A Look Back at the WSOP-C Harrah's Tunica Ring Events
February 17 2011, Chad Holloway
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team just returned from Tunica, Mississippi, where they were covering the latest Main Event on the World Series of Poker Circuit. The stop marked the halfway point of the 2010/2011 WSOP-C schedule and comprised nine ring events in addition to the Main Event. Here's a look back at all the action, events, and winners from Tunica.
The stop got off to a big start with Event #5, $345 No-Limit Hold’em, the first ring event on the schedule. An astounding 1,032 players entered, making it the second largest field in Harrah’s Tunica history behind only a $500 event back 2006 that drew 1,345 players. That event was eventually won by Bill Wellman, a married father of three, who fought back tears after the win. “This is the greatest accomplishment that I’ve had,” he said. “For years I’ve wanted to take down the ring and then go on and win the bracelet; this is step one.”
As the WSOP-C Tunica stop progressed, it soon emerged that the no one was having more success than Kyle Cartwright. In just his third live tournament, Cartwright defeated a field of 410 players to emerge as the Event #20, $345 No-Limit Hold’em champ. A week later, Cartwright followed up that win with another, that time in Event #44, $555 No-Limit Hold'em. Those two wins combined for $56,789 in winnings, two gold rings, and 100 WSOP-C points, making him the “Casino Champion” and securing a spot in the National Championship $1 Million Freeroll in May.
Here are a few other fun facts regarding the 2010/2011 WSOP-C Tunica stop followed by a recap of each ring event:
- The first Harrah’s Tunica WSOP-C event took place in August of 2005. The inaugural event saw 873 players enter.
- Daphne Turner, who defeated Allen Kessler heads-up to win the mixed games event at Harrah’s New Orleans, was the last women to win a WSOP-C ring event until La Sengphet accomplished the feat in Tunica by winning Event #41, $555 No-Limit Hold’em.
- Sengphet’s boyfriend, David Clark, won a gold ring in Event #1 at the WSOP-C stop in Choctaw last month.
- Speaking of Sengphet, she had the opportunity to claim the Casino Championship with a fifth-place finish or better in the Main Event. She came close, finishing tenth.
Event #5 (Ring Event #1) - No-Limit Hold'em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $300+$45 | 1,032 | $295,866 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | Bill Wellman | Bethalto, IL | $54,747 |
| 2nd | Donald Johnson | Carbondale, IL | $33,841 |
| 3rd | Robert McDaniel | West Memphis, AR | $25,149 |
| 4th | Richard Gibson | Sidon, MS | $18,906 |
| 5th | Kevin Miles | Rising Fawn, GA | $14,376 |
| 6th | Samuel Devers | Fenton, MO | $11,059 |
| 7th | Christopher Welch | Nashville, TN | $8,607 |
| 8th | Linda Creasy | Hendersonville, TN | $6,775 |
| 9th | Jordan Myers | Bartlett, TN | $5,397 |
Event #8 (Ring Event #2) - No-Limit Hold'em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $300+$45 | 448 | $130,368 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | Bradley Clay | Southhaven, MS | $28,090 |
| 2nd | Trent Bennett | Fulton, MS | $17,357 |
| 3rd | Roger Foley | Thayer, MO | $12,683 |
| 4th | Charles Belcher | Rowlett, TX | $9,417 |
| 5th | David Jacobs | West Palm Beach, FL | $7,101 |
| 6th | Leonard Rodgers | Paragould, AR | $5,435 |
| 7th | Nicholas Willie | Bowling Green, KY | $4,221 |
| 8th | Luther Lewis | Goodlettsville, TN | $3,325 |
| 9th | Justin Kruger | Denison, TX | $2,656 |
Event #14 (Ring Event #3) – Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $300+$45 | 155 | $45,105 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | Jessie Bryant | Conway, AR | $11,687 |
| 2nd | Christopher Logue | Lakeside, TX | $7,223 |
| 3rd | Jay Pettlon | St. Louis, MO | $5,200 |
| 4th | Mark Pharo | Birmingham, AL | $3,811 |
| 5th | Casey Hayes | Demotte, IN | $2,842 |
| 6th | Kyle Milam | Little Rock, AR | $2,157 |
| 7th | Lindell Price | Memphis, TN | $1,665 |
| 8th | Kenneth Mclendon | Tillatoba, MS | $1,306 |
| 9th | David Whitis | Nashville, TN | $1,042 |
