pots while avoiding confrontations. He also said he had a good take on the final table, whose players he felt had a wide range in abilities, and was able to predict who would be the final two or three opponents he ended up facing.
The key hand for him came with four players left. There was four-way action after a 28,000 raise. On the flop, he and Brad Sturgeon both were chasing flushes Sturgeon moved in with the higher draw, but lost and was knocked out when Latta paired a 7. After that, Lattta had about 600,000 of the million-plus chips in play and was unstoppable.
This tournament, which runs from March 26 through April 6, was opened by World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, who welcomed the players to "the best poker room in the Midwest." He praised table games VP Joe Barnett, marketing VP Marc Oppenheimer, and lauded Jimmie Allen as one of the best and most enthusiastic poker room managers in the business. He also informed the players that Harrah’s Entertainment will be launching WSOP Europe, starting on Sept. 6 at three locations in London.
Caesars Indiana is the final stop in the current 11-event Circuit tour, which makes the excitement of World Series action available not only to top pros, but also to local players around the country. Along with the Circuit events, each day also features 3 p.m. cash tournaments.
Action went so fast on day one that there was no day two. By 11:30 p.m. we were down to nine players, and the event was played through. Starting as chip leader at the final table was Latta with 231,500, closely followed by Michael Egy with 220,500, with a number of chip-lead changes to come.
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The Right Move at the Right Time - Danny Yousefzadeh, New York Jeweler, Wins World Series of Poker Circuit Gold Ring and $488,828tag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5222007-03-19T06:21:37Z2007-03-19T06:22:00ZsangeJohn McMahon, 57-year-old tournament novice, finishes second at Caesars Atlantic City
Atlantic City, NJ (March 14, 2007) – There’s a classic poker scene from the 1966 movie “The Cincinnati Kid” where tough guy Edward G. Robinson gets into a skirmish and wins a big pot. While dragging a huge pile of cash and chips, he’s criticized by an adversary for supposedly misplaying his hand. “That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?” Robinson knowingly asks. “Making the wrong move -- at the right time?” The shrewd but masterful line is intended convey both the strategic and psychological complexity of high stakes poker, that it’s a game which can’t be played “by the book.” Despite volumes of literature on optimal poker strategy, sometimes the best play is not the obvious, nor the conventional.
John McMahon, despite never having played in a poker tournament before in his life, could very well have been cast as the Edward G. Robinson figure in this poker script. Except, he did not win. Instead, victory went to Danny Yousefzadeh, a 40-year-old jewelry store owner from New York City. With Caesars Atlantic City as the stage and the World Series of Poker Circuit as the backdrop, “making the wrong move at the right time” took on a whole new meaning. In the end, it was Mr. Yousefzadeh who made the right move and Mr. McMahon who ended up making the wrong move on the final decisive hand which ultimately determined the tournament champion.
Unconventional strategy has worked well for some poker novices of the past. Whether it was newcomer Kevin McBride in 1998 when he finished second to Scotty Nguyen at the World Series of Poker, or Robert Varkonyi four years later when he overcame the odds with some bizarre play to win poker’s world championship, unpredictable players have occasionally used stealth and erratic play to their advantage. And, it almost worked this time in Atlantic City – but not quite.
This is the fifth time the World Series of Poker Circuit has been played in Atlantic City. Without question, this year’s Caesars Atlantic City series attracted the highest overall turnout. Two tournaments this year had more than 1,000 entries. In fact, two of the three largest events in WSOP Circuit history have now occurred at Caesars.
One of the reasons turnout has been so high is that Caesars and its staff know how to do things right. From special hotel rates for poker players, to free lunches for tournament participants, to generous amounts of chips and play in each of the tournaments – Caesars Atlantic City has made a firm commitment to hosting what has become an annual world-class poker event which augments the image of excellence long associated with the “Caesars” name.
The $5150 buy-in championship event attracted a strong field of 314 entries creating a prize pool over $1.5 million. The top 27 places all received prize money. On Day Three, Rick Austin arrived at the final table as the chip leader. He did not enjoy the bird’s eye view from the lofty perch for long. The eventual winner, Danny Yousefzadeh arrived with an average chip stack.
