March 24 2012, Chad Holloway
Harrah’s Rincon is one of the most popular World Series of Poker Circuit stops each and every year. The California poker crowd is apt to make the trip to the 662-room property north of San Diego, and Las Vegas locals often make the four-hour drive.
This year, Rincon marked the 14th out of 17 stops of the 2011-2012 World Series of Poker Circuit season and began on March 15. With 12 rings up for grabs and two spots being awarded to the $1 million WSOP Circuit National Championship (July 6 through 7 with the final table being played out July 11), not to mention the 100 guaranteed seats reserved for the top 100 point earners on the Circuit, Rincon was generating a lot of excitement, especially during Event #2: $565 No-Limit Hold’em.
That event drew 155 players and created a prize pool of $75,175, but it wasn’t until the last day of play, which began with 12 players, that all eyes turned to Alexandru Masek, a local part-time poker player from San Diego who was making a push for the final table. The four-time WSOP Circuit ring winner was looking to capture his record-tying fifth ring. Masek, a 27-year-old law school graduate, made the unofficial final table of ten with an above-average count, but the deck soon turned against him and he was eliminated in tenth place.
One man who did have some luck was Dean Buchanan, a 22-year-old professional poker player from Kirkland, Washington. The young pro navigated the final table all the way down to heads-up play where he ran into John Piotrowski. Their battle lasted three hours, but when the final hand fell, Buchanan ended up with all the chips and took home $19,934.
Here’s a look at the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Rincon events completed thus far:
With several events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Rincon Casino Champion is undecided. Whoever captures that title, along with the eventual winner of the Main Event, will automatically qualify for the Second Annual $1 Million National Championship. That event is limited to 100 players, and so far only a handful of players have qualified:
National Championship Qualifiers
| Hao Le | Harrah’s AC Casino Champ |
In addition to the qualifiers, players who earn enough points on the National Leaderboard will be able to buy-in to the National Championship:
WSOPC National Leaderboard Top Ten*
| Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon | 137.5 | 1 | 6 | $61,156 |
| Rex Clinkscales | 135 | 0 | 9 | $39,780 |
| Daniel Blakeman | 132.5 | 1 | 5 | $139,308 |
| Chris Parsons | 132.5 | 0 | 6 | $72,849 |
| Russell Ivy | 130 | 0 | 7 | $72,703 |
| Benjamin Kramer | 130 | 1 | 8 | $58,600 |
| Michael Cooper | 130 | 0 | 7 | $55,092 |
| Alexandru Masek | 127.5 | 1 | 6 | $126,454 |
| Roman Valerstein | 125 | 0 | 5 | $116,282 |
*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Rincon stop.
Don’t miss your chance to qualify for the National Championship. There are still plenty of opportunities to play, including any of the remaining stops on the WSOP Circuit schedule.
Remaining 2011-2012 WSOPC Schedule
| Circuit Event | Horseshoe Council Bluffs | March 29 – April 9, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s St. Louis | April 12 – 23, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s Chester | April 26 – May 7, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s New Orleans | May 10 – 21, 2012 |
*Photos courtesy of Eric Harkins and ImageMasters.
Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook today! In the meantime, see who qualifies for the National Championship this week by following our Live Reporting Team’s coverage from the Harrah’s Rincon.
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November 19 2011, Chad Holloway
For the past week, Harveys Lake Tahoe has played host to the World Series of Poker Circuit. Like all the other stops, this one features 12 ring events, culminating in a $1,600 Main Event that began Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011.
The stop has already completed 75 percent of its scheduled events, and it’s already proven quite the success, especially for Alexandru Masek, who took down Event #8 for $15,236. What’s special about that win is that it marked the San Diego Law School graduate’s fourth WSOP Circuit gold ring, putting him just one win behind the all-time leader, Mark “Pegasus” Smith.
“I don’t ever look at the payout when I’m playing,” Masek said in his post victory interview. “All I look at is the (gold) ring. The win meant everything to me in this tournament.” He went on to add: “I went to the WSOP the last two years. I would love to win a gold bracelet more than anything. But in the meantime, I would love to win another ring – or two.”
This weekend, the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be providing coverage of the Main Event.
