2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Tunica
PokerNews is in town to live report the $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit at Horseshoe Tunica, 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 (One-Day), 271 runners created an $89,430 prize pool that was paid out amongst the top 41 players including Craig Welko (11th - $1,445), Edward Moses (23rd - $792), James Mackey (26th - $718), Donnie Phan (28th - $666), and John Nowak (39th - $609).
In the end, well-known circuit grinder Blake Whittington defeated Andrew Brinkley in heads-up play to win the $19,786 top prize and his sixth gold ring, the third of which came at Horseshoe Tunica.
“It feels very good, it feels pretty special to win another one here. I passed up going to Borgata because I needed points here. It’s nice to get a win in the books, for sure,” the 28-year-old Whittington said after his win.
He continued: “At the start of the final table, I got a double through the chip leader. Then he just started beating up on everyone, and he just amassed like half the chips in play with eight left. It was a really tough final table. The three-handed battle also went on for so long and nobody would bust, the short stack always just won the all-in. It was very grindy, I just tried to keep it as low variance as possible. I was just lucky enough to be on top after all of that.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blake Whittington | Jacksonville, Florida | $19,786 |
| 2 | Andrew Brinkley | Atlanta, Georgia | $12,228 |
| 3 | Jonathan Frye | Mississippi | $8,789 |
| 4 | Heath Claxton | Wrightsville, Georgia | $6,428 |
| 5 | Michael Clements | Burns, Tennessee | $4,786 |
| 6 | Sean Small | Douglasville, Georgia | $3,628 |
| 7 | James Goodson | Little Rock, Arkansas | $2,801 |
| 8 | Matthew South | Florence, Alabama | $2,204 |
| 9 | Carl Masters | Clarksville, Tennessee | $1,768 |
Scott Stewart had one of the larger stacks near the end of Day 1a but it all fell apart in the last level. He's back in action on Day 1b and has got off to a strong start once again. There was a raise to 1,400 in the cutoff and he was called by Carson Perreault in the small blind and Stewart in the big blind.
The flop fell ![]()
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and Perreault checked to Stewart who bet 2,400. The cutoff raised to 6,300 which got Perreault to fold but Stewart still called. The turn was the
which slowed the action as both players knuckled the table.
The river was the
and Stewart counted out a bet of 12,700. His opponent thought for a minute but decided to pitch his cards to the muck, allowing Stewart to rake in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 8
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
A board of ![]()
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was already laid out on the table with Jesse Jones in the small blind heads-up with the big blind. Jones led out for 8,000 into a pot of over 13,000 and his opponent contemplated what to do for a minute. He eventually raised to 28,000, leaving just 5,000 chips behind.
Jones re-raised all in and his opponent quickly called it off. Jones turned over ![]()
which had his opponent out-kicked with ![]()
. The
changed nothing on the river and Jones stacked up a healthy pot after eliminating his opponent.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
119,000
1,900
|
1,900 |
Picking up the action on the flop with the board reading ![]()
![]()
, Marcus Lambert bet 1,100 from early position into a pot of around 2,000. Christopher Nunnally called from the big blind and the
rolled off on the turn.
Nunnally checked again and Lambert made the same bet of 1,100. Nunnally just called and the
paired the board on the river. Nunnally led out for 6,000 this time only to have Lambert shove all in. Nunnally instantly called off his stack of 22,000 and the cards were tabled.
Lambert flipped over ![]()
for a full house and Nunnally was left shocked with ![]()
for the nut flush. Nunnally was eliminated and will be forced to re-enter if he wants a shot at finishing the series in Tunica the same way he started it, with a win.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
60,500
60,500
|
60,500 |
|
|
Busted |
Level: 7
Blinds: 300/500
Ante: 500
Another three levels have been completed and the players are heading on a 15-minute break.
Tiffany Keathley had been nursing a short stack for much of the early going but just recently made her way back to a starting stack. Joshua Palmer raised to 1,500 in the cutoff and was called by the button. Tiffany Keathley three-bet shoved all in for 14,300 in the big blind and only Palmer called.
Tiffany Keathley: ![]()
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Joshua Palmer: ![]()
![]()
The board ran out ![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
and Keathley's pocket kings held on for a double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
40,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
30,500
11,700
|
11,700 |
Charles Davis has run up his stack to over 100,000 chips and he was showing no signs of slowing his aggression. The action folded to Davis in the cutoff who made it 900 to go and was called by Christopher Lane on the button and the big blind.
The flop came ![]()
![]()
and the big blind checked to Davis who continued for 1,400. Lane called and the big blind got out of the way. The turn was the
and Davis fired out another bet of 4,000. Lane still called and the
hit the river.
Davis just slung in a stack of 5,000 chips, announcing all in. Lane had just over 20,000 remaining in front of him and quickly decided to fold. Davis showed the table his ![]()
for a pure bluff and scooped up another pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
114,500 | |
|
|
22,700
22,900
|
22,900 |