Blinds: 12,000/24,000/1,200
Kenneth "kdonarski" Donarski moved all in preflop and was called by Shawn "Saygoodnight" Daniels.
Kenneth "kdonarski" Donarski: 
Shawn "Saygoodnight" Daniels: 
The board ran out 
, sending Donarksi out in 11th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,435,904
827,560
|
827,560 |
|
|
Busted |
Blinds: 12,000/24,000/1200
In blind-versus-blind action, Andrew "RandyLerch" Kelsall and Jaso0n "VooDooDuDu" Tang got it all in preflop and were off to the races.
Andrew "RandyLerch" Kelsall: 
Jason "VooDooDuDu" Tang: 
The board ran out 
, which gave Kelsall a boat and eiminated Tang from the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
263,777
142,531
|
142,531 |
|
|
Busted |
In 2018, the Global Casino Championship attracted 127 players to Harrah’s Cherokee and saw Warren Sheaves take it down for $282,113 and his first bracelet. Sheaves had qualified after finishing in 10th place on that year’s points leaderboard.
After his victory, Sheaves told assembled media: “I feel pretty good, but they only invited 120 people or so to this tournament. So, I just kind of feel like this is a medium bracelet, you know? It doesn’t really fit my ego.”
At the time, WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart said of the event: “Ten years ago, we only had 12 Circuit stops and they were all in the U.S. We’re proud to have grown it to 39 stops in 11 different countries and the Global Casino Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee exists to put the best of the best in the same room to see who comes out on top. We’ll continue to work hard to make the World Series of Poker the biggest and best poker tournaments to play all around the world.”
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warren Sheaves | USA | $282,113 |
| 2 | Jeremy Meacham | USA | $174,360 |
| 3 | Keven Stammen | USA | $122,360 |
| 4 | Armin Stocker | Switzerland | $88,463 |
| 5 | Loni Harwood | USA | $65,067 |
| 6 | Arkadiy Tsinis | USA | $48,926 |
| 7 | Blake Whittington | USA | $37,627 |
| 8 | Kurt Jewell | USA | $29,612 |
| 9 | Stephen Bierman | USA | $23,861 |
Blinds: 6,000/12,000/1,200
In a hand that started out relatively tame an "action flop" saw two players get it all in.
After Matt "RubberFist" Stout limped the button three players saw a flop of 
. Adam "nonce" Owen checked the small blind, the big blind checked, and Stout bet 22,200.
Owen then check-shoved, which got a fold from the big blind, but a call from Stout. With that, the cards were revealed.
Adam "nonce" Owen: 
Matt "RubberFist" Stout": 
Owen had flopped a monster draw against Stout's bottom set, but unfortunately, the former didn't get there as bot the turn and river bricked. Owen was eliminated on the money bubble in 21st place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
512,929
124,813
|
124,813 |
|
|
Busted |
In 2017, well-known West Coast poker pro Sean Yu navigated a 124-player field to win the Global Casino Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee for $296,341. He has qualified nearly a year before after defeating Eli Elezra heads up in the WSOP Circuit Planet Hollywood Main Event.
The heater continued for Yu as the next month he won a $1,100 Main Event at Commerce for $209,030 and then a week later won a WSOPC gold ring at Thunder Valley Casino.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Yu | South Korea | $296,941 |
| 2 | Alexander Lakhov | Russia | $183,527 |
| 3 | Josh Reichard | USA | $130,498 |
| 4 | Jesse Cohen | USA | $94,459 |
| 5 | Jason Mercier | USA | $69,624 |
| 6 | Dylan Linde | USA | $52,724 |
| 7 | Will Berry | USA | $39,993 |
| 8 | Nikhil Gera | USA | $31,189 |
| 9 | Charlie Nguyen | USA | $24,804 |
Blinds: 4,000/8,000/800
After action folded around to Alan "soccermom90" Percal in the small blind, he shoved and was called by Jason "VooDooDuDu" Tang in the big blind.
Alan "soccermom90" Percal: 
Jason "VooDooDuDu" Tang: 
Percal was ahead preflop but unfortunately, his hand didn't hold as Tang turned a straight on the 
runout and eliminated Percal from the tourney short of the money.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,648
114,769
|
114,769 |
|
|
Busted |
In 2016, there was a rebranding of sorts as the National Championship, which had previously considered only US-based stops, became the Global Casino Championship after the introduction of the international circuit. That meant from players could earn qualifying points worldwide.
The Global Casino Championship was once again held at Harrah’s Cherokee and saw France’s Said El-Yousfi top a 126-player field to win the tournament for $343,256 and the gold bracelet. El-Yousfi had qualified after being crowned the Casino Champ at Casino de Marrakech in his native Morocco. He, therefore, became the first “Casino Championship” qualifier to win the title.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Said El-Yousfi | France | $343,256 |
| 2 | Yasin Ahmady | USA | $212,150 |
| 3 | Josh Turner | USA | $150,851 |
| 4 | Joe Kuether | USA | $109,192 |
| 5 | Sean Small | USA | $80,483 |
| 6 | Cody Pack | USA | $60,427 |
| 7 | Alex Rocha | USA | $46,231 |
| 8 | Brian Green | USA | $36,054 |
| 9 | Blake Whittington | USA | $28,673 |
Blinds: 1,700/3,400/340
After a min-raise, Brett "Metanemesis" Apter shoved his last remaining 69,114 and Faisal "desigolfer" Siddiqui reshoved over the top from the small blind. The original raiser folded and the hands were turned up.
Brett "Metanemesis" Apter: 
Faisal "desigolfer" Siddiqui":
The 
flop gave Apter the lead, which was short-lived after the case hit the turn .The 
river was no help to Apter and ended his tournament run.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
305,366
78,060
|
78,060 |
|
|
Busted |
Speaking of winning a second bracelet, Loni Harwood did the same thing in 2015 when the tournament drew 122 players. The fifth annual National Championship moved to Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina for the first time, and Harwood, who bought her way in for $10,000, bested one of the WSOP Circuit’s most accomplished players, Alex Masek, in heads-up play to win the title for $341,599.
Fun Fact: Daniel Negreanu made the final table, ultimately finishing in sixth place for $63,647.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loni Harwood | USA | $341,599 |
| 2 | Alex Masek | USA | $211,133 |
| 3 | Darryll Fish | USA | $152,402 |
| 4 | Brad St. Vincent | USA | $111,984 |
| 5 | Vincent Moscati | USA | $83,716 |
| 6 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | $63,647 |
| 7 | Paul Mattioda | USA | $49,203 |
| 8 | Seth Berger | USA | $38,650 |
| 9 | Jonathan Abla | USA | $30,854 |
Blinds: 1,000/2,000/200
After preflop action folded to Nick "Nickvee07" Verderamo, who had both blinds easily covered, he shoved from the button. Dustin "TexasOil777" Schoonover called off from the small blind and the big blind folded.
Nick "Nickvee07" Verderamo: 
Dustin "TexasOil777" Schoonover: 
After the cards were revealed it looked like a sure double up for Schoonover until 
flop. The turn and river were no help and Schoonover was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
156,793
96,793
|
96,793 |
|
|
Busted |