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First Time a Charm! - Patricia A. Smolko WIns the First Poker Tournament She Ever Playstag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5212007-03-19T06:12:55Z2007-03-19T06:13:02ZsangeNew Jersey woman wins Ladies Poker Championship at Caesars Atlantic City
Atlantic City, NJ (March 11, 2007) – One of the fastest-growing demographics of poker is among women. A generation ago, women were a rare sight inside poker rooms. Today, they comprise a significant part of the card playing market. Women of all ages now play poker. As a result, several ladies-only poker tournaments have blossomed around the country, with the World Series of Poker leading the way by hosting championship-level events for women at each and every Circuit series.
Caesars Atlantic City hosted this year’s ladies-only $200 buy-in no-limit hold’ em tournament (Event #7), which attracted 398 players. That’s almost double the number which turned out for this same event last year and is one of the largest in the three-year history of the World Series of Poker Circuit. The top 36 finishers all received prize money. After 389 players were eliminated, nine survivors took seats at the final table at 11 pm on a Sunday night. The final nine were divided into the “haves” and “have nots,” Three players held most of the chips – Patricia A. Smolko, Leah Slattery, and Debbie Kindt. Appropriately, those same three players went deepest into the money.
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Robert Zarzycki's Poker Fantasy - Fantasy Football Expert Wins 90 Grand at Caesars Atlantic City Poker Tournamenttag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5202007-03-19T06:10:42Z2007-03-19T06:10:50ZsangeSaturday Tournament Attracts Second-Largest Field in World Series of Poker Circuit History
Atlantic City, NJ (March 11, 2007) – Fantasy sports and poker have a lot in common. Both require the player to analyze a limited amount of public information and make strategic decisions. Both are also subject to fluctuations of luck. In poker, pockets aces is a great hand. But it does not always win. And just as Peyton Manning might be a great fantasy football quarterback, on some days he throws interceptions instead of touchdowns.
Robert “Zmen” Zarzycki knows all of this. He is the author of “Drafting to Win,” a primer on fantasy football. Mr. Zarzycki is the top ranked fantasy football expert in the nation, having won a number of prestigious sports league contests, including some sponsored by casinos in Las Vegas. To date, his biggest win in fantasy football was $27,000. However, he won far more than that playing tournament poker. Mr. Zarzycki won the top prize of $90,075 at Caesars Atlantic City in the most recent World Series of Poker Circuit event.
The $300 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament (Event #6) attracted 1,155 players, making it the second-largest field in World Series of Poker Circuit history. Only the recent Circuit event held at the Grand Tunica Casino-Resort in Mississippi in January 2007 attracted more entries (with 1,345). Along with the first event of this tournament series (with 1,106 entries), Caesars Atlantic City can now lay claim to hosting two of the three largest fields ever on the WSOP Circuit.
After 1,146 players were eliminated on days one and two over the 18 grueling hours of play, nine survivors took seats at the final table. Rob Flesher started with a slight chip lead advantage over Mr. Zarzycki and the rest of the field.
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The Poker King of Kosovo - Avdo Djokovic Overpowers Competition at Tough Final Tabletag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5192007-03-19T06:07:59Z2007-03-19T06:08:07ZsangeEastern European wins Caesars Atlantic City tournament and $133,300
Atlantic City, NJ (March 10, 2007) – Poker is not just an American pastime. It has become an international phenomenon. Each and every year, more players come into the game from far away nations and cities better known for their political and economic conflicts than for positive influences upon the rest of the world. Poker has produced champions from Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and other troubled regions -- which is a real testament to the game being a means of opportunity for everyone who plays it, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
Avdo Djokovic grew up in Kosovo. It is a land-locked Eastern European nation which made headlines ten years ago for the sadness and strife endured by thousands of people, many of whom were and remain Mr. Djokovic’s family and friends. Now 42, Mr. Djokovic left his native land and arrived in America to start a new life. Along the way, he learned how to play poker. Then, he learned how to play poker well. And now, Mr. Djokovic has learned how to play championship-level poker – a fact illustrated by his triumph at the latest World Series of Poker Circuit tournament.
Mr. Djokovic topped a tough field and won a well-deserved top prize of $133,300 in his first-ever major tournament victory. Prior to this win, Mr. Djokovic has made numerous cashes and final table appearances – at the United States Poker Championship, LA Poker Classic, World Poker Finals, and elsewhere. His best WSOP Circuit finish was ninth last year at Harrah’s Atlantic City.
