2011-12 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's New Orleans

Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info

2011-12 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's New Orleans

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a5
Prize
$171,400
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,600
Prize Pool
$998,770
Entries
694
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000

Vidmer Leads Harrah's New Orleans Final Table

Level 26 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante
Anthony Vidmer leads the way.
Anthony Vidmer leads the way.

On Sunday, the World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans $1,600 Main Event continued as the final 72 of a 694-player field returned to battle down to a final table. Day 3 proved to be a fairly expedient affair as the field was whittled down to the final nine in less than 12 hours. Among those returning to battle for the $204,748 first-place prize are Andrew Nguyen, Daniel Lowery, Justin Truesdell, Michael Hallen and Shane Smith ; however, no one has a better shot at the money, and a seat into this year’s National Championship, than Anthony Vidmer, who emerged as the chip leader with 2,523,000.

Things kicked of with a bang in the Big Easy as players immediately began to hit the rail. Among the early eliminations were notables such as Daniel Weinman (70th-$2,797), Mike Holm (57th-$3,046), Darvin Moon (55th-$3,046), Robert Castoire (53rd-$3,336), Kat Bowen (40th-$3,695), Joe Phelps (38th-$3,695) and Day 1a chip leader Jay Kaplan (36th-$4,135).

Speaking of chip leaders, Justin Wainscott began the day with the biggest stack by quite a margin; however, that doesn't always translate to success as he found out. Wainscott lost a good portion of his stack after his {9-}{9-} failed to overcome the {A-}{A-} of an opponent.

Losing that hand knocked him back down to size, which is when Danny Alvarez swooped in and finished Wainscott off. It happened when four players took a {J-}{3-}{6-} flop and Wainscott checked {A-}{J-} from the small blind. He ultimately ended up check-raising all in for around 170,000 and was called by the {Q-}{J-} of Alvarez. He got it in good, but a {Q-} on the river sent a disappointed Wainscott out in 34th place for $4,135; meanwhile, Alvarez took the chip lead with 950,000.

From there, the action continued as one-by-one players fell to the wayside. Chris Gamboa (31st-$4,674), Maurice Hawkins (26th-$6,202), Joel Merwick (22nd-$7,261), Matthew Chang (19th-$8,609) and Blake Barousse (13th-$12,535) were just a few of the players who came up short of the final table.

However, no one went further and came up shorter than Jacob Naquin, who finished as the final table bubble boy. His elimination in tenth place made Vidmer the chip leader and just like that the WSOP Circuit Harrah's New Orleans final table was set.

WSOP Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans Final Table

SeatPlayerChips
1Andrew Nguyen2,379,000
2Anthony Vidmer2,523,000
3George Miro629,000
4Ramon Martinez809,000
5Daniel Lowery1,939,000
6Dominic Gabaldon975,000
7Michael Hallen1,590,000
8Justin Truesdell2,027,000
9Shane Smith1,037,000

Final table action is set to begin at 2 p.m. CST on Monday and one player will walk away not only with the $204,748 first-place prize, but also seats into this year’s National Championship and WSOP Main Event. The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to capture all the action, so be sure to check back then.

Tags: Anthony Vidmer

Jacob Naquin Eliminated in 10th Place ($15,401)

Level 26 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante
Jacob Naquin
Jacob Naquin

Anthony Vidmer was under the gun and opened for 85,000. Jacob Naquin was next to act and wasted little time in moving all in for approximately 400,000. Action folded back around to Vidmer and he snap-called.

Showdown
Vidmer | {Q-Hearts}{Q-Spades}
Naquin | {A-Spades}{Q-Clubs}

Naquin had been on an up-and-down ride in the latter stages of Day 3, capturing the chip lead and then dropping back down. Now, his tournament life was on the line and he needed some big-time help. Unfortunately for him, he would receive none as the board ran out {8-Hearts}{3-Spades}{9-Diamonds}{7-Spades}{5-Hearts}. With his elimination in tenth place, the WSOP Circuit Harrah's New Orleans final table is set.

Tags: Anthony VidmerJacob Naquin

Miro Doubles Through Naquin

Level 26 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante
George Miro has been quiet most the day but is making some noise now.
George Miro has been quiet most the day but is making some noise now.

We found Jacob Naquin and George Miro at a flop of {A-Spades} {4-Spades} {10-Diamonds}. Naquin led out for 117,000 and Miro raised to 240,000. Naquin thought for a short moment and called. The turn came {Q-Diamonds}, Naquin shoved and Miro snap-called - tabling {A-Diamonds} {3-Diamonds}.

Naquin was drawing live holding {K-Spades} {Q-Hearts} but bricked when it came {9-Spades}. Miro moved up to 1.7 million and Naquin slipped to 1.6 million.

Tags: George MiroJacob Naquin

Nguyen Moves Up the Board

Level 26 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante
Andrew Nguyen picked up a much needed pot.
Andrew Nguyen picked up a much needed pot.

On the first hand back from break Andrew Nguyen opened for 50,000 on the button and Michael Hallen called from the big blind. The flop came {7-Spades} {8-Spades} {10-Hearts}, Hallen checked and Nguyen bet 68,000. Hallen called to see the {A-Diamonds} come on the turn and checked again. Nguyen bet 145,000 and Hallen called after some thought. The river brought the {6-Spades} and bother players checked.

