2009 World Series of Poker Circuit - Tunica

$5,150 Circuit Championship Main Event
Day: 1
Event Info

2009 World Series of Poker Circuit - Tunica

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
qj
Prize
$183,974
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,000
Entries
154
Level Info
Level
19
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
3,000

Ooh! I Like It!

The pot was 4,000 preflop between Captain Tom Franklin and a player in Seat 4. The flop fell {3-Spades} {Q-Diamonds} {9-Diamonds} and Franklin's opponent bet out 2,500. Franklin made the call.

The turn of the {J-Spades} was checked by both players. The river fell the {K-Diamonds} and action was checked to Franklin. Franklin wanted to bet, but could not pull the trigger. He checked and his opponent showed {10-Hearts} {9-Hearts} for the straight.

Franklin exclaimed, "Oooh, I like it" as his opponent raked the pot.

Tags: Captain Tom Franklin

Cat Fight

Play time is over at Table 4. After nearly 12 hours of friendly chit-chat and storytelling, the levity has evaporated quickly in the last level or two. Particularly Sabyl Landrum and Kathy Liebert, who have been carrying the conversation most of the evening. Moments ago though, they were involved in a serious -- and conspicuously quiet -- pot.

The betting passed around the table to Sabyl Landrum, who was in late position. She opened the pot with a raise to 3,500. A couple of players ducked out, and the decision was lastly on Kathy Liebert in the big blind. After a moment, she elected to reraise to 11,200. With no delay, Landrum instantly moved all in for a total of 41,500.

This sent Kathy Liebert deep into the tank for several minutes as she pensively considered her options. She muttered to herself several times, just audible enough to hear that she was really struggling with the decision. Finally, she uncapped her cards and released them into the muck.

With that, Sabyl Landrum gathers in an extra several thousand chips, working up to 46,000 now. Liebert, meanwhile, has taken a step back to just about 40,000 herself.

Tags: Kathy LiebertSabyl Landrum

Rylander Receives a Quickening

When we arrived to the table, Jeremy Byrum was involved in a pot with Dina Rylander. The pot was 10,000 on the flop of {2-Spades} {2-Clubs} {8-Hearts}. Byrum bet out 15,000 and Rylander made the call.

The turn fell the {Q-Spades} and action was checked around.

On the river of the {4-Diamonds} , Byrum bet out 25,000 and Rylander raised all in for 5,700 more. Byrum was pot-committed and made the call.

Rylander showed {8-Spades} {8-Clubs} and Byrum mucked.

Rylander moved up to 100,000 chips after the hand. Byrum dropped to 125,000 chips.

Tags: Dina RylanderJeremy Byrum

Gavin Gaining Ground

Gavin and his opponent
Gavin and his opponent
In late position, an unknown player opened the pot with a raise to 6,000. Right next door, Gavin Smith sat fidgeting for a couple of solid minutes before grabbing all of his chips in one stack and slamming them into the middle of the felt. Action folded back around to the original raiser, and he too went into the tank for a couple of minutes.

"Well, I guess I gotta get lucky," he said. With that, he called all in, putting his own tournament life at risk.

"Ugh, I guess I gotta get lucky," replied Smith.

Showdown:
Smith: {A-Hearts} {J-Hearts}
Opponent: {A-Diamonds} {Q-Hearts}

The flop ran out pretty dry for Smith, coming {7-Spades} {2-Clubs} {10-Hearts}. Not to worry though, Gavin. Like a magical sword from the sky, the {J-Spades} stabbed the board on fourth street, vaulting the pro back into the lead. The river was a raggy {9-Clubs}, and Smith claims another victim.

After a rocket-fast start, Gavin Smith turned it around and started bleeding chips just before the dinner break. The trend slowed but continued after dinner, right up until that last come-from-behind win. After stacking up those chips, his count is back up to 84,000.

Tags: Gavin Smith

We're Getting Closer

With the latest elimination, the field has been thinned down to our final 45 players. The remaining runners have been recombined into five nine-handed tables. Play will continue until we lose another 18 players, or until 2:00am, whichever arrives first.

Captain Tom Gets There

Preflop, Captain Tom Franklin was in the big blind and the button and small blind both limped in. Franklin checked his option and the flop fell {A-Spades} {6-Spades} {J-Diamonds}. Action was checked around.

The turn fell {9-Clubs} and action was checked to Franklin. Franklin bet 3,000 and only the small blind called.

The river fell the {4-Diamonds} and action was once again checked to Franklin. Franklin bet out 11,000 and his opponent insta-folded.

After the hand, Franklin let out a laugh and showed the {4-Hearts}. "I got there on the river."

Tags: Captain Tom Franklin

Liebert Makes the Laydown

Kathy Liebert raised preflop to 4,800 and the player in Seat 9 reraised to 12,500. Liebert went into the tank for several minutes before finally making the call.

The flop fell {9-Hearts} {3-Spades} {2-Spades} and Liebert checked to her opponent. The player bet out 21,000 and Liebert made the laydown.

Tags: Kathy Liebert

Dina Done in by Dao

One of our six remaining women, Dina Rylander has just been eliminated. She was tangled up with David Dao on a king-high flop, and all of the chips went into the middle. When Rylander turned over her pocket aces, Dao said, "I knew that's what you had." Regardless of his read, he tabled {K-?} {Q-?} for top pair.

Much to Dina's dismay, the turn and river came {K-?} and {Q-?} respectively, improving Dao to a full house and sending the lady to the exit early.

After dragging that monstrous pot, David Dao has snagged the chip lead. He is way on top of the board now, sitting right at 240,000.

Tags: David DaoDina Rylander

Gavin Smith Eliminates a Player

Preflop, Jordan Morgan raised to 4,500 and Gavin Smith called. Then a player to Smith's left moved all in for around 18,000 total. Smith insta-called.

Smith: {A-Spades} {A-Hearts}
Opponent: {A-Clubs} {K-Clubs}

Smith's opponent was far behind and he never gained any traction from there. The board ran {3-Clubs} {6-Hearts} {10-Spades} {9-Clubs} {7-Diamonds} to send Smith's opponent to the rail.

Smith moved up to 120,000 after the hand.

Tags: Gavin Smith