Here’s a look at the WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe through the first nine events:
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #1 No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 260 | $75,660 |
| 1 | David Clark | Dallas, TX | $18,208 |
| 2 | Shawn Van Asdale | Reno, NV | $11,249 |
| 3 | Prak Pich | Sacramento, CA | $8,127 |
| 4 | Robert Nicholson | Castro Valley, CA | $5,981 |
| 5 | Michael Rosenbach | Santa Rosa, CA | $4,481 |
| 6 | Iris Kuzu | Kelseyville, CA | $3,415 |
| 7 | Aryeh Cohen | Brooklyn, NY | $2,645 |
| 8 | Frank Williams | Danville, CA | $2,083 |
| 9 | Taylor Skeels | San Carlos, CA | $1,666 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #2 NLHE Re-Entry
| $300+$45 (Re-Entry) | 521 | $151,611 |
| 1 | Josh Roberts | Folsom, CA | $32,300 |
| 2 | Drew Caseri | Merced, CA | $19,974 |
| 3 | Jedidiah Hoffman | Reno, NV | $14,592 |
| 4 | Andrew Barber | Sacramento, CA | $10,817 |
| 5 | Bryan Borders | Santa Rosa, CA | $8,135 |
| 6 | Matthew Weber | Sacramento, CA | $6,206 |
| 7 | Samuel Lee | San Francisco, CA | $4,801 |
| 8 | Adriano Wise | San Jose, CA | $3,767 |
| 9 | Robert Gallina | Vero Beach, FL | $2,998 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #3 H.O.R.S.E.
| $300+$45 | 85 | $24,735 |
| 1 | Mark Bonsack | Maple Valley, CA | $7,484 |
| 2 | Joseph Mongkoluaaree | Minden, NV | $4,625 |
| 3 | Jeffrey Cox | Reno, NV | $3,237 |
| 4 | Jon Wallace | South Lake Tahoe, CA | $2,358 |
| 5 | Ho Le | Sacramento, CA | $1,735 |
| 6 | Robert Furia | Granada Hills, CA | $1,296 |
| 7 | John Richardson | Sacramento, CA | $1,039 |
| 8 | Isaac Crow | Downey, CA | $866 |
| 9 | Clifford Paine | Sacramento, CA | $745 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #4 NLHE
| $500+$55 | 101 | $48,985 |
| 1 | Michael Rosenbach | Santa Rosa, CA | $13,874 |
| 2 | Ian Remmel | South Lake Tahoe, CA | $8,570 |
| 3 | Vincent Remmel | South Lake Tahoe, CA | $6,188 |
| 4 | Darren Williams | Martinez, CA | $4,545 |
| 5 | Steve Johnson | Northridge, CA | $3,395 |
| 6 | Anthony Winters | Patterson, CA | $2,555 |
| 7 | Julius Estrada | Alameda, CA | $1,965 |
| 8 | Joshua Pender | Rockhill, SC | $1,539 |
| 9 | Donald McCormack | Perris, CA | $1,227 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #5 NLHE
| $300+$45 | 188 | $54,708 |
| 1 | Daniel Aran | San Jose, CA | $13,874 |
| 2 | Dan Natarelli | Simi Valley, CA | $8,570 |
| 3 | Ziv Fromovich | Sunnyvale, CA | $6,188 |
| 4 | Stephen Knapp | Rancho Cordova, CA | $4,545 |
| 5 | Gregory Derov | Reno, NV | $3,395 |
| 6 | Vincent Fucillo | Merced, CA | $2,580 |
| 7 | Christopher Simone | San Jose, CA | $1,993 |
| 8 | Jeremy Davis | Tucson, AZ | $1,565 |
| 9 | Sean Drake | Sacramento, CA | $1,249 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #6 NLHE
| $300+$45 | 221 | $64,311 |
| 1 | Rudy Sisson | Sacramento, CA | $15,741 |
| 2 | Reid Harris III | St. Simons, GA | $9,729 |
| 3 | Aryeh Cohen | Brooklyn, NY | $7,081 |
| 4 | Jimmy Rogers | Payson, AZ | $5,236 |
| 5 | Paul Evans | Mount Shasta, CA | $3,933 |
| 6 | Peter Sullivan | Roscoe, IL | $3,000 |
| 7 | Jeffrey Surdez | Discovery Bay, CA | $2,323 |
| 8 | Gary Isaacson | Brentwood, CA | $1,826 |
| 9 | Jarrett Fenlon | Richmond, CA | $1,456 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #7 NLHE
| $300+$45 | 199 | $57,909 |
| 1 | Nicholas Long | South Lake Tahoe, CA | $14,705 |
| 2 | Steve Kujubu | Sacramento, CA | $9,084 |
| 3 | Ivan Holmes | Berkeley, CA | $6,559 |
| 4 | Merwick J. Black | Pollock Pines, CA | $4,817 |
| 5 | Clay Richardson | South Lake Tahoe, CA | $3,599 |
| 6 | Paul Kossluk | Ashland, OR | $2,735 |