The $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament (Event #5) at Caesars Atlantic City attracted 430 players, which is now the highest turnout for any $1,000 buy-in event in the three-year history of the World Series of Poker Circuit. After 421 players were eliminated over the first 16 hours on days one and two, nine survivors took seats at the final table (Note: Carl Rastifo, who finished 10th, was one spot away from being the first and only player at this tournament series to make multiple final table appearances).
Eugene Foulsman started with a slight chip advantage over Avdo Djokovic, with the rest of the field more than 100,000 behind the chip leaders. Ultimately, the top two would battle it out for the championship.
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High Octane - Bob Willis Spikes Miracle Card on River, and Wins First Major Poker Tournamenttag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5182007-03-19T06:06:02Z2007-03-19T06:06:10ZsangeProfessional motorcycle racer tries poker for a change of pace, and zooms off with $76,500
Atlantic City, NJ (March 9, 2007) – It takes some luck to win poker tournaments. Sure, skill is critical (and at least in the long run, far more important). But without a bit of luck at key moments of a tournament, winning is analogous to racing with cheap, low-grade gasoline in the tank. High octane fuel is what fires up powerful engines and in a metaphorical sense, creates new poker champions.
Bob Willis, a 41-year-old professional motorcycle racer was on the receiving end of three twists of good fortune – refueling with high-octane gas, if you will -- at the final table, which propelled him across the finish line for a first- place showing. Willis topped a tough field and won his first major poker tournament with a combination of well-disciplined play and three big hands which gave him victory.
The $500 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament at Caesars Atlantic City attracted 510 players. This was the fourth event of the World Series of Poker Circuit series at Caesars. After 501 players were eliminated over the first 12 hours during day one, nine survivors returned to play the final table on day two. Based on starting chip counts, it was the most balanced of any final table played thus far at Caesars. Derek Buonano (with 463,000) started off with a razor-thin chip lead over David Santitoro (with 461,000). Mike O’Dea was close behind in third place (413,000) with the remaining six players all below 380,000 in chips. Bob Willis was fifth.
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The Empire State - Ari Engel Demolishes the Opposition in Extraordinary Final Table Performancetag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5172007-03-19T06:03:33Z2007-03-19T06:03:41ZsangeBrooklyn poker pro knocks out 6 of 7 players in two- hour bloodbath
Atlantic City, NJ (March 8, 2007) – File the name “Ari Engel” away as someone to watch in the future. The 23-year-old poker pro from the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, NY absolutely annihilated everyone at the final table and made a near-mockery of the notion that “anything” can happen in a poker tournament. Not since Jamie Gold’s win in the main event at last year’s World Series of Poker has a single player dominated the final table of a major tournament with such certainty and made the tribulation seem so effortless.
The $300 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament (Event #3) held at Caesars Atlantic City attracted 778 players. Through the first three events of this World Series of Poker Circuit tournament series, nearly a million dollars has been awarded in prize money, to date. Interestingly, with Ari Engel’s most recent victory, all three events thus far have been won by poker players from New York State. The last two players have been from Brooklyn. This was the most impressive performance of all as Mr. Engel knocked out 6 of his 7 opponents at the final table, in slightly less than two hours.
No one could have foreseen the ending that was to come on the previous day, least of all the winner – who has never played in a live tournament at this level before. After 769 players were eliminated over the first 17 hours, nine survivors returned to play the final table on day two. King “Ari Engel” Kong started with a formidable chip lead (1,013,000). He possessed about a third of the total chips in play. It was a position he held the entire way, in what some might describe as a one-sided, anti-climatic final table. Peter Horenstein ranked a distant second with 513,000.
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It's "Jerry" Chan, Not "Johnny" - Brooklyn College Student Survives Bad Beat-Filled Final Tabletag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5162007-03-19T05:59:26Z2007-03-19T05:59:38ZsangeSecond event of WSOP Circuit series draws yet another big field, pays out over a quarter million in prize money
Atlantic City, NJ (March 7, 2007) – The majesty of poker is that almost any player can be king for a day. There are days when everything just seems to go right. The good cards come. The flops bear gifts. Every decision seems to be correct. Some players refer to this phenomenon as “the zone.”
