February 11 2012, Chad Holloway
For the last week, the World Series of Poker Circuit has called Harrah’s Tunica home. The 12-event stop kicked off on Feb. 2 and culminates with the Main Event, which kicked off on Saturday, Feb 11. Of course the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be providing coverage of the Main Event, but we thought we’d set the stage with a look back at the preliminary events.
As many of you know, Tunica suffered a devastating flood last spring and all nine casinos temporarily shut down because over eight feet of water crept through the properties. Harrah’s Tunica was one of the hardest hit, but bounced back admirably. The latest WSOP Circuit is proof of this, as numbers have surpassed expectations in every event, including the opening event which drew an startling 1,128 players. That event was won by Chip Ervin of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who took home $59,660 for his efforts.
Another impressive victory came a few days later when 24-year-old Matthew Weber of Sacramento, California, outlasted 359 players in Event #4: $345 No-Limit Hold’em to capture the $23,719 first-place prize. He eliminated poker veteran “Captain” Tom Franklin in eighth place when his pocket tens held against Franklin’s 
. Weber also eliminated Richard Ricardo, Jesse Jackson, and Steve Melton on his way to victory. In fact, Weber eliminated seven of his eight opponents at the final table. A remarkable feat indeed.
Here’s a look at the WSOP Circuit Tunica events that have been completed thus far:
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Tunica Ring Event #1: No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
| $300+$45 | 1,128 | $328,248 |
| 1 | Chip Ervin | Tuscaloosa, AL | $59,660 |
| 2 | Willie Lawrence | Tallahassee, FL | $36,848 |
| 3 | Eddie Carroll | Dayton, OH | $27,381 |
| 4 | Travis Eller | Cookeville, TN | $20,595 |
| 5 | AP Phahurat | Rogers, AR | $15,681 |
| 6 | Thomas Mosier | Bloomington, IN | $12,082 |
| 7 | Terry Kim | Ocean Springs, MS | $9,418 |
| 8 | Rodney Shows | Hattiesburg, MS | $7,424 |
| 9 | Jesse Menley | Hillsboro, MO | $5,917 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Tunica Ring Event #2: No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 701 | $203,991 |
| 1 | Paul Sokoloff | Toronto, ON | $41,544 |
| 2 | Terry Griffith | Magnolia, AR | $25,705 |
| 3 | Jerry Ard | Monticello, MS | $18,854 |
| 4 | Gary Lambert | Quincy, IL | $14,021 |
| 5 | Andrew Bucaric | Brentwood, TN | $10,568 |
| 6 | Jeffrey Overton | Hamilton, AL | $8,071 |
| 7 | Bradford Albrinck | Cincinnati, OH | $6,245 |
| 8 | Jayaram Kottimugalur | Columbus, IN | $4,896 |
| 9 | Randy Ritterbush | Forsyth, MO | $3,887 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Tunica Event #3: No-Limit Hold’em
| $500+$55 | 230 | $111,550 |
| 1 | Andrew Mcilvain | Brentwood, TN | $27,552 |
| 2 | Justice Litle | Reno, NV | $17,028 |
| 3 | Caufman Talley | Lafayette, LA | $12,393 |
| 4 | Patricia Till | Avon, IN | $9,165 |
| 5 | Chris Sebeny | Bloomington, IL | $6,884 |
| 6 | Richard Holliday | Lawrenceville, GA | $5,251 |
| 7 | Michael Schneider | Covington, GA | $4,066 |
| 8 | Houston White | Madison, TN | $3,196 |
| 9 | Michael Kaczmarek | Concord, NC | $2,549 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Tunica Ring Event #4: No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 359 | $104,469 |
| 1 | Matthew Weber | Sacramento, CA | $23,719 |
| 2 | Steven Williams | Little Rock, AR | $14,662 |
| 3 | Steven Melton | Noble, OK | $10,697 |
| 4 | William Buckmaster | Atlanta, GA | $7,934 |
| 5 | Jesse Jackson | Cathage, NC | $5,977 |
| 6 | George Perkins | Kennesaw, GA | $4,571 |
| 7 | Richard Ricardo | NA | $3,547 |
| 8 | Tom Franklin | Gulfport, MS | $2,792 |
| 9 | Brandon Horton | Anderson, SC | $2,229 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Tunica Event #5: No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 394 | $114,654 |
| 1 | Kasey Stanford | Ozark, MO | $24,929 |
| 2 | Jennifer Parrish | Alma, AR | $15,404 |
| 3 | Jospeh Hebda | Saint John, IN | $11,256 |
| 4 | Michael Kelly | Painesville, OH | $8,357 |
| 5 | Michael Hibler | Springfield, MO | $6,302 |
| 6 | Danny Routte | Lake Ozark, MO | $4,823 |
| 7 | Russell Ivy | Carrizo Springs, TX | $3,746 |
| 8 | Ronnie Bone | Hazelwood, MO | $2,950 |
| 9 | Jonathan Dahlberg | Saint Charles, MO | $2,357 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Tunica Ring Event #6: No-Limit Hold’em Six Handed
