Tristan Wade Wins WSOP Circuit Palm Beach Kennel Club Main Event for $106,806
The first stop of the 2014/2015 World Series of Poker Circuit came to an end on Monday at Palm Beach Kennel Club in Florida. The stop, which featured 12 gold ring events, culminated with a $1,675 Main Event, a tournament that attracted 303 entrants including former world champs Jamie Gold and Greg Raymer.
The final table of the event included heavy hitters like Zo Karim, David Diaz, Chance Kornuth and Tristan Wade, and in the end it was Wade who emerged victorious to capture the $106,806 first-place prize as well as a seat into the season-ending National Championship.
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tristan Wade | Boynton Beach, FL | $106,806 |
| 2 | David Diaz | Memphis, TN | $66,039 |
| 3 | Thomas Midena | Brooklyn, MI | $47,963 |
| 4 | Kristopher Bradshaw | Scottville, MI | $35,428 |
| 5 | Zo Karim | Orlando, FL | $26,597 |
| 6 | Will Souther | Biloxi, MS | $20,284 |
| 7 | Chance Kornuth | Las Vegas, NV | $15,712 |
| 8 | Benjamin Zetina | West Palm Beach, FL | $12,353 |
| 9 | Philip Consolo | Miami Shores, FL | $9,858 |
Notable finishes: Mike Dentale (31st - $2,713), Justin Zaki (23rd - $3,968), Nancy Birnbaum (22nd - $3,968), Michael Moed (19th - $4,627), Chris Conrad (18th - $5,472), Nathan Bjerno (13th - $6,563)
According to the WSOP Blog, the first elimination of the final table came in Level 21 (5,000/10,000/1,000) when Wade opened for 22,000 from under the gun, David Diaz called from the button, and Philip Consolo shoved all in for 140,000 from the small blind. Wade got out of the way and Diaz called.
Consolo: A♣K♣
Diaz: 7♦7♥
It was a flip, but not after the flop came down 10♠10♣7♣ to give Diaz a flopped full house. The 8♣ turn gave Consolo a flush, but it was useless and actually left him drawing dead. The meaningless 6♣ was put out on the river for good measure, and Consolo took his leave in ninth place for $9,858.
After Benjamin Zetina bowed out in eighth place, Kornuth followed him out the door in seventh. It happened in Level 22 (6,000/12,000/2,000) when Kornuth raised to 24,000 from the cutoff only to have Kristopher Bradshaw three-bet him from the button. Kornuth responded by moving all in and Bradshaw made a quick call.
Kornuth: 9♠9♦
Bradshaw: 8♥8♦
It was a great spot for Kornuth, but he got extremely unlucky when the flop came down 8♣5♣2♠ to give Bradshaw top set. Neither the K♥ turn nor 3♥ river helped Kornuth, and he had to settle for seventh place and $15,712 in prize money.
Souther was the next to go after a three-way all-in pot where his pocket eights ran into the pocket kings of Thomas Midena and A♠J♣ of Karim. The kings held to secure Midena a triple, while Karim made a pair of jacks to eliminate the man known as “Monkey” in sixth place. Karim would exit a little while later when his A♦K♣ failed to win a race against the Q♣Q♠ of Wade. Karim took home $26,597 for his fifth-place finish.
The elimination of Bradshaw in fourth place brought about a close to Day 2, meaning a triumvirate of players returned for Day 3. WSOP bracelet winners Diaz and Wade sat first and second in chips respectively, while Midena, a Mid-States Poker Tour champ, was on the short stack.
Action resumed in Level 27 (20,000/40,000/5,000), and it didn’t take long for action to heat up. It happened when Wade limped from the button, Midena called from the small blind, and then both players called when Diaz raised to 140,000. When the flop fell 10♠9♠5♥, action checked to Wade and he bet 280,000. Midena responded by moving all in, Diaz folded, and Wade snap-called.
Midena: Q♥10♦
Wade: 10♣9♣
Midena had flopped top pair, but it was no good as Wade had flopped top two. The K♣ turn gave Midena a gutshot straight draw, but the 2♥ blanked on the river. Midena was barely covered, which meant his run came to an end in third place for $47,963.
Heads-up play began with Wade and Diaz nearly even in chips, but the Wade pulled out to massive chip lead after a big hand in which both players held two pair. In what would be the last hand of the tournament, Wade raised to 80,000 on the button and then called when Diaz moved all in.
Wade: K♦10♦
Diaz: J♦J♣
The A♦8♣7♣ flop was safe for Diaz, but the K♣ turn wasn’t. Wade paired his king and just needed to dodge a jack and clubs on the river to clinch victory. That’s just what he did as the 7♦ completed the board.
Congratulations to Tristan Wade on winning the WSOP Circuit Palm Beach Kennel Club for $106,806, winning his first gold ring and securing a spot in the National Championship.
The WSOP Circuit will continue at the IP Biloxi from September 4-15.
*Photos and data courtesy of the WSOP.
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PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
