World Series of Poker Circuit Bicycle Casino Main Event Begins Jan. 12
The ninth stop of the 2012/2013 World Series of Poker Circuit presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof recently kicked off at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California, featuring 12 ring events. This weekend, PokerNews will be providing live coverage of the $1,675 Main Event. But before that event gets under way, we'll take a look back at the events that have already concluded at the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino.
Among the tournaments already in the books is Event #5 $585 No-Limit Hold’em, which attracted 157 entries to create a prize pool of $78,500. After two days of play, Nathan Bjerno, who was playing in just his second WSOP Circuit event ever, emerged victorious to claim the gold ring and accompanying $21,180 first-place prize.
Bjerno, 24, managed to dominate the final table and finish off his opponents in 150 minutes, well shy of the 6.5-hour average of WSOP Circuit final tables. One of those opponents, WSOP Circuit ring winner Alex Bylicki, finished in fourth; and another ring winner, Jason Coon, missed out on the final table by just one spot when he was eliminated in tenth place.
Here’s what the WSOP had to say about Bjerno, a semiprofessional poker player originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, who now lives in California:
“Even though he knocked out few opponents until the very end, Bjerno was the beneficiary of a couple of key hands that kept him out of the danger zone. He made a full house on his final hand, which guaranteed the victory. [Removed:113] finished as the runner-up. Bjerno is a semi-professional poker player. He plays part time, but does take the game very seriously. Prior to the events of Black Friday, Bjerno was mostly an online player. Now, he plays some live games and perhaps only two to three tournaments each month. Last year, Bjerno enjoyed a big break when he won six figures in a major tournament held in Los Angeles. He's kept most of that money, due largely to a patient approach to the game and a great amount of personal discipline.”
“Bjerno admits that he's not sure what direction he'll go in life. He says poker is working out well, but, at the same time, has no illusions that life as a professional poker player is either automatic or easy. To the contrary. Bjerno seems content to take everything one day at a time. And this was a very good day. This tournament produced one of the more interesting finales of the series. The final table included an eclectic mix of players. Two golf professionals, three Canadians, and two females made up the motley crew. All that was missing was a partridge in a pear tree.”
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
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 273 | $81,900 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clark Harney | Newhall, CA | $19,660 |
| 2 | Chad Bruhn | Tempe, AZ | $12,145 |
| 3 | Jordan Cristos | Palmdale, CA | $8,815 |
| 4 | Kristin Weeks | Crandall, TX | $6,505 |
| 5 | Kent Keilholtz | Orange, CA | $4,873 |
| 6 | Amir Ghazvinian | Reseda, CA | $3,715 |
| 7 | Robert McVeigh | Huntington Beach, CA | $2,875 |
| 8 | Stephen Rivera | Northridge, CA | $2,260 |
| 9 | Robert Lundin | Lancaster, CA | $1,805 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #2 No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $500+$80 | 167 | $83,500 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wendy Freedman | San Francisco, CA | $22,545 |
| 2 | Tom Masinter | Dublin, CA | $13,935 |
| 3 | William Steffin | Los Angeles, CA | $10,030 |
| 4 | Sam Barnhart | Little Rock, AR | $7,350 |
| 5 | Mark Yamamoto | Monterey Park, CA | $5,485 |