| $300+$45 | 344 | $98,754 |
| 1 | Michael Urbaniak | O Fallon, MO | $22,714 |
| 2 | Benjamin Kramer | Terre Haute, IN | $28,101 |
| 3 | Matthew Weber | Sacramento, CA | $11,256 |
| 4 | William Phillips | Metairie, LA | $7,598 |
| 5 | Frank Smith | Hazel Green, AL | $6,302 |
| 6 | Charlie Dawson | Owensboro, KY | $4,823 |
| 7 | Jason Ivie | St. Louis, MO | $3,397 |
| 8 | Tim Coleman | Nashville, TN | $2,674 |
| 9 | Christopher Hewitt | Belleville, IL | $2,135 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Tunica Ring Event #7: No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 433 | $126,003 |
| 1 | Andrew Smith | St. Louis, MO | $27,426 |
| 2 | Steve Melton | Noble, OK | $16,947 |
| 3 | Chris Ashley | Martinez, GA | $12,383 |
| 4 | David Clark | Dallas, TX | $9,194 |
| 5 | Drew Dumanski | Richardson, TX | $6,933 |
| 6 | Floyd Arnold | Marietta, GA | $5,306 |
| 7 | Omar Zazay | Dallas, TX | $4,121 |
| 8 | Tom Luce | Sharpsville, IN | $3,246 |
| 9 | Joseph Tyson | Chesterfield, VA | $2,593 |
With several events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Harrah’s Tunica 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
| Kevin Calenzo | Caesars Palace 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*
| David Clark | 165 | 1 | 7 | $56,209 |
| Russell Ivy | 130 | 0 | 7 | $72,703 |
| Benjamin Kramer | 127.5 | 1 | 7 | $58,063 |
| Daniel Lowery | 120 | 0 | 5 | $238,921 |
| Alexandru Masek | 117.5 | 1 | 5 | $125,015 |
| Jeremy Burleson | 117.5 | 2 | 3 | $48,474 |
| Robert Newman | 115 | 1 | 4 | $45,619 |
| Jennifer Parrish | 115 | 0 | 9 | $38,531 |
| Matthew Chang | 112.5 | 1 | 6 | $23,149 |
| Justin Gardenhire | 110 | 1 | 4 | $120,807 |
*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Tunica 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 | 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 |
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 Harrah’s Tunica.
*Photo courtesy of Eric Harkins and ImageMasters.
Follow Chad Holloway on
Comments
January 09 2012, Chad Holloway
The World Series of Poker Circuit kicked off the new year with a special engagement, the first WSOPC stop in Bell Gardens, California. From Jan. 1 through 12, 2012, the Bicycle Casino will play host to 12 ring events, including the $1,600 Main Event that begins Tuesday, January 10.
Only half of the events have finished, but some big stories have already emerged. Michael Rosenbach won his third WSOPC ring when he won Event #4 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em for $22,035. What’s especially incredible is that Rosenbach won all three rings within the last two months, the first two coming at the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe stop. The 29-year old pro’s performance in November earned him the “Best All Around Player” distinction, which guaranteed him a spot in the National Championship.
Speaking of players who have multiple rings, La Sengphet, who you may recall as last year’s National Championship fourth-place finisher, took down Event #5 $345 No-Limit Hold’em, making her the first woman to win three WSOPC titles. Sengphet outlasted a field of 377 players to claim the $25,242 first-place prize, and in doing so, joined an exclusive list of players that have three or more rings including Kyle Cartwright, Dwyte Pilgrim, and Mark “Pegasus” Smith.
La Sengphet
This week, the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be providing coverage of the Main Event. Here’s a look at the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino events completed thus far:
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #1 No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
| $300+$45 | 748 | $217,668 |
| 1 | Huy Quach | West Covina, CA | $44,663 |
| 2 | Joshua Evans | Plano, TX | $27,610 |
| 3 | Ryan Buckholtz | Encino, CA | $20,250 |
| 4 | Travis Carson | Los Angeles, CA | $15,060 |
| 5 | Joseph Saccone | Venice, CA | $11,350 |
| 6 | Kevin Olsta | Bartlett, IL | $8,670 |
| 7 | Arthur Cole | Mission Viejo, CA | $6,710 |
| 8 | Robert Ross | Stockton, CA | $5,260 |
| 9 | Joseph Dickstein | Los Angeles, CA | $4,175 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #2 No-Limit Hold’em
| $500+$55 | 191 | $92,635 |
| 1 | Stephen Graner | Henderson, NV | $25,020 |
| 2 | Andrew Sapiro | Alamo, CA | $15,460 |
| 3 | Casey Stewart | Canyon Country, CA | $11,125 |
| 4 | John Kral | San Diego, CA | $8,155 |
