The Horseshoe Hammond continues to shatter attendance records for World Series of Poker Circuit.
This year’s big story at Horseshoe Hammond’s World Series of Poker Circuit stop was its numbers. For the third year, the $350 opening event set a WSOPC record, with an amazing 3,001 entrees.
“The growth here in Hammond just continues year after year,” tournament director Charles Ciresi said. “As soon as you think it can’t get any bigger, the players keep coming out.”
Aaron Bleck a finance major from Plymouth, Wis., took home $124,438 for winning the biggest WSOPC event in history. The $873,291 prize pool paid the top 297 players.
Records continued to fall as the main event drew 1,615 entrees. Bob Chow a semipro who formerly ran a software company, made his way to the top of the record field, winning $393,584.
“I get to do what I enjoy doing, and I get to do things that really interest me,” Chow said. “Life is good. My passion is poker. I really enjoy it.”
Aaron Steury, a poker pro from Ft. Wayne, Ind., finished second. Steury also won the WSOP’s $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event in July.
Dennis Phillips’ highly competitive nature was put to the test during the WSOPC. After arriving from Europe he jumped into the “stimulus” tournament, finishing just out of the money, and then he was a late entry into the $1,100 event. On Day 2 his appendix starting acting up, forcing him to take 20-minute breaks on a sofa while the tournament was in progress. But Phillips never gave up, and after being heads-up for three hours he won his first WSOPC ring. Nine hours later, he had an emergency appendectomy.
A few days later from his hospital bed, Phillips gave a detailed account on his radio show with Paul Harris. Phillips is fine at home in Las Vegas now. Results from this circuit event are at the bottom of this post.
• Harrah’s Joliet just wrapped up its first Tuesday league and Bala Iyer was the points leader. Iyer, a systems analyst from Plainfield, finished 53rd in Hammond’s WSOPC main event. The poker room is offering 17 Tier Credits per hour.
• The Chicago Poker Classic at the Horseshoe will be Feb. 23-March 5. The $240 buy-in opener is a re-entry tournament with a Day 1A and 1B. Look for this to surpass last year’s 1,206 entrees. The Horseshoe has many promotions planned for this event; check horseshoehammond.com for details.
• The H Foundation, Windy City Poker Championship and Rockford Charitable Games have joined forces to run the state’s biggest TV charity tournament, Dec. 15-18 at Via Bella Banquets in Countryside. The H Foundation raises money to fund cancer research.
“Poker players can help in the fight against cancer, along with having a chance at being in the national spotlight on a televised charity tournament” WCPC executive director and producer Kirk Fallah said. World champ Jerry Yang will be back along with movie critic Richard Roeper and sports journalist David Kaplan. Two of poker’s rising stars Amanda Musumeci and Jamie Kerstetter will fly in from Philadelphia for the event.
The $150 Ante Up Chicago Poker Championship will be Dec. 15, followed by the $400 televised main event on Dec. 16 and a $250 heads-up event. For more info, e-mail kirk@focalpointfilms.com.
Tournament location, dates and buy-ins are subject to change pending state approval.
• The Special Kids Network held its first charity hold’em tournament on Oct. 22. World Poker Tour tournament director Matt Savage ran this tournament at Fields BMW in Northfield. Blackhawks legend Jeremy Roenick and former Bears player Emery Moorehead attended.
— “Chicago” Joe Gieturga is the Ante Up Ambassador for the Chicagoland area. You can email him at chicago.joe@comcast.net.
WSOP Circuit, Horseshoe Hammond, Hammond, Ind., Oct. 13-24
Ring Event 1 • $350 NLHE
Entries: 3,001 • Prize Pool: $873,291
1. Aaron Bieck, Plymouth, WI, $124,438
2. David Schonback, Geneva, IL, $76,911
3. Jeffrey Manza, Naperville, IL, $58,982
4. Peter Nigh, St. Louis, $45,691
5. Javier Figueroa, Chicago, $35,875
6. Jason Zeller, Peoria, IL, $28,129
7. Daniel Acevedo, Belvidere, IL, $22,208
8. Leo Whitt, Louisville, $17,649
9. Jenchwen Chang, Atlantic City, $14,200
Event 2 $560 NLHE
Entries: 648 • Prize Pool: $314,280
1. David Costain, St. Clairsville, OH, $64,416
2. Andrew Barfield, Mt. Sterling, IL, $39,866
3. Alin Cotolan, Chicago, $29,241
