Robert Keeling Goes Back-to-Back to Capture Two Rings in 48 Hours
PokerNews is on site at the Ameristar St. Charles for the latest World Series of Poker Circuit stop, and while we’re only doing live updates from the $1,700 Main Event, it’s not the only tournament that’s been playing out inside the casino.
For the past week, a slew of side events has taken place and awarded gold rings to the lucky winners. One such tournament was Event #7: $400 No-Limit Hold’em, a tournament that drew 108 entrants and created a $35,640 prize pool. After finishing fifth in Event #3: $400 NLH, local player Rob Keeling, 46, went even deeper and managed to close our Event #7 for $10,021 and his first circuit gold ring.
Amazingly he was done as he’d go on to top a 281-entry field in Event #8: $400 Monster Stack less than 48 hours laters to go back-to-back for a second ring and $21,357 in prize money. It also vaulted him to the top of the stop’s Casino Championship leaderboard with 135 points.
That is 32.5 points ahead of the other repeat ring winner, Cory Bogert, whoever wins will earn an automatic bid to the 2020 Global Casino Championship, a seat worth $10,000.
When asked where all his recent success is coming from, Keeling simply responded, “This is for my mom. My mom just pasted away recently… So, this is for my mom.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Keeling | Portland, Missouri | $21,357 |
| 2 | Vincent Moscati | Verplanck. New York | $13,200 |
| 3 | Kiran Gangavaram | Chesterfield, Missouri | $9,361 |
| 4 | John LaRose | Perryville, Missouri | $6,757 |
| 5 | Steven Wills | Willow Springs, Missouri | $4,966 |
| 6 | Alex Miles | Bensenville, Illinois | $3,718 |
| 7 | Brett Apter | St. Petersburg, Florida | $2,836 |
| 8 | Sean Small | Douglasville, Georgia | $2,205 |
| 9 | Melissa Bryne | Hutto, Texas | $1,748 |