No one will confuse Jerry Chan with a two-time world poker champion and ten-time World Series of Poker gold bracelet winner. But for a 48-hour period, Jerry Chan – a 23-year-old college student from Brooklyn, NY -- played every bit as well his poker icon namesake. He was….and there is no other way to describe it….in “the zone.” Mr. Chan won $76,200 in a masterful performance at the most recent World Series of Poker Circuit event held at Caesars Atlantic City. Whether playing at a full table, short-handed, or heads-up, Mr. Chan always seems to have the correct read on his opponents and made the optimal strategic decision. Such discipline was rewarded with Mr. Chan’s first-ever tournament victory.
The $500 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament (Event #2) attracted 508 players and took place on the day following the second-largest WSOP Circuit event in history (1,106 registered players). The tournament was played over two days. After 499 players were eliminated during the initial 15 hours, nine survivors returned for the final table on day two. Jerry Chan started with the chip lead, a position he held most of the way in an exciting, and some would say nerve-racking final table. Jose Torres ranked a close second.
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Joe Garcia, Corrections Officer, Locks Up First Place in Caesars Atlantic City Inauguraltag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5062007-03-08T02:22:51Z2007-03-08T02:23:04Zsange
Mammoth-Sized Tournament Attracts Second-Largest Field in World Series of Poker Circuit History
New York State prison guard tops field if 1,106 players and wins first major poker tournament
Atlantic City, NJ (March 6, 2007) – Winning a poker tournament is never easy. The task is even more challenging when there are over a thousand competitors, all with the same desire to win. Then, there are the emotional challenges – such as losing big pots, taking bad beats, and otherwise trying to remain focused no matter which cards are dealt out and what flops come. Joe Garcia, from Highland, NY overcame all of this and more when he reigned triumphant in his first major tournament victory. The 36-year-old corrections officer locked up a top cash prize of $86,268 in the inaugural poker tournament of this year’s World Series of Poker Circuit series at Caesars Atlantic City.
A whopping 1,106 players entered the $300 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament – officially listed as Event #1. The thousand-plus field ranked as the second-largest tournament in the three-year history of the WSOP Circuit. Only the recent Circuit event held at the Grand Tunica Casino-Resort in Mississippi in January 2007 attracted more entries (with 1,345).
The tournament was played over two grueling days. After 1,077 players had been eliminated during 15 hours of play on Day One, the 29 survivors returned for Day Two. Then, twenty more fell by the wayside, leaving the nine finalists sitting at the final table. Pete Mavro started with the chip lead. Joe Garcia ranked third...
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Caesars Atlantic City Hosts Second-Largest Tournament in World Series of Poker Circuit Historytag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5052007-03-08T01:30:26Z2007-03-08T01:30:37ZFirst of Eight Major Events Draws 1,106 EntriesAtlantic City, NJ (March 5, 2007) -- Anyone who thinks the poker boom may be slowing down would be strongly advised to look at the numbers from the latest World Series of Poker...sange
First of Eight Major Events Draws 1,106 Entries
Atlantic City, NJ (March 5, 2007) -- Anyone who thinks the poker boom may be slowing down would be strongly advised to look at the numbers from the latest World Series of Poker Circuit event. A whopping 1,106 players entered the $300 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament held at Caesars Atlantic City. The thousand-plus field ranks as the second-largest tournament in the three-year history of the WSOP Circuit. Only the recent Circuit event held at the Grand Tunica Casino-Resort in Mississippi in January 2007 attracted more entries (with 1,345).
"We are absolutely thrilled to see so many poker players come from all over and join with us," said Paul A. Natello, Director of Table Games at Caesars Atlantic City. "I look around this room and I see many players who are relatively new to poker as well as some top players who have won major tournaments. The beauty of the World Series of Poker and this year's Circuit event is they can all compete here equally at Caesars Atlantic City and have a chance to win."
Although casino gambling has been legal in Atlantic City since 1978, poker was not a part of the gaming menu until 1993. Caesars Atlantic City was one of the first casinos to open a poker room. Since that time, the poker room has been renovated and moved a number of times. Now, it is a plush and lively 24-table room adjacent to the main casino floor.
The WSOP Circuit Series which runs March 5-14 is being played inside the Palladium Ballroom at Caesars. The 70-table facility (in addition to the 24 tables already in the main poker room) guarantees that players will still be able to register and get seats in any of the remaining events or satellite qualifiers at this Circuit series. Of the 1,106 players who entered the first event, 81 will receive prize money. The tournament winner will receive $86,268 plus an engraved gold ring presented to each and every WSOP Circuit event champion.
