Recreational Player Randy Gil Nabs WSOP Gold in Event #3: $400 NLH Knockout
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team is at Thunder Valley to live report action from both the $1,700 Main Event and $3,250 High Roller, but those are just a couple of the 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.
In Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Knockout, 142 entrants created a $32,660 prize pool. That was distributed to the top 22 players including Niv Decalo (10th - $578), Andrew Duffy (13th - $497), Brian Borst (19th - $404), and Kevin Weinmann (22nd - $383).
In the end, it was recreational player Randy Gil taking home the title, $8,762 in prize money, and his first gold ring.
“It feels good. It was a long day but it’s worth it. It means a lot because it is a WSOP Circuit ring. I finished second a few times before. It’s nice to finally break through and get first place,” Gil said after his win.
To claim victory, he had to defeat two-time ring winner Jasthi Kumar in heads-up play.
“He is a great opponent, he is tough,” Gil said. “You gotta be on your game when you play against him. He is a very good player, he has a lot of cashes, and he is very respected in the poker community. It was definitely nice to get it against him.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randy Gil | Roseville, California | $8,762 |
| 2 | Jasthi Kumar | San Ramon, California | $5,413 |
| 3 | Denis Lee | Fremont, California | $3,731 |
| 4 | Peter Dirksen | San Francisco, California | $2,636 |
| 5 | Daniel Guevara | N/A | $1,912 |
| 6 | Chet Sickle | Manteca, California | $1,423 |
| 7 | Christopher Vezzetti | N/A | $1,089 |
| 8 | Hakeem Mashal | Davis, California | $857 |
| 9 | Roberto Rosales | Fontana, California | $694 |
flop, Elpayaa bet 1,800 and got the call. Both players then checked the 
turn.
, and the small blind check-called a 6,500 bet from Elpayaa. who showed down 
to take down the pot.
and the player in early position checked. Ho went all in and Chai asked for a count. 
.
and river 
fell to secure the pot and the knockout for Chai instead.
and all three players checked.
and Sankey bet 3,000. The hijack folded and the player on the button threw out chips to call.
and both the big blind and Scott checked. The player on the button fired 1,000, getting a fold from the big blind. Scott called.
and Scott again checked to his opponent on the button, who continued with another 1,700. Scott called. The river fell 
for two pair, eights and deuces, and his opponent mucked to earn him a second pot in the first same orbit.
, the action checked to Shojaei, and he bet 1,300. Only Steven Shunt, on the hijack, called.
river, and Shunt's 
.