Friedel Captures Event #8 Title
Again, a snippet from Nolan Dalla's official report shall suffice to recap the action from Event #8 here in St. Louis:
Stephen Friedel made his case today as the best poker player in his court. The criminal prosecutor from Vandalia, IL not only persuaded all who were witnesses, he also swung an impartial jury of 52-cards in his favor, ending up with a final verdict in the amount of $33,664.
The 41-year-old attorney also ended up with an additional settlement in the form of his first World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring.
The trial took place over a two-day period at the Harrah’s St. Louis Riverboat Resort and Casino. There was plenty of evidence in Friedel’s favor when it came to earning his first major tournament victory. However, the final verdict was uncertain until the closing final argument, when Friedel managed to win with an ace-high against a very tough defendant named Michael Sanders.
Indeed, Sanders looked like he might prevail at one point. He enjoyed the chip lead during much of the trial’s final stages. But his objections to Friedel’s motions were repeatedly overruled by the deck, resulting in what some may consider a surprising final verdict.
Another player of note was Drew Woodke, who went on trial at the final table for the second time in three days. He didn’t win his case, but did manage to move into serious contention in the “Best All-Around Player” race for the Harrah’s St. Louis series.
Also of note was Dennis Phillips’ seventh-place finish. The region’s most famous poker player broke once the national scene four years ago during his third-place finish in the 2008 WSOP Main Event Championship (he was chip leader during much of the finale). This time, Phillips ended up finishing in seventh place.
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s St. Louis Ring Event #8 No Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $500+$65 | 292 | $141,620 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Friedel | Vandalia, IL | $33,664 |
| 2 | Michael Sanders | London, AR | $20,805 |
| 3 | Steven Skowronski | Hammond, IN | $15,096 |
| 4 | Drew Woodke | Omaha, NE | $11,137 |
| 5 | Ben Smith | Viola, WI | $8,353 |
| 6 | Jae Chang | Austin, TX | $6,365 |
| 7 | Dennis Phillips | Cottage Hills, IL | $4,926 |
| 8 | Christopher Parr | Fort Worth, TX | $3,871 |
| 9 | William Stone | Auburndale, WI | $3,089 |