After three long days of poker at Harveys Lake Tahoe, Cary Marshall emerged victorious in the latest World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event. Marshall entered the final day with the chip lead, and though didn’t necessarily go wire-to-wire, het outlasted the entire 422-player field to pocket $139,260, the gold ring, and a seat in the National Championship next year.
The day began with 13 players, but a final table was reached in less than an hour. The first player to bust was Sam McGrath, who was crippled during one of the last hands on Day 2. He three-bet jammed with ace-king over an open from Derrick Yamada who called with ace-five. Yamada spiked a five on the flop, eliminating McGrath in 13th place.
Will Chao was the next player eliminated. Chao open-shoved around 12 big blinds with 
and Marshall looked him up with 
. Chao flopped a flush draw, but the turn and river both bricked, and he was eliminated.
The players were two eliminations away from the official final table, and both came in the same hand. Prabhakar Thonduru open-shoved his last 235,000 from under the gun, and Narunat Pansuntorn called on the button. Jesse Rockowitz iso-shoved from the big blind, having Pansuntorn well covered, and Pansuntorn called.
Thonduru: 
Pansuntorn: 
Rockowitz: 
The 
flop gave Rockowitz a decisive lead, and the turn and river came 
, 
, eliminating both Pansuntorn and Thonduru from the tournament.
Yadama, the chip leader entering the final table, recorded the first knockout. John Deng opened to 42,000 in middle position, Shawn Van Asdale three-bet jammed on his direct left for 353,000, and Derrick Yamda four-bet jammed from the blinds. Deng folded and the hands were opened.
Yamada: 
Van Asdale: 
The board ran out 
, and Van Asdale was eliminated in ninth place.
In the next few orbits, Clint Baskin doubled up twice. In the second hand, he opened in early position, Yamada called on his direct left, and the rest of the players folded. The flop came 
, Baskin led for 80,000, and Yamada called.
The turn was the 
, Baskin led again, this time for 225,000. Yamada moved all in for effectively 885,000 and Baskin snap-called.
Yamada:
Baskin:
Baskin flopped a set of sixes, and after the 
completed the board, he successfully doubled.
The next player out the door was Dick Hanley. Jesse Rockowitz opened to 60,000 from early position, Ping Liu three-bet jammed on the button, and Hanley called all in from the big blind. Rockowitz quickly folded, and the hands were tabled.
Liu: 
Hanley:
The flop fell 
, giving Hanley a backdoor flush draw, and the on the turn kept that draw alive.
It was not to be however as the 
completed the board, giving Liu a full house and eliminating Hanley from the Main Event.
John Song exited soon after Hanley. Liu moved all in from the small blind, Song called all-in for around 10 big blinds, and the hands were opened:
Liu 
Song:
The board ran out 
, and Song was eliminated in seventh place.
Rockowitz entered the final table second in chips but couldn’t get anything going. When six-handed play began, he was near the bottom of the counts and then found himself dead last. Marshall opened to 90,000 from under the gun, Rockowitz three-bet jammed on the button, the action folded back to Marshall, who called.
Marshall:
Rockowitz: 
Marshall’s hand held as the board ran out 
, and Rockowitz was eliminated in sixth place.
A few hands later, Liu was eliminated in fifth place. Yamada raised all in from the small blind, and Ping Liu tanked for nearly two minutes, then called.
Yamada: 
Liu: 
Yamada held, and actually made a straight as the board ran out 
, eliminating Liu.
Marshall started to pull away during four-handed play, becoming the first player to cross the four million-chip mark. He then crossed the five-million-chip mark when he eliminated Baskin, the 2006 WSOPC Lake Tahoe Champion. Baskin opened to 315,000 from first position, Marshall called from the small blind, and the flop came 
. Marshall checked, Baskin moved all in, and Marshall called.
Baskin:
Marshall:
The turn was the 
, which was no help to Baskin, and neither was the on the river.
Baskin was eliminated in fourth place, while Marshall padded his chip lead.
Deng cruised along all day with very few altercations, but could not reach heads-up play. Marshall raised to 120,000 on the button, Deng three-bet to 320,000 from the small blind, and after Derrick Yamada folded, Marshall quickly called.
The flop came 
, Deng moved all in, and Marshall called.
Marshall:
Deng:
Marshall was ahead, and held as the turn and river came 
, respectively. Deng was eliminated in third place.
Marshall began heads-up play with a decisive lead, but Yamada chipped away nicely. In one particular hand, Yamada opened to 160,000 with the button, and Marshall defended his big blind. The flop fell , Marshall checked, and Yamada continued for 230,000. Marshall called.
The turn was the , Marshall checked again, and Yamada slid out 600,000. Marshall tanked for two minutes, then called.
The completed the board, and Marshall checked a third time. Yamada reached for all of his chips, began to push them all forward, and Marshall blurted, "Don’t bother."
He folded, and Yamada raked in the massive pot.
Despite that win, and other wins, Yamada never overtook the chip lead during the match. Marshall increased his lead as Level 33 began, but it took a cooler to end the tournament.
Yamada opened to 200,000, Marshall defended, and the flop was 
. Marshall check-called a bet, and the turn was the .
Marshall checked, Yamada slid out 500,000, and Marshall quickly called.
The river was the , and Marshall instantly went all in. Yamada went deep into the tank, examining his stack, and finally called.
Marshall tabled for a rivered straight, and Yamada shook his head. Marshall raised his hands in victory, and Yamada showed for a turned set of jacks.
After winning, he told ESPN’s Bernard Lee that he’s, “Ready to play in more circuit events.”
Here are all of the payouts from Day 3:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Cary Marshall | $139,260 |
| 2nd | Derrick Yamada | $86,056 |
| 3rd | John Deng | $62,882 |
| 4th | Clint Baskin | $46,690 |
| 5th | Ping Liu | $35,207 |
| 6th | Jesse Rockowitz | $26,947 |
| 7th | John Song | $20,927 |
| 8th | Dick Hanley | $16,483 |
| 9th | Shawn Van Asdale | $13,166 |
| 10th | Narunat Pansuntorn | $10,660 |
| 11th | Prabhakar Thonduru | $10,660 |
| 12th | Will Chao | $10,660 |
| 13th | Sam McGrath | $8,748 |
The next stop on the WSOP Circuit begins on Nov. 29 at Harrah’s Atlantic City. It will conclude with the Main Event on Dec. 8, and PokerNews will be on hand to provide all of your up-to-the-minute updates.