| 6 | Michael Noori | Tarzana, CA | $4,160 |
| 7 | Matthew Weber | Sacramento, CA | $3,210 |
| 8 | Savino Nunez | Firebaugh, CA | $2,520 |
| 9 | Ryan Riess | East Lansing, MI | $2,010 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #3 No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 723 | $216,900 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Yoon | Los Angeles, CA | $43,340 |
| 2 | Daniel Schunk | Santa Monica, CA | $26,745 |
| 3 | Kent Keilholtz | Orange, CA | $19,715 |
| 4 | Rod Dingler | Temecula, CA | $14,695 |
| 5 | Barbara Enright | Hollywood, CA | $11,100 |
| 6 | Chris Roulier | Burbank, CA | $8,490 |
| 7 | Richard Munro | Sherman Oaks, CA | $6,580 |
| 8 | Julie Dang | Rosemead, CA | $5,160 |
| 9 | Min So | Federal Way, WA | $4,095 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #4 No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 198 | $59,400 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amir Ghazvinian | Reseda, CA | $15,440 |
| 2 | Oscar Zavala | Bakersfield, CA | $9,540 |
| 3 | Stephen Elliott | Tri-Cities, WA | $6,890 |
| 4 | Nathan Brady | Chino, CA | $5,060 |
| 5 | George Mosher | Riverside, CA | $3,780 |
| 6 | Hung Bui | Irvine, CA | $2,870 |
| 7 | Cludo Georgiadis | Valley Village, CA | $2,220 |
| 8 | Trevor Deeter | Philadelphia, PA | $1,740 |
| 9 | Daku Ogawa | Los Angeles, CA | $1,390 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #5 No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $500+$80 | 157 | $78,500 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan Bjerno | Corona, CA | $21,180 |
| 2 | [Removed:113] | Las Vegas, NV | $13,100 |
| 3 | Jason Tulloss | Arlington Heights, IL | $9,430 |
| 4 | Alex Bylicki | Vancouver, BC, Canada | $6,910 |
| 5 | Lily Newhouse | Middletown, PA | $5,155 |
| 6 | Thomas Beckstead | Temecula, CA | $3,910 |
| 7 | Clark McKay | Prince Albert, SK, Canada | $3,020 |
| 8 | Damien Leforces | Bellflower, CA | $2,370 |
| 9 | Justine Roders | Richland, WA | $1,890 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #6 No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 193 | $57,900 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Taylor | Chandler, AZ | $15,050 |
| 2 | Stephen Rivera | Northridge, CA | $9,300 |
| 3 | David Pecaski | Vancouver, BC, Canada | $6,715 |
| 4 | Michael Quick | Torrance, CA | $4,930 |
| 5 | Daniel Illingworth | Carlsbad, CA | $3,685 |
| 6 | Jose Marcal | Thousand Oaks, CA | $2,800 |
| 7 | Shaun Abkarian | La Verne, CA | $2,165 |
| 8 | Alan J. He | Vancouver, BC, Canada | $1,700 |
| 9 | Daniel Gilmer | Ashland, OH | $1,355 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #7 No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000+$125 | 157 | $157,000 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raymond Henson | Houston, TX | $42,390 |
| 2 | Everett Carlton | St. Paul, MN | $26,195 |
| 3 | Jason Leet | Miami, FL | $18,855 |
| 4 | Derrick Yamada | Sacramento, CA | $13,820 |
| 5 | Shawn Daniels | Wayne, PA | $10,310 |
| 6 | Simon Samano | Gonzales, CA | $7,825 |
| 7 | Michael Nia | Calabasas, CA | $6,040 |
| 8 | Pogos Simityan | Glendale, CA | $4,735 |
| 9 | Mack Lee | Los Angeles, CA | $3,775 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #8 Omaha Eight or Better
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 177 | $53,100 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Gibbs | Ontario, CA | $14,350 |
| 2 | Larry Siegel | Glendale, CA | $8,860 |
| 3 | Marshall Ragir | Los Angeles, CA | $6,380 |
| 4 | James Manning | Waco, TX | $4,675 |
| 5 | Greg Dinkin | N/A | $3,485 |
| 6 | Dale Beaudoin | Las Vegas, NV | $2,645 |
| 7 | Gioi Luong | Westminster, CA | $2,040 |
| 8 | Tony Phan | Tucson, AZ | $1,600 |