Event #17 (Ring Event #4) - No-Limit Hold'em Six Handed
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $500+$55 | 213 | $103,305 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | James “Tripp” Kirk | Chamblee, GA | $25,220 |
| 2nd | James Quick | Decatur, TN | $15,590 |
| 3rd | Stephen Vuylsteke | Imperial, MO | $11,346 |
| 4th | Jerry Thielemier | Cordova, TN | $8,391 |
| 5th | Radwan Khuri | Memphis, TN | $6,303 |
| 6th | Russell Boyker | Houston, TX | $4,807 |
Event #20 (Ring Event #5) - No-Limit Hold'em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $300+$45 | 410 | $119,310 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | Kyle Cartwright | Bartlett, TN | $25,678 |
| 2nd | Tyler Olsen | Little Rock, AR | $15,869 |
| 3rd | Christopher Dandrea | Nashville, TN | $11,596 |
| 4th | Joshua Cooper | Mt. Juliet, TN | $8,610 |
| 5th | Maurice Hawkins | Coral Springs | $6,493 |
| 6th | James Rapp | Centervile, OH | $4,969 |
| 7th | Darrell Hahs | Friedheim, AR | $3,859 |
| 8th | Timothy McNeely | Helena, AR | $3,040 |
| 9th | Austin McCormick | Chesterfield, MO | $2,428 |
Event #26 (Ring Event #6) - No-Limit Hold'em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $500+$55 | 404 | $192,570 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | Marshall Ruddle | Summertown, TN | $42,367 |
| 2nd | Benjamin Vogt | St. Peters, MO | $26,180 |
| 3rd | John Kulish | Oconto, WI | $19,130 |
| 4th | Joshua Jumpp | Calera, OK | $14,204 |
| 5th | Jennifer Reel | Du Quoin, IL | $10,711 |
| 6th | James McMahon | Olive Branch, MS | $8,198 |
| 7th | Duy Tran | Brentwood, TN | $6,366 |
| 8th | Michael Pagliari | Memphis, TN | $5,015 |
| 9th | Darius Brown | Cleveland, MS | $4,005 |
Event #29 (Ring Event #7) – H.O.R.S.E.
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $300+$45 | 76 | $22,116 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | James Mink | Houston, TX | $6,983 |
| 2nd | Jeffery Welch | Greenfield, IN | $4,321 |
| 3rd | Christopher Wolfe | Rolla, MO | $2,844 |
| 4th | Scott Carlson | Tampa, FL | $1,991 |
| 5th | Joshua Palmer | Daphne, AL | $1,475 |
| 6th | Shane Paxton | Bauxite, AR | $1,154 |
| 7th | David Perkins | Olathe, KS | $950 |
| 8th | Stephen Winkel | Germantown, TN | $820 |
Event #41 (Ring Event #8) - No-Limit Hold'em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $500+$55 | 284 | $137,740 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | La Sengphet | Dallas, TX | $32,394 |
| 2nd | Andy Nguyen | Dallas, TX | $20,019 |
| 3rd | Kelli Mix | Carrollton, GA | $14,525 |
| 4th | Michael Vardeman | Laneville, TX | $10,717 |
| 5th | D. Harfield | California | $8,037 |
| 6th | Daniel Gerald | Nashville, TN | $6,125 |
| 7th | Walter Bell | San Antonio, TX | $4,740 |
| 8th | William McMahan | Newport, TN | $3,725 |
| 9th | Michael Anderson | Cheapeake, VA | $2,972 |
Event #44 (Ring Event #9) - No-Limit Hold'em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $500+$55 | 508 | $147,828 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | Kyle Cartwright | Bartlett, TN | $31,111 |
| 2nd | Allen Kron | Elizabeth, IN | $19,236 |
| 3rd | Randy Stott | Olla, LA | $14,052 |
| 4th | Ferris McManus Jr. | Rock Hill, SC | $10,417 |
| 5th | Christopher Green | Manhattan, KS | $7,834 |
| 6th | Richard Gum | Grantie City, IL | $5,976 |
| 7th | Suzanne Lackey | Union, MO | $4,623 |
| 8th | Donna Jetter | Nashville, TN | $3,628 |
| 9th | Brian Hunt | Pearland, TX | $2,887 |
Event #44 (Ring Event #10) – Main Event
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|
| $1,500+$100 | 480 | $698,400 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Winnings |
|---|
| 1st | Sam Barnhart | Little Rock, AR | $148,612 |
| 2nd | Jesse White | Billings, MT | $91,881 |
| 3rd | Mary Harden | Ooltewah, TN | $67,122 |
| 4th | Brian Burney | Branson, MO | $49,759 |
| 5th | Marco Palacios | Austin, TX | $37,422 |
| 6th | John Nguyen | Fairview Heights, IL | $28,547 |
| 7th | Preston Derden | Houston, TX | $4,623 |
| 8th | Kurt Jewell | Frankfurt, KY | $17,328 |
| 9th | John Holley | Destin, FL | $13,789 |
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