April 11 2012, Paul Oresteen

After three long days of action and an off day for the Easter holiday a winner has been crowned at the World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Council Bluffs Main Event. Scott Stanko emerged victorious after a two-hour heads-up battle against Charles “Woody” Moore. For the win, Stanko takes home a seat to the $1 million National Championship freeroll in Las Vegas, a WSOPC gold championship ring, and $101,266.

Stanko began the final table as the chip leader at the start of the day:

The first player to depart the final table was Jeremy Jagoda. He was significantly out-chipped at the beginning of the day, and was looking to double up early. He shoved from the button holding after Stanko opened. Jagoda failed to connect with anything on the board and Stanko flopped a pair of tens with queen-ten, making Jagoda’s day a short affair.

Pej Niyati entered play with an above-average chip stack, but the early goings were brutal for him. He lost three key hands in the second level of the day to Stanko, Casey Cavanaugh and Mark Bonsack. In his elimination hand, Niyati shoved from the cutoff and James Smith called from the small blind. Niyati held and Smith held . Smith spiked an ace on the flop and Niyati’s day was done.

The next elimination occurred when Sean Moore jammed from the small blind and James Smith called from the big blind. The two were almost dead even in chips with Smith holding a 40,000-chip advantage. Moore was on a hope and a prayer holding but Smith crushed those dreams when he tabled . Moore didn’t connect with the board and was eliminated, earning nearly $15,000 for his efforts in Council Bluffs.

Charles Moore ended James Smith’s fate about 15 minutes later. The two saw a flop of , Smith three-bet all in, and Moore called with . Smith was outkicked holding , he bricked on the turn and river, and was eliminated in sixth place.

Mark Bonsack’s day ended with a curious hand that arched a few eyebrows around the room. Charles Moore opened for 80,000, Bonsack called from the button, and the flop rolled out . Moore bet 375,000 and Bonsack said aloud, “I have a pair Woody.” Bonsack just called, leaving only 120,000 behind. The turn was the and Moore pushed out enough to put Bonsack all in. Bonsack called and tabled pocket fives. Moore showed pocket eights, the river bricked, and Bonsack was eliminated.

Stephen Ma entered four-handed play close in chips with his opponents. He slipped under 1,000,000 when he shipped about 300,000 to Moore, and then got involved in a hand with Stanko. Ma, holding , called all in on the turn of a board reading . Stanko had pocket aces and eliminated Ma when the fell on the river.

There were dramatic swings for each player during three-handed play. Stanko, Moore and Casey Cavanaugh were not shy about getting chips into pots. Cavanaugh’s fateful hand occurred when all three committed 80,000 preflop and watched the flop fall . After two checks, Stanko bet 80,000, Moore folded, and Cavanaugh check-raised to 275,000. Stanko shoved and Cavanaugh called. They each held a ten but Stanko had him out-kicked with an ace. Cavanaugh couldn’t boat up and was eliminated in third place.

The heads-up match between Stanko and Moore lasted nearly two hours. Moore doubled up with pocket aces and seemed to have gained the momentum, but Stanko would not relent. He ground Moore down over the next level and a half, taking mostly medium-sized pots. During the last 20 minutes of play, Moore was teetering just over 1,000,000.

The final hand began when Moore limped on the button and Stanko raised to 250,000. Moore moved in and Stanko called holding . Moore held and looked to double up after catching an eight on the flop. But this day belonged to Stanko and the turn brought the . Moore bricked on the river and Stanko claimed the title.

WSOPC Horseshoe Council Bluffs Final Table Results

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February 27 2012, Mickey Doft

Day 3 of the World Series of Poker Circuit Palm Beach Kennel Club Main Event began with 21 players remaining from the starting field of 778. After about four hours, the final table of nine was reached. One of the notables who fell short of the final table was Brian “Stinger 88″ Hastings. Having bypassed Day 1 entirely, he opted to buy in on Day 2 with a 20-big-blind stack, and made an excellent run, but came up just short in 11th place. Here’s how the final table of nine stacked up:

It was a fast and furious start as pocket aces were aplenty. Chris Parsons was the first to fall when he ran into Jamil Wakil’s . A on the flop was not enough to save Parsons, giving him the ninth-place finish.

On the following hand, Sterling Savill got his eight-big-blind stack into the middle with . Jim Harnden looked him up, but Matthew O’Brien picked up in the small blind and isolated the pot. The board ran out and O’Brien’s aces held to send Savill away in eighth place.

David Stefenski bid adieu in seventh place, getting his chips into the middle holding . Drazen Ilich had him at risk with , but was not happy to see the flop come down . Stefanski took the lead, but lost it right back when the smashed the turn to give Ilich the set. Stefanski still had outs to a flush on the river, and he made it happen when the fell. However, that also filled up Ilich’s boat to end Stefanki’s run.

Six-handed play lasted for about two hours before Drazen Ilich met his end. A preflop raising war between Ilich and O’Brien culminated with Ilich all-in and at-risk holding to O’Brien’s . The flop kept Ilich ahead, but the turn vaulted O’Brien to the lead. Ilich wasn’t saved on the river, and he was eliminate in sixth place – making five WSOPC final tables for him without the elusive first-place finish.

Jamil Wakil was the most aggressive player at the table and his aggression led to him building a sizable chip lead early on. However, two hands in quick succession did Wakil in. First, on an board, Wakil put Rob Williamson to the test following a three-bet shove. Williamson, with about 17 big blinds behind, called all-in with for a Broadway draw. Wakil was well ahead with , but the nailed the turn. A stunned Wakil didn’t catch up on the river, and his day was about to get worse.

Wakil was involved in another hand where his hijack raise was called by Jim Harnden in the big blind. Harnden then overbet the flop. Wakil called to see the turn, and after Harnden bet two-thirds of the pot, Wakil reraised all-in. He was stunned to see Harnden call and turn over , which happened to be well ahead of Wakil’s . The river ended Wakil’s event in fifth place.

The final four players departed for a dinner break and when they returned a half hour later, the chips were flying. Roman Valerstein lost a race with to Harnden’s when a king hit the flop. O’Brien followed him to the payout desk about 15 minutes later after a his river bluff with on a board ran smack into Harnden’s .

Heads-up play began with Harnden holding about a 3.5:1 chip lead and in two hands he had all of the chips. It ended when he three-bet shoved into Rob Williamson’s . The board ran out , giving Harnden a pair of queens to earn the gold ring, as well as $226,395.

Final Table Payouts

The World Series of Poker Circuit’s next stop is at Caesars Atlantic City from March 1 through 12. For the remaining WSOPC schedule, and to find out when you can get in on the action, head over to WSOP.com.

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