$1,700 Main Event Day 1a | 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi

12-14-2019 06:28 UTC

Stephen Bierman Bags Lead After Day 1a of IP Biloxi Main Event

Jeff McMillan

Level 16 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Day 1a of the WSOP Circuit IP Biloxi $1,700 Main Event is in the books with just 17 players remaining out of 94 total entries after 16 levels of play.

Out of the remaining players, Stephen Bierman of New Orleans ended the day atop the counts bagging an impressive 425,000. He was among the top stacks from the middle part of the day all the way until the end riding a steady wave of chips to the top spot.

Following him with 364,000 in chips was David “Bama” Walters, who had a more topsy-turvy day as he was one of the largest stacks but fell to as few as 70,000 after dinner before rising again all the way to the second position.

Ben Thomas ended the day in third place with 316,000 after a late level surge in chips.
Following him were Russell Boyette (235,000) and Biloxi local Joan Hartwell (193,000), who rounded out the top five stacks.

Well-known circuit grinders Irene Carey and Marshall White both found a bag and will continue on to Day 2. Carey finished with 152,000, while White ended with one of the smaller stacks at 68,000.

All 17 survivors will return to the felt for Day 2 at noon local time on Sunday, December 15 where they will be joined by the players who survive Day 1b, which gets underway promptly at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 14.

PokerNews will have full coverage of Day 1b, so make sure to tune in to find out who joins the remaining 17 to move forward to Day 2.

Tags: Ben Thomas David Irene Carey Joan Hartwell Marshall White Russell Boyette Stephen Bierman

12-14-2019 04:18 UTC

Hawkins Exposes Hand on River

Jeff McMillan

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Action was on the turn with a board that read . Maurice Hawkins swiftly bet 7,000 and was quickly called by [Removed:321] Moeini.

The river came the , Hawkins bet 6,000, and Moeini tossed in chips for a raise to 32,000. Hawkins misread the chips as a call and exposed his hand showing the .

He quickly realized it was actually a raise and turned his cards back over on their backs and went into the tank. After thinking it over for about a minute he decided to fold to give Moeini the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mohammad Moeini	240,000 240,000	240,000
Maurice Hawkins	45,000 -10,000	-10,000

Tags: Maurice Hawkins Mohammad Moeini

12-14-2019 01:43 UTC

Walters Makes Call With Ace High

Jeff McMillan

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

After a bet and call, the turn was dealt to make the board read .

David "Bama" Walters checked and his opponent piled all in quickly. Walters sat in contemplation while the dealer counted out the shove, which was for about 40,000. After 20 seconds Walters called.

Walters had the which was beating the of his opponent.

The river came the and Walters gathered in his opponent's stack and surged his own toward the top.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Walters	220,000 220,000	220,000

Tags: David Walters

12-14-2019 01:33 UTC

Robert Cheung Ships Third Career Gold Ring

Jeff McMillan

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

PokerNews is in town to live report the $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi, but that is just one of the gold ring events that will have played out by the end of the series.

Event #5: $400 NLH 6-Handed saw 107 entries create a $25,310 prize pool, which was paid out to the top 17 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Daniel Boylen (10th - $912), Burnie Burns (13th - $650), and Todd Bartlett (16th - $650).

In the end, Canada’s Robert Cheung, a WSOP bracelet winner, beat Pricilla Giroir in heads-up play to win the tournament for $9,921 and his third career ring.

“I feel good. I love it here. The people and the players here are nice and friendly and the casino is very nice,” said Cheung. “I’m very impressed with the tournament area. Everyone was laughing, making jokes…having fun is more important than winning a tournament.”

The Canadian businessman added: “I have my business in Vancouver and whenever I can, I love to travel. Since the WSOP in summer this Vegas, I haven’t played any tournament. Everything went very smooth today. Everything has to go smooth to win a tournament.”

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Robert Cheung	Vancouver, BC, Canada	$9,921
2	Priscilla Giroir	Lafayette, Louisiana	$6,134
3	Hanh Nguyen	Biloxi, Mississippi	$4,100
4	Colby Hufman	Kansas	$2,831
5	Jerry Giroir	Lafayette, Louisiana	$2,021
6	BJ McBrayer	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	$1,495

Tags: Robert Cheung

12-14-2019 00:44 UTC

Russell Boyette Victorious in Event #4: $400 NLH One-Day

Jeff McMillan

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

PokerNews is in town to live report the $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi, but that is just one of the gold ring events that will have played out by the end of the series.

In Event #4: $400 NLH One-Day, 90 runners competed for a $29,700 prize pool. Among those to get a piece of the pie but fall short of making the final table were Jerry Giroir (10th - $626), Maury Barrett (11th - $626), Michael Rack (12th - $626), Clinton Gatlin (13th - $555), and Sang Kim (14th - $555).

