WSOP-C Indiana Day 3: Carlos Uz Chops and Wins
The final table of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at Caesar's Indiana kicked off with a fast start, as the first player went to the rail on the very first hand. Terry Ogle started the final table with the chip lead, as he and eight other competitors vied for the first place prize money, the WSOP Circuit Ring and entry into the $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event to be held next summer at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. When the dust settled on a fast-paced final table, Carlos Uz walked away with the title after a late deal with Mark Fratter when the two survived to heads-up play.
The chip stacks and seating assignments looked like this as play kicked off:
Seat 1: Terry Ogle — 339,000
Seat 2: Carlos Uz — 329,000
Seat 3: James Lindsay — 74,000
Seat 4: Tom Schneider — 42,500
Seat 5: Chris Viox — 67,500
Seat 6: Vito Casullo, Jr. — 137,500
Seat 7: Thomas Hover — 43,500
Seat 8: Chris Moore — 239,500
Seat 9: Marc Fratter — 115,500
Thomas Hover wasted no time at the start of the final table, getting all his money in pre-flop and finding two callers in Carlos Uz and Vito Casullo. Uz and Casullo both checked the flop of 3♠6♥10♦, and Uz led out when the turn brought the A♥. Casullo folded and Uz tabled A♠K♥ to Hover's gutshot draw with 9♣8♥. The river brought the 10♥ and Hover went to the rail in ninth place ($13,768).
Tom Schneider added a Circuit Main Event final table to his impressive list of 2007 tournament achievements, which included a WSOP bracelet and the title of 2007 WSOP Player of the Year. He came into the final table as the short stack, and found two callers after his pre-flop, all-in move. Casullo and Chris Moore both called, then Casullo led out on the flop of 7♣A♣Q♣. Moore got out of the way as Casullo tabled A♦10♣ to Schneider's 8♥8♠. No help arrived for Schneider on the turn or river, and he was eliminated in eighth place ($20,652).
Next, after Casullo and Uz both limped in, James Lindsey moved all in pre-flop from the small blind. Uz called and Casullo folded, and Lindsey turned up A♠K♥, dominating Uz's A♣9♣. The 9♥ in the door saved Uz's hand and ended Lindsey's tournament in seventh, good for $27,536. It was just a few hands later when Chris Viox moved all in from the small blind after Terry Ogle and Uz limped in from late position. Ogle folded and Uz called with A♥9♥. Viox tabled Q♥3♥, and was eliminated when the board came down 8♠K♥4♠J♠6♦. Viox picked up $34,420 for his sixth-place finish.
Play slowed considerably after Viox's exit, until two players went to the rail in back-to-back hands. In the first hand, Uz, Casullo and Moore all limped in to see a flop of 6♥9♦9♥. All three players checked the flop, then checked again on the 3♦ turn. Action checked around to Moore when the river brought the K♥, and he fired at the pot. Uz raised, and Moore called all in with Q♣9♠ for flopped trips. Uz, though, revealed 10♥2♥ for the rivered flush, and Moore was eliminated in fifth ($41,304).
On the very next hand, Ogle raised pre-flop and found action from Casullo and Marc Fratter. Fratter led out on the flop of 2♠6♣8♦ and Ogle went all in over the top. Fratter made the call with 2♥2♣ for bottom set, while Ogle turned over 8♥2♦ for two pair. No eight came on the turn or river for Ogle, and he was done in fourth ($55,072).
Three-handed play lasted less than 30 minutes before Casullo raised all in pre-flop with 9♦9♣. Fratter made the call with A♠8♦, and the board ran out 10♠Q♥10♣8♣Q♦, counterfeiting Casullo's two pair and giving Fretter the pot with his ace kicker. Casullo was eliminated in third place for $68,840.
Once Casullo was eliminated, Fratter and Uz were nearly tied in chips, so the two remaining players decided to make a deal to split the money almost evenly and play for the WSOP Circuit Ring, the title and the Main Event Seat. With the two virtually even in chips, they talked deal and agreed to play out one last hand to determine which player got the ring and which player got the slightly larger piece of the prize pool. On the final hand, Uz pushed all in and Fretter made the call. The flop came down K♦Q♦7♦ and Fretter mucked, leaving Carlos Uz with the WSOP Circuit Championship and the ring, along with $165,000. Mark Fratter took home $175,034, along with the $11,000 WSOP Main Event Package for his officially second-place finish.
