2009 WSOP Circuit Event - New Orleans

$5,150 Circuit Championship Event
Day: 3
123
Event Info

2009 WSOP Circuit Event - New Orleans

Final Results
Winner
Prize
$161,175
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,000
Entries
167
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
3,000

Day 3 Dawns; Final Table Awaits

[user66118]
[user66118]
Good afternoon once again from Harrah's New Orleans! There's a poker table with a gator head on it, and that can only mean one thing: It's time for the final table of the Bayou Poker Challenge.

Some 48 hours ago, 167 runners took their seats here in the theatre-turned-tournament room, hoping to find themselves right here on stage today. One hundred fifty-eight of them were unsuccessful, and the number has been whittled down to just nine.

Jean Gaspard will begin play with the chip lead, but each of his table mates are in contention. The handicapping favorite would have to be Justin "LockdownTex" Allen, who took down the December version of this tournament last year. He'll have to overcome a relatively short stack to repeat here, but only a fool would count him out.

The final preparations are being made to the final table setup, and we expect the cards to be in the air right on time at 2:00pm local time. See you back here in just a few minutes!

Seat 1: Kenny Milam (389,000)

[user66118]
[user66118]
Kenny Milam is a 54-year-old trucking contractor. He's one of the local cats, born in Arkansas but now a proud resident of New Orleans. A Vietnam vet, Milam was on the receiving end of a kiss from Miss Universe in 1971. He should feel pretty comfortable in this venue; he tallied a 13th-place finish here in December '07.

Milam begins play in the middle of the pack with 389,000 chips.

Seat 2: Kurt Scheer (115,000)

donpeters
donpeters
Kurt Scheer has been playing poker for only six weeks, and it seems to be working out quite well for him. Scheer is coming into today's final table with 115,000 chips and at the bottom of the pack, but if yesterday's antics were any sign, we'll all be in for a good show.

Scheer is from Birmingham, Alabama where he works as a builder and realtor. He is happily married with three kids and 42 years old.

Tags: Kurt Scheer

Seat 3: Justin "LockdownTex" Allen (303,000)

donpeters
donpeters
Not too long ago, Harrah's New Orleans held a December version of the Bayou Poker Challenge back in 2008. The winner of that event was none other than Justin "LockdownTex" Allen. For that win, Allen took home nearly $160,000.

The young 21-year-old resides in Dallas, Texas and considers poker to be his occupation. Also on Allen's resume is a fifth-place finish at the $5,000 World Poker Open event in Tunica where he cashed in over $35,000. He comes into today with 303,000 chips.

Tags: "LockdownTex"Justin Allen

Seat 4: Anita Vasquez (118,000)

donpeters
donpeters
Anita Vasquez is the lone woman to reach the final table. She is a 33-year-old bartender from Houston, Texas. Her biggest score to date is a second-place finish in a $500 event right here in New Orleans where she won $43,742.

Vasquez's mother has been on the rail the entire tournament watching her daughter grind her way through the field. Vasquez loves her mom dearly and loves to "Sing, dance, and just have fun!"

She will be starting the final table with 118,000 chips and second from the bottom.

Tags: Anita Vasquez

Seat 5: Jean Gaspard (804,000)

[user66118]
[user66118]
Jean "Prince" Gaspard is a 37-year-old native of Haiti. Now residing in Chicago, Gaspard is a professional poker player. In his younger days, Gaspard was a highly-touted basketball player, starting on his team in college and eventually working out for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat of the NBA.

Prince begins play with the chip lead, sitting pretty on 804,000 chips.

Tags: Jean Gaspard

Seat 6: Ken Christopher (232,000)

donpeters
donpeters
Ken Christopher hails from Mobile, Alabama and is a 27-year-old poker player. His largest cash on record is a win at the 2009 Spring Break Poker Classic in a $300 event. He took home over $13,000 for that win, which makes this his largest cash to date.

Christopher comes into today with 232,000 chips.

Tags: Kenneth Christopher

Seat 7: Daniel Walsh (553,000)

[user66118]
[user66118]
Daniel Walsh is with us today from Powder Springs, Georgia. He is 33 years old and plays poker professionally. Coming off a career as an IT consultant, Walsh has already notched some respectable results in his poker ventures. This is his second final table at this stop in New Orleans, as he picked up 6th place in the opening preliminary event. Last month, he also final tabled the Beau Rivage Spring Break a few cities over. When he's not traveling the tournament circuit, he spends his free time scuba diving and flying.

Walsh's breakthrough hand came toward the end of Day 2 yesterday, managing to knock off Shaun Deeb with pocket aces in a massive pot. He begins the day near the top with 553,000 in chips.

Tags: Daniel Walsh

Seat 8: Billy "Patrolman35" Kopp (644,000)

donpeters
donpeters
Billy "Patrolman35" Kopp is a 22-year-old student from Erlanger, Kentucky. Kopp is a big online player, playing under the name "Patrolman35" where he has over $700,000 in tournament winnings.

Kopp has had the luxury of a big stack for the majority of this event. At the end of Day 1, he was the official chip leader. His largest cash on record in for nearly $10,000 and this finish will surpass that.

He enters the day second in chips and with an excellent shot to take down the title.

Tags: "Patrolman35"Billy Kopp

Seat 9: Steven McKoy (182,000)

donpeters
donpeters
Steven McKoy is a student at the University of Alabama. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica and studies molecular biology in school. This is McKoy's second WSOP Circuit final table and the first time playing in a main event. He placed fourth in a preliminary event in Las Vegas at the Caesars Circuit event, but this cash already places higher than that.

The 22-year-old McKoy comes into today with 182,000 chips.

Tags: Steven McKoy

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