| 7 | Joshua Roberts | Garland, TX | $2,122 |
| 8 | Neil Curran | Park City, UT | $1,659 |
| 9 | Beverly Cheney | Grandbury, TX | $1,323 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #8 NLHE
| $300+$45 | 206 | $59,946 |
| 1 | Alexandru Masek | San Diego, CA | $15,236 |
| 2 | Scott Stewart | Lakewood, CA | $9,411 |
| 3 | David Holder | Norman, OK | $6,795 |
| 4 | Gregory Sayabalian | Gardnerville, NV | $4,991 |
| 5 | Brett Schwertley | Omaha, NE | $3,728 |
| 6 | Garilyn Nelson | Ogden, UT | $2,835 |
| 7 | Shain Matthews | Marysville, CA | $2,189 |
| 8 | Rex Clinkscales | Las Vegas, NV | $1,719 |
| 9 | George Saca | Sacramento, CA | $1,371 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #9 NLHE
| $300+$45 | 186 | $54,126 |
| 1 | Troy Declue | Wildomar, CA | $13,724 |
| 2 | Jeffrey Rowland | Fortville, IN | $8,476 |
| 3 | Manuel Lozano | Santa Monica, CA | $6,120 |
| 4 | Erie Mankin | Sacramento, CA | $4,495 |
| 5 | David Williams | Palo Cedro | $3,358 |
| 6 | David Brody | Las Vegas, NV | $2,552 |
| 7 | Leonard Swisher | Modesto | $1,971 |
| 8 | Travis Atkins | Placerville, CA | $1,548 |
| 9 | Rip Fritzer | La Mesa, CA | $1,235 |
With three events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Hammond Casino Champion is wide open. Whoever captures that title, along with the eventual winner of the Main Event, will automatically qualify for the Second Annual $1 Million National Championship. That event is limited to 100 players, and so far only six have qualified:
National Championship Qualifiers
| Jerry Monroe | IP Biloxi Main Event Winner |
In addition to the qualifiers, players who earn enough points on the National Leaderboard will be able to buy-in to the National Championship:
WSOPC National Leaderboard Top Ten*
| Felicia Johnico | 107.5 | 1 | 4 | $21,998 |
| Beverly Cheney | 105 | 0 | 5 | $27,117 |
| Russell Ivy | 102.5 | 0 | 4 | $65,035 |
| Thomas Cronin | 95 | 0 | 4 | $21,396 |
| Peter Mavro | 87.5 | 0 | 5 | $11,892 |
| Benjamin Kramer | 85 | 1 | 4 | $28,848 |
| John Evans | 85 | 0 | 4 | $11,921 |
| Scott Schwalich | 80 | 1 | 3 | $34,846 |
| Robert Newman | 77.5 | 1 | 3 | $29,930 |
| David Clark | 77.5 | 1 | 3 | $21,143 |
*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe stop.
Don’t miss your chance to qualify for the National Championship. There are still plenty of opportunities to play, including any of the remaining stops on the WSOP Circuit schedule.
Remaining 2011-2012 WSOPC Schedule
| Circuit Event | Caesars Palace (Las Vegas) | Jan. 19 – 30, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s Tunica | Feb. 2 – 13, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Palm Beach Kennel Club | Feb. 16 – 27, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Caesars Atlantic City | March 1 – 12, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s Rincon | March 15 – 26, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Horseshoe Council Bluffs | March 29 – April 9, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s St. Louis | April 12 – 23, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s Chester | April 26 – May 7, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s New Orleans | May 10 – 21, 2012 |
Be sure to follow our live updates from the WSOP-Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Main Event.
*Photo courtesy of Eric Harkins and ImageMasters.
Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook today! In the meantime, see who qualifies for the National Championship this weekend by following our Live Reporting Team’s coverage from Lake Tahoe.
Follow Chad Holloway on Twitter – @ChadAHolloway
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