John Harris, winner of Event #3. Picture courtesy of WSOP.com.
While the PokerNews Live Reporting Team isn't on hand for the preliminary events, the WSOP's Nolan Dalla is, which is why we'll let him tell you about the winner of Event #3 $355 Pot-Limit Omaha in an excerpt from his recap:
John Harris continues to roll. Two months after his breakthrough victory at Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego) in March, the 32-year-old aspiring poker pro stormed into New Orleans and promptly won old ring number two. At this rate, Harris will run out of ring fingers within a couple of years.
Harris triumphed in a $355 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha tournament, which was Event #3 on the New Orleans schedule. He collected $13,121 in prize money. But far more meaningful to Harris was a second gold ring and some added confidence going into the 2012 WSOP in Las Vegas.
Harris previously worked as a casino manager, before deciding to pursue his poker dreams. He relocated from Dallas to the California’s central valley, where he helped to manage a cardroom. But Harris was much more interested in playing the game than managing it, and decided to begin playing at a few WSOP Circuit stops earlier this season.
The latest champion enjoys some advantages, particularly in terms of his network of poker friends. Harris routinely travels to WSOP Circuit events with fellow multi-gold ring winners, including David Clark and La Sengphet (also from Dallas). His circle of friends also includes Josh Evans and Seneca Easley, who have won gold rings and are also playing here in New Orleans.
Harris now says he is ready to make the next big step, which could come at this year’s WSOP in Las Vegas.
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans Event #3 Pot-Limit Omaha
Four players created a pot of around 900 and saw a flop of . Both blinds checked to "Captain" Tom Franklin in middle position and he bet 300, which prompted the cutoff and small blind to fold. The big blind opted to make the call and then both players checked down the turn and river.
The big blind rolled over for a missed straight, which was no good against Franklin's . It wasn't much of a hand, but a good excuse to let you know that Franklin is up to 47,000.
We found an all in preflop situation with Brian Hawkins holding pocket aces and his opponent holding pocket kings. The board ran and Hawkins' aces held, putting back near the starting stack.
On a flop of , a player in early position checked and allowed Seneca Easley to bet 700. A late-position player made the call, and then the EP player check-raised to 2,350. Not to be outdone, Easley made it 5,000 to go, which pushed the LP player out of the hand.
The EP player then moved all in for around 19,500 and Easley wasted little time in calling off his remaining 12,000.
Showdown
Easley
EP
Last year's WSOP Circuit Rincon Main Event champion was ahead with pocket rockets and looking to avoid a diamond, which turned out to be easier said than done as the spiked to give his opponent the nuts. The meaningless was put out on the river and Easley made his exit from the tournament.
We stumbled by Matthew Colvin's table and noticed he was sitting with a big stack of 49,000 and that A.J. Jejelowo was missing from his seat. A quick check with Colvin confirmed that he busted last year's WSOP Circuit Harrah's New Orleans Regional Champion.
According to Colvin, Jejelowo opened for 300 and he three-bet to 800. Jejelowo then four-bet 2,500, Colvin called and the flop came down queen high with two diamonds. Jejelowo led out for 2,700, Colvin raised to 6,000 and Jejelowo shoved. Colvin made the call with for top set and was ahead of the pair and flush draw of Jejelowo. The turn and river both blanked and Colvin took down the big pot while eliminating a tough competitor.
John Fagg, winner of Event #2. Picture courtesy of WSOP.com.
Earlier in the week, 320 players ponied up $565 in Event #2 NLHE, creating a prize pool of $160,000. After two days of play, John Fagg of Terre Haute, Indiana emerged victorious to claim the $36,472 first-place prize.
As the WSOP's Nolan Dalla wrote:
With a WSOP Circuit gold ring at stake and two very determined players involved in a dogfight, aspiring poker pro John Fagg flopped a straight against Dr. Vafa Kamali’s three-of a kind. The two monster hands had everyone on the rail at attention – with half of the gallery screaming for the board to pair while the remainder shouted for two blanks. In the end, Fagg’s straight held up, dragging the final pot of an exciting two-day event, and ultimately ending with the crowing of a new poker champion who more than earned his place in the winner’s circle.
Before arriving at this finale, Fagg had previously made four WSOP Circuit final table appearances this season alone – making him one of the most prolific high finishers of this record-breaking tour cycle. However in the past, each and every time Fagg got within a few hands of victory, he either took a bad beat or suffered a cold run of cards that resulted in disappointment. Indeed – third, fourth, sixth, and seventh-place finishes are all quite impressive – especially within a single season. But there is no substitute for victory.
Fagg’s moment of triumph finally came at the final WSOP Circuit stop of the season, here in New Orleans. He defeated a larger-than-expected field of 320 players and pocketed $36,472 in prize money for the win. Fagg also raced way ahead of the finish line in the points race to qualify for a seat in the National Championship, to be played at season’s end. Alas, this was a personal and professional trifecta for Fagg – earning significant prize money, his first gold ring, and a coveted seat to play in a million-dollar nationally-televised gold bracelet event in Las Vegas. Not bad for two days “work.”
Fagg is a 29-year-old recent-turned-poker pro from Terre Haute, IN. He previously worked as a carpenter. However, Fagg’s tournament success this season has motivated him to play more on the WSOP Circuit, which seems to be working out nicely, so far. To his credit, Fagg also finished second in the Indiana State Poker Championship, held earlier this year.
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans Event #2 No-Limit Hold'em
. Both blinds checked to "Captain" Tom Franklin in middle position and he bet 300, which prompted the cutoff and small blind to fold. The big blind opted to make the call and then both players checked down the 
turn and 
river.
for a missed straight, which was no good against Franklin's 
. It wasn't much of a hand, but a good excuse to let you know that Franklin is up to 47,000.
and Hawkins' aces held, putting back near the starting stack.
, a player in early position checked and allowed Seneca Easley to bet 700. A late-position player made the call, and then the EP player check-raised to 2,350. Not to be outdone, Easley made it 5,000 to go, which pushed the LP player out of the hand.
spiked to give his opponent the nuts. The meaningless 
was put out on the river and Easley made his exit from the tournament.
pair and flush draw of Jejelowo. The turn and river both blanked and Colvin took down the big pot while eliminating a tough competitor.
