Main Event
Day 1 Started
2010-11 World Series of Poker Circuit - Harrah's Tunica
Main Event
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2010-11 World Series of Poker Circuit - Harrah's Tunica
Prize Pool
$698,400
Entries
480
Level
31
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Welcome to Tunica!
Over the past few weeks, the World Series of Poker Circuit has made it's home at Harrah's in Tunica, Mississippi. The stop, which marks the halfway point in the 2010/2011 WSOPC schedule, has already seen 50 events fly by, many awarding coveted WSOPC rings. A few fortunate players to claim a piece of WSOPC bling were Jessie Bryant (Event #14: Omaha 8 or better), Tripp Kirk (Event #17: Six-Handed NLHE), Marshall Ruddle (Event #26: NLHE), and Jim Mink (Event #29: H.O.R.S.E.). Now the last ring event of the WSOPC-Tunica is set to begin, the $1,500 Main Event.
The winner of today's tournament will not only be awarded a gold ring and a nice payday, but also a spot in the WSOPC National Championship, a $1 million freeroll bracelet event that will take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from May 27 to 29, 2011, and will be televised nationally on the Versus network. At the circuit stops (as opposed to the regional championships), there are only two ways to qualify: win the Main Event or be the highest point earner during the stop, AKA the "Casino Champ".
PokerNews will be here throughout the tournament bringing you all the action and eliminations as we look to crown another WSOPC Main Event champion and find the next two qualifiers for the WSOPC. Action is set to kickoff at Noon local time, which is just under an hour from now. Check back then for all the latest and greatest poker action.
Level: 1
Blinds: 25/50
Ante: 0
Shuffle Up and Deal!
Level 13
: 700/1,400, 200 ante
The cards are in the air!
Badhat and Pegasus
Level 1
: 25/50, 0 ante
On our initial walkthrough we noticed a couple of WSOPC regulars.
Mark "Pegasus" Smith is no stranger to the WSOPC. In fact, he is currently tied with Men "The Master" Nguyen for most WSOPC rings with four. Smith almost made it five last month in Durant, Oklahoma when he finished second in Event #32: $345 at the WSOPC-Choctaw. While there was no official desgination, Smith is recognized as the 2009/2010 WSOPC Player of the Year.
On the other side of the room sits Kenny "Badhat" Piel. Nicknamed "Badhat" because of his signature hat and corresponding business, Piel has eight circuit cashes totaling $28,734. His most recent cash came back in October at the WSOPC-Southern Indiana stop. Piel has homefield advantage on his side as he currently resides in Tunica.
Only time will tell if either of these circuit regulars will break through and make a run at the WSOPC gold ring.
Ladies In The House
Level 1
: 25/50, 0 ante
While the field is predominantly male, two females stick out among the masses and should be considered very dangerous players. Coincidentally, both made deep runs in the World Series of Poker Ladies Event last June. Out of 1,054 entrants, Traci Brown took 11th place for $10,833, while La Sengphet finished in seventh for $22,728.
Not recent enough for you? Each has put up an impressive result quite recently. Brown finished runner-up at the WSOP-C Choctaw Main Event less than a month ago for $143,462, while Sengphet took down a $555 preliminary event here in Tunica just two days ago. She topped a field of 284 for $32,394.
Race for Points
Level 1
: 25/50, 0 ante
While many players are here to have a good time, others are looking to accumulate points for the WSOPC National Leaderboard in the hope of qualifying for the $1 million National Championship in May. One such player is circuit regular Joel Merwick, who currently sits in ninth-place on the leaderboard. If the circuit were to end today, Merwick would be in; however, we're just a little over halfway done with the 2010/2011 schedule, so there are still plenty of opportunities for others to catch up. With that in mind, Merwick is here looking to add to his 105 points.
Level: 2
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
A Look at the National Leaderboard
Level 2
: 50/100, 0 ante
WSOPC National Leaderboard Top Ten
| Player | Points | Rings | Cashed | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Schwertley | 175 | 2 | 7 | $114,652 |
| Kevin Calenzo | 167.5 | 0 | 7 | $92,878 |
| Jeremy Schwartz | 162.5 | 1 | 4 | $75,238 |
| Shiva Dudani | 152.5 | 1 | 5 | $73,799 |
| Will Souther | 120 | 1 | 4 | $64,312 |
| Drazen Ilich | 115 | 1 | 3 | $66,646 |
| Nick Jivkov | 110 | 1 | 3 | $88,305 |
| Scott Clark | 110 | 1 | 4 | $18,233 |
| Joel Merwick | 105 | 0 | 6 | $26,207 |
| Brett Richey | 105 | 0 | 2 | $25,574 |
Who Else Is Here?
Level 2
: 50/100, 0 ante
We've spotted a couple of WSOP-C Main Event runner-ups in the field.
Farid Nasserazad took second place at WSOP-C Biloxi for $58,857, while Jesus Cabrera earned the same honors at Harrah's Atlantic City for $72,824.
Also in the field are Chris Tryba and Justin "Choctaw" Kruger.