| 9 | Michael Noori | Tarzana, CA | $1,280 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #9 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 212 | $63,600 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Masek | San Diego, CA | $15,905 |
| 2 | William Fagerbakke | Topanga, CA | $9,825 |
| 3 | Jason Tulloss | Arlington Heights, IL | $7,150 |
| 4 | Keith Rogers | Los Angeles, CA | $5,290 |
| 5 | Brian Gorman | Los Angeles, CA | $3,975 |
| 6 | Jose Franco | Santa Ana, CA | $3,030 |
| 7 | Jim Hoff | Los Angeles, CA | $2,345 |
| 8 | William Leffingwell | Tyler, TX | $1,845 |
| 9 | Anselmo Villarreal | Greenfield, WI | $1,470 |
With several events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Champion is undetermined. Whoever captures that title, along with the eventual winner of the Main Event, will automatically qualify for the Second Annual $1 Million National Championship. Here's a look at the players who have qualified:
National Championship Qualifiers
| Player | Qualified |
|---|---|
| Jonathan Chehanske | Harrah’s Rincon Main Event Champion |
| Valentin Vornicu | Harrah’s Rincon Casino Champion |
| Adam Teasdale | Harrah’s Atlantic City Main Event Champion |
| Brandon Fish | Harrah’s Atlantic City Casino Champion |
| Cary Marshall | Harveys Lake Tahoe Main Event Champion |
| Daniel Gilmer | Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino Champion |
| John Crncic | River Rock (Vancouver) Main Event Winner |
| Sandra Wong | River Rock (Vancouver) Casino Champion |
| Josh Williams | Horseshoe Horseshoe Hammond Main Event Winner |
| Mike Leah | Horseshoe Hammond Casino Champion |
| Dan Heimiller | Horseshoe Southern Indiana Main Event Winner |
| Jonathan Taylor | Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino Champion |
| Quan Nguyen | Bossier City Casino Champion |
| Jeff Gibralter | Bossier City Main Event Champion |
| Kyle Cartwright | IP Biloxi Main Event Winner |
| Cory Wood | IP Biloxi Casino Champion |
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*
| Player | Points | Rings | Cashed | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rex Clinkscales | 167.5 | 0 | 7 | $38,368 |
| Yossi Azulay | 165 | 0 | 12 | $79,218 |
| Charles “Woody” Moore | 150 | 0 | 7 | $46,997 |
| Caufman Talley | 142.5 | 2 | 5 | $82,963 |
| Aaron Massey | 142.5 | 1 | 5 | $55,252 |
| Carter Myers | 125 | 1 | 6 | $49,713 |
| Donna Delfin | 112.5 | 1 | 3 | $26,908 |
| Ashly Butler | 112.5 | 1 | 4 | $25,415 |
| Ari Engel | 105 | 1 | 4 | $68,762 |
| Trevor Deeter | 105 | 1 | 6 | $33,098 |
*Entering the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino stop.
Here's a look at the remaining schedule for the 2012-13 WSOP Circuit:
| Date | Event Location |
|---|---|
| Jan. 10-21, 2013 | Choctaw Durant (Dallas/Oklahoma) |
| Jan. 24 - Feb. 4, 2013 | Harrah’s Tunica (Mississippi) |
| Feb. 7-18, 2013 | Caesars Palace (Las Vegas) |
| Feb. 14-25, 2013 | Palm Beach Kennel Club (Florida) |
| Feb. 28 - March 11, 2013 | Caesars Atlantic City |
| March 14-25, 2013 | Horseshoe Cleveland |
| March 27 - April 8, 2013 | Foxwoods (Connecticut) |
| April 4-15, 2012 | Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina) |
| April 11-April 22, 2013 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs (Iowa) |
| April 25 - May 6, 2013 | Harrah’s Philadelphia |
| May 9 - May 20, 2013 | Harrah’s New Orleans |
| May 21-23, 2013 | Harrah’s New Orleans (National Championship) |
For more information on the 2012-13 WSOP Circuit season, visit WSOP.com. Also, be sure to follow our live updates from the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino in our Live Reporting Section.
*Photos courtesy of WSOP.com.
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PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
