It took three consecutive 12-plus hour days of playing, but Kurt Jewell of Frankfort, Ky., is the WSOPC main event champ at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind. He officially collected $242,909 in prize money and received his first circuit gold ring. Also, he won two prepaid seats: the $10K regional championship and the $1 million freeroll national championship, which will take place in Las Vegas in May.
Jewell is a 25-year-old graduate of Eastern Kentucky University. He holds a degree in sports management and hopes to work in sports at some point when the “right opportunity comes along,” he said. But until then, Jewell is content with grinding out a living by playing poker professionally.
He has six WSOPC cashes, including a runner-up finish at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in July and a third-place finish earlier in October at Southern Indiana.
Focused and determined from start to finish, Jewell was chipleader from the middle of Day 2 until the late stages of the tournament. He lost the lead temporarily when a few of the shorter stacks managed to double through him, but he was able to regain his advantage and win his first major title.
The runner-up was Jared Kenworthy of Independence, Mo., collecting $150,104.
The $1,600 championship attracted the largest tournament field in WSOPC history (872 players).
