2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's Cherokee

Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's Cherokee

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a3
Prize
$250,380
Event Info
Prize Pool
$1,284,000
Entries
856
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000

Tha Carter

Level 2 : 50/100, 0 ante

2012 World Series of Poker bracelet winner Carter Phillips just took his seat in the Harrah's Cherokee Main Event. He and an opponent were heads up on a board of {j-Clubs}{5-Spades}{6-Hearts}, and the player checked to Phillips who fired 650. The player called.

The turn was the {10-Diamonds}, the player checked again, and Phillips tossed out 1,025. The player again called.

The suicide king ({k-Hearts}) completed the board, and the player checked a third and final time. Phillips emptied the chamber, firing a third and final bullet worth 1,275, and the player called.

Phillips ripped over {q-Hearts}{7-Clubs} like it was the stone nuts, confusing his opponent for a moment. The player then showed {a-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds} for a pair of jacks, and pulled in the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Carter Phillips us
Carter Phillips
16,500
-3,500
-3,500
WSOP 2X Winner
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Carter Phillips

Level: 3

Blinds: 75/150

Ante: 0

Ring Chasing at Cherokee

Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

There are a few players here playing the first Day 1 flight at WSOP-C Harrah's Cherokee who have already collected rings this week.

Alan Neubauer took down Event #3, the $365 pot-limit Omaha event, topping a field of 265 to win a nifty $19,477.

Christopher Kirkland is also here after having taken down Event #5, one of the $365 no-limit hold'em events. That one drew 542 runners, and Kirkland earned $27,216 for his victory.

We've also spotted 62-year-old David Moersdorf of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, who just won Event #7, a six-handed $365 no-limit hold'em event that had a field of 378 players and yielded Moersdorf a $27,216 first prize.

Actually, Moersdorf is looking for a third win in Cherokee this week, as he also took down the non-ring Seniors Event which drew a huge field of 648 players — which according to Nolan Dalla, WSOP Media Director, represented the largest seniors tourney ever held outside the WSOP!

Player Chips Progress
David Moersdorf
David Moersdorf
24,000
4,000
4,000
Alan Neubauer
Alan Neubauer
21,500
1,500
1,500
Christopher Kirkland
Christopher Kirkland
17,500
-2,500
-2,500

Tags: Alan NeubauerChristopher KirklandDavid Moersdorf

Priest Takes Up Collection

Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

Peter Priest just eliminated a player in Level 3. We arrived on the scene once the action had concluded and the fate of Priest's opponent had been decided, although by the looks of things a {K-Clubs}{Q-Clubs}{J-Spades} flop had inspired understandable action between Priest who held {A-Clubs}{10-Clubs} for a flopped straight and his unfortunate opponent who had {K-Spades}{K-Diamonds} for top set.

Neither the {8-Hearts} turn nor {6-Spades} river took the lead from Priest, thus winning him the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Peter Priest
Peter Priest
27,000
7,000
7,000

Tags: Peter Priest

Queens over Jacks

Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

David Moersdorf, who won a ring and the Senior's event here at Cherokee, found himself heads up with an opponent on a board of {9-Hearts}{4-Clubs}{6-Spades}{a-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}. Moersdorf tanked for a bit before tossing out 2,775 into a pot of around 7,000, and his opponent begrudgingly called.

Moersdorf turned over {q-Clubs}{q-Hearts} for a pair of queens, and his opponent mucked {j-Clubs}{j-Diamonds} face up.

Player Chips Progress
David Moersdorf
David Moersdorf
33,000
9,000
9,000

Tags: David Moersdorf

Early Double?

Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

Atlanta, Georgia native Luc Tran sits with a bit over 40,000 chips over on Table 65. We didn't catch any major hands with him, but by the looks of it he's already found a double up here on Day 1a of the WSOPC Cherokee Main Event.

Player Chips Progress
Luc Tran
Luc Tran
40,000

Tags: Harrah's CherokeeLuc Tran

Level: 4

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

Good Starts for Bronshtein, Emmel

Level 4 : 100/200, 0 ante

Players are back in their seats and Level 4 is underway.

We noticed earlier that 2012 WSOP Main Event 23rd-place finisher Yuval Bronshtein had joined the field, and saw he had a productive first two hours to build a stack up over 40,000 in the early going.

We were about to share his good fortune and designate him an early chip leader, but then we saw Matthew Emmel of Charlotte, North Carolina sitting with a stack of just under 55,000 to begin the new level, the biggest we've seen thus far.

Player Chips Progress
Matthew Emmel us
Matthew Emmel
54,000
34,000
34,000
Yuval Bronshtein il
Yuval Bronshtein
42,000
22,000
22,000
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Matthew EmmelYuval Bronshtein

Farewell Wishes

Level 4 : 100/200, 0 ante

Carter Phillips — originally from Virginia and now a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina — just eliminated an opponent to secure a boost to his starting stack.

We came on the hand just as the chips were going in on the flop, with Philips on a big draw and his opponent hoping to fade Phillips with a made hand. But the draw came for Phillips, and as his opponent got up to leave he shared a few parting words.

"Good hand," he said to Phillips. "That's a draw you can't get away from... good luck everybody."

He moved to go, then hesitated. "Except for you," he said to Phillips with a wry grin. "I need you to die slowly tonight." Amid the laughter at the table, he added "I mean that in a good way."

He left, and the table continued chuckling about his delivery of the lines, timed a little better than that of his last hand.

"At least he wants me to die in a good way," said Phillips with a smile.

Player Chips Progress
Carter Phillips us
Carter Phillips
29,000
12,500
12,500
WSOP 2X Winner
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Carter Phillips