Nguyen tabled {A-Spades} {8-Hearts} and Hallen mucked, sending Nguyen the pot and pushing him over 1,000,000.

Tags: Andrew NguyenMichael Hallen

Lowery's Ice Cold Stare

Level 25 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Daniel Lowery stares down Smith into folding.
Daniel Lowery stares down Smith into folding.

Shane Smith opened for 50,000 in the cutoff and Daniel Lowery popped it to 140,000 from the button. The blinds released and Smith called after some consideration. The flop came {A-Hearts} {J-Hearts} {7-Clubs}, Smith checked and Lowery cut out 160,000 to push into the middle.

Smith went deep into the tank, so deep that the rest of the field went on break while this hand continued to play out. Lowery kept an ice cold stare on Smith the whole time he was in the tank. After a good while Smith said, "If you've got ace-king you would have busted me," as he folded pocket queens face up.

Tags: Daniel LoweryShane Smith

Scott Williams Eliminated in 17th Place ($10,327)

Level 24 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Scott Williams
Scott Williams

Anthony Vidmer opened for 45,000 under the gun only to have Scott Williams, who was next to act, three-bet to 90,000. Justin Truesdell was next to act and put in a four-bet to 200,000, which pushed Vidmer out of the pot. Williams responded with a five-bet to around 400,000, Truesdell six-bet all in and Williams snap-called.

Showdown
Truesdell: {K-Diamonds}{K-Hearts}
Williams: {A-Diamonds}{A-Clubs}

It was a cooler for Truesdell who picked up the second best hand only to run into the best at a crucial point in the tournament. Speaking of coolers, Williams went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows when the flop came down {9-Spades}{K-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds} to give Truesdell a full house and the lead.

The table erupted in disbelief at the crazy turn of events with nearly 1.9 million chips at stake. The {3-Spades} turn was inconsequential, meaning Williams needed an ace to stay alive. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't in the cards as the {J-Diamonds} appeared. The players had nearly identical stacks at the start of the hand, but after they were counted down it was determined Truesdell had Williams by a small margin.

Williams finished in17th place for $10,327.

Tags: Anthony VidmerJustin TruesdellScott Williams

Matthew Chang Eliminated in 19th Place ($8,609)

Level 24 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Matt Chang
Matt Chang

Andrew Nguyen opened for 34,000 under the gun and was met with an all-in three-bet to 243,000 by Matt Chang. Action folded back around to Nguyen and he made the call with {10-Clubs}{10-Diamonds}. "Aieyaa," Chang said upon seeing his {9-Diamonds}{9-Clubs} was dominated.

Chang had been playing patient and solid all day, but lady luck did not reward him as the board ran out {Q-Hearts}{8-Clubs}{K-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}. With that, Chang became our 19th-place finisher.

Tags: Matthew Chang

Start-of-the-Day Chip Leader Eliminated

Level 21 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Justin Wainscott
Justin Wainscott

Justin Wainscott began the day as out chip leader by a decent margin; however, that doesn't always translate to success as he found out today. Wainscott lost a good portion of his stack after his {9-}{9-} failed to overcome the {A-}{A-} of an opponent.

Losing that hand knocked him back down to size, which is when Danny Alvarez swooped in and finished Wainscott off. It happened when for players took a {J-}{3-}{6-} flop and Wainscott checked {A-}{J-} from the small blind. He ultimately ended up check-raising all in for around 170,000 and was called by the {Q-}{J-} of Alvarez. He got it in good, but a {Q-} on the river sent a disappointed Wainscott out in 34th place; meanwhile, Alvarez took the chip lead with 950,000.

Tags: Justin Wainscott

We Know Joe's Smiling from Up Above

Level 21 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Kat Bowen, last woman standing.
Kat Bowen, last woman standing.

We always like to highlight the last woman standing, but today we're especially happy that Kat Bowen was the last woman standing. Bowen was eliminated holding {A-Diamonds} {J-Clubs} by Andrew Nguyen's {A-Diamonds} {Q-Clubs}. Nguyen was ahead but hit a queen on the river to cement the hand.

Bowen is one of our favorite players on tour and recently experienced a tragic event. She won her first WSOPC gold ring in an event at the Chester stop on a Wednesday night. At breakfast the next morning she received an emergency phone call that her husband, Joe, had collapsed at work. He suffered a massive heart attack and paramedics were unable to revive him.

After talking to a few of her friends we didn't expect to see her until sometime in Vegas during the Series. On Day 1 we were surprised to see her here. She told us, "I had to get back to poker, it's what he wanted me to do. It's helping me get through it all."

The week before his passing he encouraged Kat to play more. We're sure that Joe is up above and smiling down on her.

Tags: Kat Bowen

Moon Eliminated

Level 20 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Darvin Moon
Darvin Moon

Unfortunately we didn't catch the hand, but we can tell you that 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon has been eliminated here in New Orleans in 55th place. He will take home $3,046 for his efforts.

Tags: Darvin Moon