The PokerNews Live Reporting Team is in Milwaukee to live report action the $1,700 Main Event, but is just one of a dozen gold ring events at the stop. As such, we thought we’d profile some of the preliminary tournaments and those who struck it big.
Event #1: $400 NLH Double Stack, a total of 256 entries created a $84,480 prize pool that was paid out to the top 39 players. Among those to cash were Ben Rock (7th - $2,663), Robert Keating (11th - $1,352), Cheryl Choon (17th - $952), Bryan Skreens (19th - $824), Jason Reno (21st - $824), and Josh Reichard (35th - $558).
In the end, poker pro Nick Pupillo came out on top to win $19,413 and his third gold ring.
“It feels really good to win this tournament, but I had a lot of luck,” said Pupillo. “I was all-in a lot needing help and was fortunate enough it came.”
To seal the deal, he had to defeat Brett Reichard, the father of Circuit stud Josh Reichard, in heads-up play. It took him a single hand to do it.
“I thought we were going to have a very long battle,” Pupillo admitted. “Brett is an excellent player who has two rings along with his son who has eleven, but I got lucky and took him on the very first hand.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Pupillo | Gilbert, Arizona | $19,413 |
| 2 | Brett Reichard | Janesville, Wisconsin | $11,999 |
| 3 | Carl Felten | Richfield, Wisconsin | $8,565 |
| 4 | Shane Thorne | Sheboygan, Wisconsin | $6,223 |
| 5 | Scott Brooks | Lincolnwood, Illinois | $4,604 |
| 6 | Leonard Lewandowski | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | $3,469 |
| 7 | Ben Rock | Marshfield, Wisconsin | $2,663 |
| 8 | Nicholas Smith | Chicago, Illinois | $2,083 |
| 9 | Joshua Taff | Kaukauna, Wisconsin | $1,662 |