In the end, 38-year-old inventory control manager Russell Boyette beat Rebekah Crosby in heads-up play to win the title, $8,815 in prize money, and his first gold ring.

“I feel good, I felt good all day. After the first event, I just decided last minute to get in this one, it ended up working out good. I’ve cashed fourteen out of the last eighteen tournaments I’ve played. It’s been a good run,” said Boyette.

On what helped propel him to victory, Boyette explained: “I had ace-king preflop and one of my opponents made an all-in call with king-jack, that pretty much made me chip leader.”

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Russell Boyette	Brandon, Mississippi	$8,815
2	Rebekah Crosby	Covington, Louisiana	$5,447
3	BJ McBrayer	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	$3,735
4	Judy Leblanc	New Iberia, Louisiana	$2,635
5	Blake Purvis	Montgomery, Alabama	$1,916
6	John Sruk	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	$1,435
7	James Duke	Houston, Texas	$1,110
8	Andrew Barfield	Mt. Sterlin, Illinois	$887
9	Mark Steele	San Antonio, Texas	$732

Tags: Russell Boyette

12-13-2019 23:22 UTC

Charles Brady Claims First Circuit Ring in First Recorded Tournament Cash

Jeff McMillan

Level 9 : 400/800, 800 ante

PokerNews is in town to live report the $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi, but that is just one of the gold ring events that will have played out by the end of the series.

In Event #3: $250 NLH, 147 entrants created a $29,400 prize pool that was paid out to the top 23 players. Among those to cash but fail to make the final table were Shawn Calvit (10th - $515), Ryan Laporte (13th - $440), and Jerry Giroir (22nd - $330), just to name a few.

Coming out on top was Charles Brady, who won $7,791 in his first recorded tournament cash.

“I’ve played satellites in Vegas, but never anything like this. I feel incredible, I’ve won a bunch of cash, and that ring, sure is beautiful,” said Brady, who won his first gold ring.

He added: “I was down to one chip twice. I was down to 1,400 at Level 7 and I got down to about 2,000 at Level 11. At the final table, I was down to a big blind when there were seven of us left, and now I’m holding the ring.”

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Charles Brady	Norwood, Louisiana	$7,791
2	Gregory James	Vicksburg, Mississippi	$4,816
3	Theresa Williams	Pensacola, Florida	$3,332
4	BJ McBrayer	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	$2,361
5	James Cooper	Elberta, Alabama	$1,715
6	Martin Esposito	N/A	$1,278
7	Joshua Claus	N/A	$977
8	Joshua Lewis	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	$768
9	Mary Fowler	Magnolia, Arkansas	$620

Tags: Charles Brady

12-13-2019 21:37 UTC

Shawn Quillin Captures Second Gold Ring with Monster Stack Victory

Chad Holloway

Level 7 : 300/500, 500 ante

PokerNews is in town to live report the $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi, but that is just one of the gold ring events that will have played out by the end of the series.

In Event #8: $400 Monster Stack, 332 entries created a $109,560 prize pool that was paid out to the top 50 players. Among those to cash were Bradley Hicks (10th - $1,653), Jay Frederickson (15th - $1,358), Maurice Hawkins (21st - $969), Robert Cheung (29th - $676), and Hank Sitton (45th - $567).

In the end, 55-year-old radiologist Shawn Quillin beat Sang Kim in heads-up play to win the title and $24,264 first-place prize, which was his second career gold ring.

“I’m ecstatic. I do not get to play that often, and when I do, I’m very fortunate. I’ve had some good runs, but nothing like this. To win a tournament, on the Circuit, against all the best players,” Quillin said after his win.

He continued: “I had lot of chips early. “It kind of slowed down late yesterday, and then I came in third today. It was very slow for me early, but I got a couple of double ups late when we were four-handed and that repelled me to my position.”

As for his heads-up opponent, Quillin added: “The heads-up match was a tough battle. I had chips, he had chips, and we went back and forth. In the end, I thought his aggression would do him in and it did. I called him when I thought he didn’t have anything, and I was fortunate to be right.”

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Shawn Quillin	Charlotte, North Carolina	$24,264
2	Sang Kim	Alexandria, Virginia	$14,992
3	William Pollard	N/A	$10,733
4	Kip Jones	Denham Springs, Louisiana	$7,809
5	Desmond Scott	Lake Charles, Louisiana	$5,776
6	James Payne	Carriere, Mississippi	$4,344
7	Matthew Demarsh	Madison, Alabama	$3,323
8	Chris Dietsch	Georgia	$2,587
9	Morton Davis	Pensacola, Florida	$2,049

Tags: Shawn Quillin

12-13-2019 17:51 UTC

Yousef "Joe" Saleh Continues Great Year w/ First Gold Ring Win

Jeff McMillan

Level 2 : 100/100, 100 ante

PokerNews is in town to live report the $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi, but that is just one of the gold ring events that will have played out by the end of the series.

In Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em, 665 runners competed over four starting flights, which generated a $219,449 prize pool.

The top 91 players got paid including Greg Whitworth (10th - $3,289), David Nicholson (13th - $2,826), Craig Flood (20th - $2,197), Rodney Crosby (32nd - $1,583), Cecil White (43rd - $1,188), and Martin Zentner (57th - $815).

Coming out on top was Yousef "Joe" Saleh, who claimed a $34,004 first-place prize and his first gold ring. The victory was just the latest for Saleh, who is enjoying a career year. In fact, he just won “Breakout Player of the Year” at the Gulf Coast Poker Awards, which recognizes players from the south.

“I feel good. I already made two final tables this series. It’s awesome,” Saleh said after the win. “I believe in goals for myself. Last year, I wasn’t in poker that much. I played here at the IP the series and didn’t do anything. Then after that I wanted to take it seriously. There’s a guy who inspired me who said: ‘If you keep playing the way you’re playing and work on it a little bit, you will be a champion.’ I just kind of took it seriously from this day. But it’s still a hobby, I don’t play for a living. I love the game, but it has ups and downs.”

As for his heads-up opponent, Easton Oreman, Saleh said: “He played perfect. We both kind of played perfect. We swapped the chip lead about six times. I went down to one million, four big blinds. But I just kept playing my game and got lucky. You have to take advantage of being lucky, you cannot be lucky and just waste it. You can’t just believe it’s going to happen every day. It doesn’t.”

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Yousef "Joe" Saleh	Meridian, Mississippi	$34,004
2	Easton Oreman	Kenner, Louisiana	$21,322
3	Jesse Lott	Selmer, Tennessee	$15,903
4	Aaron Gamino	Nashville, Tennesse	$12,047
5	Gavin Munroe	Gautier, Mississippi	$9,278
6	Philip Walsh	Gulfport, Mississippi	$7,269
7	Greg Urbanski	Mobile, Alabama	$5,798
8	Joseph Hebert	Metairie, Louisiana	$4,711
9	Bobby Moree	Pearl River, Louisiana	$3,900

Tags: Yousef "Joe" Saleh

12-13-2019 17:27 UTC

Jon Honeycutt Wins Opening Event of WSOPC IP Biloxi for $12,946

Jeff McMillan

Level 1 : 100/100, 0 ante

PokerNews is in town to live report the $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi, but that is just one of the gold ring events that will have played out by the end of the series.

For instance, Event #1: $400 NLH Double Stack attracted 148 entries and offered up a $48,840 prize pool. That was paid out to the top 23 places including Raymond Marchi (10th - $855), Kevin Baker (15th - $731), and Jerry Giroir (22nd - $548), just to name a few.

In the end, 36-year-old software engineer Jon Honeycutt beat Donald Rolfe in heads-up play to win the $12,946 top prize and his first gold ring.

“I feel pretty good, it was a tough final table. When we were down to five, the players left were all very good players,” he said after his victory. “It’s great to win. We were all short-stacked here at the final table so it could have been anybody’s ring. I ran really great, there were a lot of spots that I was all in behind and I managed to get there.”

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Jon Honeycutt	Ocean Springs, Mississippi	$12,946
2	Donald Rolfe	Mississippi	$8,001
3	David Nicholson	Perkinston, Mississippi	$5,535
4	Eric Wilkerson	Louisiana	$3,923
5	Bradley Myers	Essex Junction, Vermont	$2,849
6	Lee Thibodaux	Thibodaux, Louisiana	$2,123
7	Meraler Dilsad	Louisiana	$1,624
8	Yousef "Joe" Saleh	Meridian, Mississippi	$1,275
9	Trace Henderson	Laurel, Mississippi	$1,029

Tags: Jonathan Honeycutt

12-13-2019 15:43 UTC

WSOPc IP Biloxi Main Event Set to Launch

Jeff McMillan

It is time for another World Series of Poker Circuit $1,700 Main Event to get underway today at 11 a.m. local time at the IP Biloxi circuit stop.

Last year in Biloxi, it was Kevin Johnson who took home the Main Event circuit ring as he topped a field of 382 runners to win his first ring and $127,319 after defeating Luke Graham heads up.

This tournament will follow the classic WSOPc main event structure with the first 15 levels being 40 minutes in length. Day 1 will consist of 15 levels plus an additional 60-minute Level 16. Breaks are every three levels, with a dinner break after Level 9. If 16% of the starting field is left remaining before the clock expires for the day, play will be stopped at that point.

The $,1700 buy-in gives each player 30,000 in chips. Players are allowed one re-entry per flight and have the option to re-enter all the way up until the start of Level 13. Day 1b will follow the same format on Saturday, December 14, also starting at 11 a.m. local time.

PokerNews will bring you the Day 1a coverage today, so make sure to tune in.

Tags: Kevin Johnson Luke Graham