Fields are expected to be just as large, if not larger for upcoming Circuit events - particularly the no-limit tournaments taking place on Wednesday and Saturday at Caesars Atlantic City. After all, Event #1 took place on a Monday -- normally a slower day than weekends. This Saturday's $300 buy-in no-limit hold'em event (March 10th) could break the record as the largest WSOP Circuit event in history and will most certainly be one of Atlantic City's largest poker tournaments ever.
Report by Nolan Dalla - World Series of Poker Media Director
Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit
Caesars Atlantic City Vice President of Table Games - Fred Niceta
Director of Table Games - Paul A. Natello
Table Games Manager (Poker) - Thomas McDonough III
Poker Pit Manager - Jake Devries
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'A Fantastic Finish For Feldman' - Peter Feldman Wins 2007 Harrah's Rincon WSOP Championship Eventtag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.5012007-02-24T06:17:41Z2007-02-24T06:17:50Zsange
Peter Feldman Becomes Second Player to Win Two WSOP Circuit Championships
Michigan Poker Pro Joins Chris Ferguson as Only Multiple Winner
Valley Center, CA (February 22, 2007) – For the third consecutive year, the World Series of Poker Circuit was the feature attraction at the Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort. Harrah’s Rincon is located about 40 miles northeast of San Diego, nestled in a lush mountain valley. Owned by the Rincon San Luiseno Band of Mission Indians and managed by HCAL, a subsidiary of Harrah’s Operating Company, the 21-story luxury hotel and casino is one of southern California’s most peaceful getaway destinations.
But the Harrah’s Rincon Poker Room has been far from peaceful this month. Following ten days of preliminary events which awarded over a million dollars in prize money to more than 200 poker players from several states and five different countries, the $5,000 buy-in championship event began with 181 entries. The size of the field created a total prize pool of $877,850. Eighteen players received prize money.
Former world poker champions Scotty "the Prince" Nguyen (1998), Chris "Jesus" Ferguson (2000) and Carlos "the Matador" Mortensen (2001) entered the main event. The tournament also attracted former WSOP gold bracelet winners Annie Duke, Layne Flack, Barry Greenstein, Gavin Griffin, Kathy Liebert, Max "the Italian Pirate" Pescatori, Robert Williamson III and Todd Witteles. Other notables in the field included Peter Feldman, Phil Gordon, Erik Lindgren, Gavin Smith, and James Van Alstyne. The majority of players qualified to play via satellite tournaments that were held over the last two weeks at Harrah’s Rincon.
World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack was on hand to welcome players and start the tournament. In his opening remarks, he noted that the WSOP is special because it attracts both professional and amateur players – and allows new stars to shine on poker’s brightest stage. He also thanked several people at Harrah’s Rincon for putting on yet another WSOP Circuit. Finally, Mr. Pollack encouraged players to attend other Circuit events and the World Series of Poker, which will take place in Las Vegas in June and July.
The Harrah’s Rincon championship event took place over three days. One-hundred forty-eight players busted out on day one, leaving 43 survivors to return to play on day two. Another 34 players busted out on the second day. The final nine appeared at the final table, played Thursday, February 22nd.
Day one ended with Peter Feldman as the chip leader. He also had a firm grip on the chip lead at the conclusion of play on day two. In fact, given his tournament experience and impressive stack advantage, Mr. Feldman was the player to beat coming into the final table -- with former WSOP gold bracelet winner Gavin Griffin a close second...
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Harrah's Rincon WSOP Circuit Championship Event Beginstag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.4962007-02-22T05:03:52Z2007-02-22T05:03:59Zsange
Peter Feldman is the chip leader after day one
Valley Center, CA (February 20, 2007) – For the third consecutive year, the World Series of Poker Circuit was hosted by the Harrah’s Rincon Casino-Resort. Harrah’s Rincon is located about 40 miles north of San Diego, nestled in a lush mountain valley. Jointly managed by the Rincon Tribal Council and Harrah’s Entertainment, the 16-story luxury hotel and casino is one of southern California’s most peaceful getaway destinations.
But the Rincon Poker Room has been far from peaceful this month. After ten days of preliminary events which awarded over a million dollars in prize money to more than 200 poker players from several states and five different countries, the $5,000 buy-in championship event began today with 181 entries. The size of the field created a total prize pool of $877,850. Eighteen players will receive prize money.