| 5 | Vigen Manukyan | Tujunga, CA | $6,080 |
| 6 | Jeff Madsen | Las Vegas, NV | $4,615 |
| 7 | Sam Rachedi | Venice, CA | $3,565 |
| 8 | Aaron Motoyama | Monterey Park, CA | $2,795 |
| 9 | David Hassett | Canyon Country, CA | $2,230 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Event #3 No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 313 | $91,083 |
| 1 | Adam Bishop | Sparks, NV | $20,958 |
| 2 | Mark Allen | Torrance, CA | $12,960 |
| 3 | Alex Leyberman | Mar Vista, CA | $19,450 |
| 4 | Tom Braband | Las Vegas, NV | $7,010 |
| 5 | Christopher Swan | Campbell, CA | $5,280 |
| 6 | Corey Cutrell | Seattle, WA | $4,035 |
| 7 | Estrella Baltazar | Torrance, CA | $3,135 |
| 8 | Gregory McCullough | Elgin, IL | $2,465 |
| 9 | Noah Fonosch | Inland Empire, CA | $1,970 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #4 No-Limit Hold’em Six Handed
| $500+$55 | 171 | $82,935 |
| 1 | Michael Rosenbach | Santa Rosa, CA | $22,035 |
| 2 | Daniel Illingworth | Carlsbad, CA | $13,920 |
| 3 | Dean Buchanan | Kirkland, WA | $10,020 |
| 4 | Ryan Jones | Torrance, CA | $7,345 |
| 5 | Steven Richhart | Yorba Linda, CA | $5,475 |
| 6 | David Clark | Dallas, TX | $4,155 |
| 7 | Nathan Geise | Fort Wayne, IN | $3,210 |
| 8 | Damien Leforbes | Bellflower, CA | $2,515 |
| 9 | Brian Patrick | Garden Grove, CA | $2,005 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Event #5 No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 377 | $109,707 |
| 1 | La Sengphet | Carrollton, TX | $25,242 |
| 2 | John Carreno | Los Angeles, CA | $15,600 |
| 3 | Lisa Santy | El Segundo, CA | $11,380 |
| 4 | Randy Holland | Winnetka, CA | $8,440 |
| 5 | Josh Seibert | Murrieta, CA | $6,360 |
| 6 | Kiet Tuan | Rosemead, CA | $4,860 |
| 7 | Alex Massman | Calabasas, CA | $3,775 |
| 8 | Casey Berlin | Lynwood, CA | $2,970 |
| 9 | Eli Loewenthal | Carmel, IN | $2,370 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Event #6 No-Limit Hold’em
| $500+$55 | 289 | $140,165 |
| 1 | John Coon | San Diego, CA | $34,340 |
| 2 | Dustin Dobrilovic | Los Angeles, CA | $21,222 |
| 3 | Andrew Barber | Sacramento, CA | $15,300 |
| 4 | Michael Hurey | Stevenson Ranch, CA | $11,280 |
| 5 | Monte Littlefield | Tucson, AZ | $8,450 |
| 6 | Makya McBee | Santa Monica, CA | $6,400 |
| 7 | Harry Hong | Los Angeles, CA | $4,990 |
| 8 | Drew Fanning | Madison, WI | $3,925 |
With several events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Bicycle 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 12 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*
| David Clark | 135 | 1 | 5 | $46,532 |
| Matthew Chang | 112.5 | 1 | 6 | $23,149 |
| Beverly Cheney | 107.5 | 0 | 6 | $27,753 |
| Felicia Johnico | 107.5 | 1 | 4 | $21,998 |
| Russell Ivy | 102.5 | 0 | 4 | $65,035 |
| Gregory Joslyn | 95 | 1 | 5 | $37,533 |
| Thomas Cronin | 95 | 0 | 4 | $21,396 |
| Matthew Colvin | 87.5 | 1 | 7 | $27,741 |
| Nicholas Long | 87.5 | 1 | 5 | $22,996 |
| John Evans | 87.5 | 0 | 5 | $12,551 |
*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino 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 |
*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 week by following our Live Reporting Team’s coverage from the Bicycle Casino.
Follow Chad Holloway on Twitter – @ChadAHolloway
Comments
ROUND Pool Tables
Online Poker Training Center (Website)
Poker Master Mind (Book)
Lord Of Poker (Software)
Online Poker Strategies (Video Training)
Become A Poker Dealer (Books, Videos, photos, etc)
The Latest Poker News
- Two Plus Two Poker Strategy Magazine – October 2014 Publisher Note – by Mason Malmuth
- Two Plus Two Poker Strategy Magazine – June 2014 Publisher Note – by Mason Malmuth
- Two Plus Two Poker Strategy Magazine – April 2014 Publisher Note – by Mason Malmuth
- Two Plus Two Poker Strategy Magazine – March 2014 Publisher Note – by Mason Malmuth
- Two Plus Two Poker Strategy Magazine – February 2014 Publisher Note – by Mason Malmuth
- A Cautionary Tale for Prospective Small Stakes Poker Professionals – by Carlos Welch
- Two Plus Two Poker Strategy Magazine – January 2014 Publisher Note – by Mason Malmuth
- LiveAce – Competitive and Legal US Online Poker – by Adam Stein-Sapir
- Two Plus Two Poker Strategy Magazine – November 2013 Publisher Note – by Mason Malmuth
- World Series of Poker Trip Report, Part 4 – by Andrew Brokos
Poker Videos
Full Tilt Poker Exclusive Offers
Victory Poker Exclusive Offers
Victory Poker Model Videos
PokerStars Exclusive Offers