4. Joel Casper, Chicago, $21,745
5. Thomas Matteucci, Berwyn, IL, $16,390
6. Joshua Pender, Rockhill, SC, $12,518
7. Joseph Stark, Lawrenceville, GA, $9,686
8. Michael Sarmiento, Chicago, $7,593
9. Scott Carroll, Pekin, IL, $6,028
Event 3 • $1,100 NLHE
Entries: 202 • Prize Pool: $195,940
1. Valentin Vornicu, San Diego, $50,943
2. Duy Tran, Brentwood, TN, $31,470
3. Michael Souza, San Diego, $22,723
4. Scott Schwalich, West Carrollton, OH, $16,688
5. Nachman Berlin, Brooklyn, $12,468
6. Mark Kroon, Madison, WI, $9,474
7. Kyle Cartwright, Bartlett, TN, $7,318
8. Chad Hahn, Westfield, IN, $5,747
9. Pradeep Buddharaju, Houston, $4,585
Event 4 • $350 PLO w/rebuys
Entries: 153 • Prize Pool: $139,123
1. Charles Tonne, China, MI, $37,560
2. Mike Schneider, Covington, GA, $23,214
3. Zachary Estes, Alton, IL, $16,710
4. Nick Guagenti, Westerville, OH, $12,247
5. Richard Hoffman, Chicago, $9,135
6. Joshua Field, Villa Park, CA, $6,932
7. Frederic Winter, La Grange, IL, $5,351
8. Mark Provenzano, Melrose Park, IL, $4,197
9. Gary Lisowski, $3,347
Event 5 $350 NLHE
Entries: 728 • Prize Pool: $211,848
1. Navin Kamal, Naperville, IL, $42,369
2. Michael Warrington, Chipley, FL, $26,121
3. Nicholas Ferro, Winnebago, IL, $19,257
4. Bradley Lipsey, Franklin, TN, $14,353
5. Eric Edelman, Hammond, IN, $10,850
6. Bill Varga, Paris, KY, $8,294
7. Alexander Safin, Highland, IN, $6,425
8. Francesco Barbaro, Willow Springs, IL, $5,040
9. Corey Souther, Biloxi, MS, $4,002
Event 6 • $560 6-Max
Entries: 330 • Prize Pool: $160,050
1. Hussain Sajwani, Chicago, $40,018
2. Drazen Ilich, Lincoln, NE, $24,625
3. Peter Spreadbury, Oak Forest, IL, $17,159
4. Andrew Margolis, Chicago, $12,053
5. Nancy Birnbaum, Decatur, GA, $8,567
6. Frank Rusnak, Las Vegas, $6,160
7. David Holder, Norman, OK, $4,480
8. Jonathan Sorcher, Lynbrook, NY, $4,480
9. Daniel Sindelar, Omaha, $3,295
Event 7 • $350 H.O.R.S.E.
Entries: 318 • Prize Pool: $92,538
1. Robert Rasmussen, Niles, IL, $22,607
2. Richard Shavzin, Chicago, $14,007
3. Ross Schultz, Chicago, $10,335
4. Jeffrey Tunkel, Chicago, $7,682
5. Dennis Odonnell, Oscola, IN, $5,753
6. Sokchheka Pho, Memphis, $4,342
7. Brandon Schuler, Champaign, IL, $3,302
8. Francesco Barbaro, Willow Springs, IL, $2,529
9. Christopher Cullen, Cincinnati, $1,952
Event 8 • $1,100 NLHE
Entries: 227 • Prize Pool: $220,190
1. Dennis Phillips, Cottage Hills, IL, $55,045
2. Gordon Vayo, Chicago, $34,024
3. Justin Gardenhire, Ponca City, OK, $24,763
4. Michael Johnson, Bartlett, IL, $18,313
5. Jean Gaspard, Evanston, IL, $13,755
6. Ian Keiser, Highwood, IL, $10,492
7. James Tolbert, Norman, OK, $8,125
8. Niel Mittelman, Libertyville, IL, $6,386
9. Andrew Touchette, Wakefield, MA, $5,093
| DECEMBER 2011 | anteupmagazine.com
Event 9 • $350 Omaha/8
Entries: 245 • Prize Pool: $71,295
1. David Nicholson, Biloxi, MS, $17,467
2. Jordan Meltzer, Decorah, IA, $10,793
3. Shaun Burnett, Lacona, IA, $7,798
4. Danny Scott, Kitchener, Ontario, $5,739
5. James Vizzini, Chicago, $4,299
6. Kenneth Share, Wheeling, IL, $3,276
7. Kyle Shappelle, Las Vegas, $2,538
8. Matthew Modaff, Iowa City, $1,998
9. Randall Pace, Oak Brook, IL, $1,598
$1,600 Main Event
Entries: 1,615 • Prize Pool: $2,349,825
1. Robert Chow, Schaumburg, IL, $393,584
2. Aaron Steury, Ft. Wayne, IN, $243,818
3. Erik Roussakis, Berwyn, IL, $183,991
4. Eric Crain, Murphysboro, IL, $139,815
5. David Neff, Mayfield Hts, OH, $106,447
6. Joseph Hebda, St. John, IN, $81,774
7. Drazen Ilich, Lincoln, NE $63,680
8. Daniel V. Harrington, Chicago, $50,051
9. Shawn Quinn, Middleton, WI, $39,947
Event 11 • $560 NLHE
Entries: 258 • Prize Pool: $125,130
1. Craig Bergeron, Farm. Hills, Mi, $30,658
2. Franco Cupello, Ontario, $18,942
3. Joseph Laureano, Indianapolis, $13,685
4. Dash Dudley, Lansing, MI, $10,072
5. Benjamin Kramer, Terre Haute, IN, $7,545
6. John Fagg, Terre Haute, IN, $5,750
7. John Lauer, St. Peters, MO, $4,455
8. Chris Tryba, Las Vegas, $3,507
9. Kyle Cartwright, Bartlett, TN, $2,805
Event 12 • $350 NLHE
Entries: 281 • Prize Pool: $81,771
1. Ryan Carter, St. Louis, $19,625
2. Rashi Brown, Posen, IL, $12,128
3. Joseph Banasiak, Hammond, IN, $8,800
4. Steven Tabb, Newton, MA, $6,493
5. Felicia Johnico, Durant, OK, $4,869
6. Shane Viele, Springfield, IL, $3,711
7. Matthew Wolfe, Ontario, $2,872
8. Stanley Sowa, Chicago, $2,257
9. Kurt Fraser, Schaumburg, IL, $1,801