Former world poker champions Scotty "the Prince" Nguyen (1998), Chris "Jesus" Ferguson (2000) and Carlos "the Matador" Mortensen (2001) entered the main event. The tournament also attracted former WSOP gold bracelet winners Annie Duke, Layne Flack, Barry Greenstein, Gavin Griffin, Kathy Liebert, Max "the Italian Pirate" Pescatori, Robert Williamson III and Todd Witteles. Other notables in the field included Phil Gordon, Erik Lindgren, Gavin Smith, and James Van Alstyne. Several players qualified to play via satellite tournaments that were held the last two weeks at Harrah’s Rincon.
World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack was on hand to welcome players and start the tournament. In his opening remarks, he noted that the WSOP is special because it attracts both professional and amateur players – and allows new stars to shine on poker’s brightest stage. He also thanked several people at Harrah’s Rincon for putting on yet another WSOP Circuit. Finally, Mr. Pollack encouraged players to attend other Circuit events and the World Series of Poker, which will take place in Las Vegas in June and July.
The Harrah’s Rincon championship event will take place over three days. One-hundred forty-eight players busted out on day one, leaving 43 survivors to return to play on day two. The final nine will appear at the final table, to be played Thursday, February 22nd.
Day one ended with Peter Feldman as the chip leader. He currently has 128,700 in his stack and is trailed closely Joe Sebok (119,100) and Steve Diano (114,900). Mr. Feldman won last year’s WSOP Circuit championship at Harrah’s New Orleans. Should he hold on and win first place in this event, he would become the first player ever to win two WSOP Circuit championship events.
Payouts are as follows:
1. $280,859
2. 147,364
3. 86,685
4. 69,348
5. 52,011
6. 43,343
7. 34,674
8. 26,005
9. 17,337
10. 13,870
11. 13,870
12. 13,870
13. 12,136
14. 12,136
15. 12,136
16. 10,402
17. 10,402
18. 10,402
Report by Nolan Dalla
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'Queen For A Day' - Linda Schmidt Wins Rincon Ladies Poker Championshiptag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.4942007-02-21T05:17:09Z2007-02-21T05:17:21Zsange
Moreno Valley woman wins quickest final table in WSOP Circuit history
Valley Center, CA (February 19, 2007) – Clocking in at a lightening-fast one hour and 12 minutes, the final table of the Ladies Poker Championship at Harrah’s Rincon was the fastest final table in the three-year history of the World Series of Poker Circuits. The previous quickest final table took place in 2005 at Harrah’s New Orleans (1 hour and 20 minutes).
The winner was Linda Schmidt, from Moreno Valley, CA. She arrived third in chips at the final table, and then got into a heads-up confrontation with the chip leader. Ms. Schmidt proceeded to play extraordinary poker as the end draw near and won a most-deserving tournament victory. First place paid $8,085. She also received a gold pendant, presented to the ladies champion.
The Rincon Ladies Poker Championship attracted 147 entries. Each player posted a $200 buy-in, which created a total prize pool of $24,953. The top 18 finishers were paid. After 138 players had been eliminated, the final table began at 8:45 pm on the night of President’s Day. It was over and done in slightly more than an hour...
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Stern Stars in $1,500 Buy-in Championship - Poker Pro Jason Stern Takes First Place at Harrah's Rincontag:www.ultimatepokerforum.com,2007:/blog/wsop-articles//3.4902007-02-21T03:27:54Z2007-02-21T03:28:03Zsange
San Jose-based player and gambler starts final table with chip lead, the wins five-hour slugfest
Valley Center, CA (February 18, 2007) – Jason Stern has certainly paid his dues in tournament poker. He’s been playing for a decade, and has a number of cashes and final tables on his resume. Mr. Stern is perhaps best-known for a second place showing at the Reno Hilton last year which was shown on television. He has won over $800,000 in tournaments – which was augmented by a $41,904 cash in this event at Harrah’s Rincon Casino-Resort.
A modest-sized field of 80 players each paid the $1500 entry fee for Event #8 – in no-limit hold’em. That meant only the final table would be paid prize money. After 71 players were eliminated during 11 long hours of play on day one, the nine finalists returned to commence play on day two.