Even with registration long closed down, there's still a good deal of chatter going on about the staggering turnout this event garnered.
As the players filed into the room this morning, a few members of the staff told us they hoped for 700 runners. Piece of cake. This Main Event has attracted a whopping 872 players, the largest field for a championship event in the history of the WSOP-C. In fact, the previous record was a paltry 538, set in 2008 at Caesars in Las Vegas. This record-setting field has generated a prize pool of more than $1.2 million, with almost a quarter-million of that going to the winner. Where else besides the WSOP can you pick up a check that big for an investment as small as $1,500?
This Main Event record comes just one week after the crushing of another impressive WSOPC record. Event #1 drew a monumental field of 1,611 players, making it the largest tournament in WSOP-C history. That event was nearly 200 runners larger than the previous record, and it really solidifies the greater Chicago area's place as one of the premier poker markets in the country.
It's still awfully early to make a huge story out of this, but there's no doubt that the WSOP-C is reaping some fruitage from the seeds it has been sowing for six months or so. Each of the first two events this season (Council Bluffs and Southern Indiana) experienced noteworthy growth this year, but nothing like the boom we've seen here in Hammond. The move to implement a point system and a leaderboard make this feel like a true extension of the WSOP, and the promise of national television coverage (for the first time since 2006) seems to be bringing out some of the pros who might otherwise skip events like this.
After the button raised to 1,100, Mike Leah called from the big blind. The two of them checked the board to the river as it ran out . Leah fired the river for 1,500 and his opponent folded, giving Leah the pot and moving him to 19,000 in chips.
From the hijack seat, Darryll Fish raised to 1,300 and was called by the player on the button. The flop came down and Fish checked. His opponent checked behind.
The turn brought the and Fish fired 1,500. The button made the call.
The river completed the board with the and Fish fired 5,000. His opponent folded and Fish won the pot to move to 17,000 in chips.
From middle position, Kevin Calenzo raised to 1,175. The hijack seat reraised to 2,725 and Calenzo made the call. The flop came down and Calenzo check-folded to a bet of 3,200 and dropped back a few thousand chips.
Calenzo has final tabled BOTH the WSOP Circuit events this season, taking second to Charles "Woody" Moore last time around in Southern Indiana. Moore has also final tabled both events and won one of them. Let's see if these two can do it again. The feat is going to be much greater given the field size in this one though.
Down around 7,000, Kyle Bowker got the last of his chips into the middle preflop with . The look on his face said he didn't love the spot, but he seemed content to flip for a double up when his opponent turned up .
It would be nothing, though, for Bowker. The flop brought a third jack for the would-be eliminator, though the turn gave Bowker four outs to Broadway to stay alive. The river was a blank, though, and he has been eliminated.
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Poker tournaments bring everybody out to the table: professionals, amateurs, stars of film and television. It also brings pro athletes out for some gambling, and we've spotted a former American football player in our field today.
Eric Stocz was born in Ohio in 1974, and he was drafted as a tight end by the NFL's Detroit Lions in 1996. He played with them for two years before leaving the game and seeking out other interests to occupy his time. One of those interests, apparently, is poker. Stocz notched his first live cash in 2009, at a Circuit event no less. He was the runner up in a $345-buy-in event, earning four figures and consummating his poker career. Just a few months later, his second cash came with a 1st-place trophy as Stocz took down the Heartland Poker Tour event in Mount Pleasant for more than $100,000.
Stocz is looking to make another run at a Circuit ring here this week, but he's off to a slow start. We caught him with a short stack and involved in a pot that would put him to the test for the last of his chips. Here's what happened:
A player in early position opened to 1,300, and Stocz was the lone caller, matching the bet from the big blind to go heads up to a flop. It came , and Stocz checked. His opponent bet all in, and Stocz shrugged and called all in for his last 4,625 chips, turning over . He was in the lead as his opponent showed up . The turn and river kept Stocz safe, earning him a much-needed double up.
It's official, the WSOP Circuit Main Event here in Hammond attracted a field of 872 players. The field generated a prize pool worth $1,245,680 and first place is worth a whopping $242,909! The top 90 spots will be paid out in the event with a min-cash earning you $2,815. Below is a list of the payouts for the final table. To view all of the payout information, check out the Payouts Page.
Along with the money, the players are playing for a seat to the $10,000 Regional Championship, a place in the National Championship along with leader board points and the Circuit gold championship ring.
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. Leah fired the river for 1,500 and his opponent folded, giving Leah the pot and moving him to 19,000 in chips.
and Fish checked. His opponent checked behind.
and Fish fired 1,500. The button made the call.
and Fish fired 5,000. His opponent folded and Fish won the pot to move to 17,000 in chips.
and Calenzo check-folded to a bet of 3,200 and dropped back a few thousand chips.
. The look on his face said he didn't love the spot, but he seemed content to flip for a double up when his opponent turned up 
.
, and Stocz checked. His opponent bet all in, and Stocz shrugged and called all in for his last 4,625 chips, turning over 
. He was in the lead as his opponent showed up 
. The turn 
and river 
