Level: 5
Blinds: 200/300
Ante: 300
2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Hammond
$1,700 Main Event
Day: 1a
Players Left 1 / 989
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Level 5
: 200/300, 300 ante
Michael Mieszala raised to 1,200 from the cutoff, and Matthew Shepsky, who final tabled this event in October, called on the button.
Mieszala bet 1,700 on the 
flop, and Shepsky responded with a raise to 3,900. Mieszala three-bet to 11,000, and Shepsky folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
62,000
62,000
|
62,000 |
|
23,500
1,500
|
1,500 |
Level 5
: 200/300, 300 ante
Ron Slucker raised to 1,000 from the cutoff, then called a three-bet shove from the small blind for around 8,000.
Opponent: 
Ron Slucker: 
Slucker pulled ahead immediately on the 
flop, but the small blind picked up a gutshot on the 
turn. The 
river kept Slucker in front, and he eliminated his opponent.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
55,000 |
Level 5
: 200/300, 300 ante
Kevin Stroud opened to 900 under the gun, Yoon Kim called in early position, and David Lindquist called in the cutoff.
Stroud checked the 
flop, Kim bet 1,700, Lindquist folded, and Stroud called.
Stroud check-called a 4,000 bet from Kim on the 
turn, and both players checked the river,
Yoon showed down 
, with his two pair good against Stroud's 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
76,000
17,000
|
17,000 |
|
32,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
Level 5
: 200/300, 300 ante
While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the High Roller and Main Event, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Hammond.
In Event #2: $250 NLH Double Stack, 541 runners created a $108,200 prize pool that was paid out to the top 82 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the official final table were Eric Mardsen (10th- $1,584), Isidro Sandoval (12th - $1,584), Dimitre Dimitrov (17th - $1,067), Guillermo Vargas (19th - $893), Robert Richmond (22nd - $759) and Josh Reichard (40th - $417).
In the end, it was Illinois native Lena Zhao who collected every chip in play to win her first gold ring along with a $21,031 payday.
This two-day tournament was a true grind, with play continuing for a little over 10 hours and Zhao didn't let the length wear her down.
Zhao came into the final day with the chip lead but went to the final table as one of the shortest stacks with only 820,00, but after a long grind at the final table couple, she got the hands she had been waiting for to seal the deal.
“I work a full-time job so I don’t get to play as much as I want to,” Zhao continued, “I only get to play the events that come through here so it feels so good to win my first ring.”
Zhao has a pretty rough work schedule but intends to continue the Circuit stop at Hammond and earn some points towards the 2020 Global Casino Championship.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lena Zhao | Chicago, IL | $21,031 |
| 2 | Patrick Novak | Chicago, IL | $13,005 |
| 3 | Andres Garcia | Skokie, IL | $9,565 |
| 4 | Ryan Marin | Elgin, IL | $7,122 |
| 5 | John Allen | Romeoville, IL | $5,370 |
| 6 | Raynanza Duke | Louisville, KY | $4,099 |
| 7 | Melissa Bartelme | Muskego, WI | $3,170 |
| 8 | Scott Weitzenfeld | Arlington Heights, IL | $2,483 |
| 9 | Frank Cerminara | Kenosha, WI | $1,970 |
Level 5
: 200/300, 300 ante
Kevin Stroud checked a 
board from the big blind, and the hijack bet 6,500. Stroud called, then checked in the dark.
Before the river could fall on the felt, the hijack jammed for his last 11,500. Stroud thought for a few moments, then called.
"You win," the hijack told Stroud before tabling 
. Stroud said, "You gave me a signal," as he showed his 
for a flush.
"Signal? Good call," the hijack said, rapping the table before departing.
"Wow! You are scary, man!" Yoon Kim told Stroud soon after.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
115,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
Level 5
: 200/300, 300 ante
Three players each put 4,000 in the pot preflop in a three-bet pot.
The small blind checked the 
flop, Eddie Ochana bet 5,500, an early-position player folded, and the small blind called.
Both remaining players checked the 
turn.
The small blind checked the turn, Ochana bet 10,700, and the small blind folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
59,500
59,500
|
59,500 |
Level 5
: 200/300, 300 ante
12-time WSOP Circuit Ring winner Josh Reichard, who just finished in 15th place in Event #11: $1,125 No Limit Hold'em, checked a 
board from under-the-gun, and Christian Kennedy bet 3,000 into a pot of 11,000 from middle position. The cutoff called, and Reichard check-raised to 9,200. Kennedy folded, and the cutoff tanked for a minute.
"I'm gonna let you have it," the cutoff told Reichard, before tossing his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
46,000
46,000
|
46,000 |
|
30,000
8,500
|
8,500 |
Level 5
: 200/300, 300 ante
Eddie Ochana took down his second consecutive hand, this time bringing the stack up to 61,000 after collecting a small heads-up pot.
Ochana opened to 800 on the button, and got a call in the big blind.
The flop came , and the big blind check-folded to a 1,000 bet from Ochana.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
61,000
1,500
|
1,500 |
Level: 6
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 400
