The World Series of Poker Circuit made its annual stop at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., in August. The main event saw all-time WSOPC ring leader Maurice Hawkins face off against 22-year-old Justin Carey for the title.
Hawkins got all of his chips in the middle with A-Q as a big favorite against Carey’s A-8. But an eight on the flop denied Hawkins his 14th ring as Carey won $143K and his second ring. Carey has more than $273K in a career that has lasted less than a year.
In other results, longtime pro Bob Ricciuti earned his first ring, winning Event 3 for $134K. David Stefanski earned $47K and his second ring in the $3,250 high roller.
The World Poker Finals is Oct. 4-21. The series features 22 events with $1.2M in guarantees. Kicking off the action is the $500K guarantee Event 1. This $600 tournament has five starting flights Oct. 4-6. Players who bag chips will return in the money for Day 2 on Oct. 7.
MOHEGAN SUN: The Uncasville, Conn., poker room in the Hall of Lost Tribes in the Casino of the Earth has a popular $8-$16 HORSE game on Thursdays. Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6 feature a $7,500 guarantee NLHE tournament for $120 and a 25K stack. Players who register in the first level of any weekly tournament get an extra 5K chips.
Massachusetts
ENCORE BOSTON HARBOR: The 88-table poker room has $1-$3, $2-$5, $5-$10 and $10-$20 games running daily. The room also spreads PLO, stud and a variety of mixed games.
MGM SPRINGFIELD: Look for daily high hands, splash the pot and royal-flush jackpots. Football Frenzy runs from through Dec. 23. Monday, Thursday and Sunday during designated NFL games, whenever a team scores there will be a drawing for a seat and a table that could win $500.
New York
SENECA NIAGARA: The last Saturday of the month features a $10K guarantee for $250 at 11 a.m. with re-entries through Level 7.
TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO: The October Poker Weekend features a $75K guarantee main event and runs Oct. 10-13. As for promotions this month, noon-8 p.m. Sundays, there will be hourly $250 high hands and $100 will be paid through a drawing at the end of each quarter and at the end of the Thursday and Monday night football games.
Maine
HOLLYWOOD CASINO BANGOR: There’s a progressive high hand and a royal-flush jackpot here.
Atlantic City-Philadelphia
Another Big Stax series is in the books at the Philadelphia-area Parx. Andrew Ostapchenko of Rhode Island won the $1,200 event after being the Day 1 chipleader. He continued to be steady throughout the event and captured the title and $97K, edging Anirban Roy ($68K).
Ostapchenko, originally from California, has had some deep runs in his pro career, including a 33rd-place finish in the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event for $200K, but this was his first victory.
Jim Lillis earned the $340 event title for $94,456. The Robinsville, N.J., resident said he recently returned to the workforce after playing poker professionally because his family was growing. The victory gave him $500K-plus in career earnings.
Recreational player Daniel Park won the $550 event for $95K. He has nearly $350K in cashes in 2019 but still thinks of poker as a hobby.
The next Big Stax is running, with the $550 event Oct. 3, with three flights, and the $1,200 main Oct. 11 with two flights.
MOHEGAN SUN POCONO: There are special high-hand events the second and fourth Saturdays of each month and the first and third Sundays. Call for details.
HARRAH’S PHILADELPHIA: There are two tournaments daily: 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. These events have buy-ins starting at $40 and many have guarantees. There are many high-hand hourly promotions for cash players.
SUGARHOUSE CASINO: Tournaments are Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The Monday and Wednesday events have 20K stacks. All events have guarantees. The bad-beat jackpot (quad deuces) is $100K.
Maryland
MGM NATIONAL HARBOR: Farid Jattin of Miami captured the $3,300 main event of the Potomac Poker Open for $248K. The event had 348 entries for a $1.04M prize pool.
LIVE CASINO AND HOTEL: The World Poker Tour runs here until Oct. 7. There were 21 events and $2.3M-plus in guarantees. There’s another 20-event series planned Oct. 25-Nov. 7.
HORSESHOE BALTIMORE: The WSOPC visits Oct. 3-14.
Delaware
DELAWARE PARK: The poker room has two tournaments each weekday, four on Saturday and three on Sunday. All events have guarantees and all players at final tables receive points toward the monthly DP Players Championship that runs at the end of each month.
Meet David Grubb
David Grubb has been in the poker industry for 19 years, spending nearly the past three as the poker room manager at Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady, N.Y.
How were you first introduced to poker? I was introduced to poker by playing dealer’s choice on my dining-room table with my family when I was 9. We played games like three-card guts, follow the queen, Chicago and my all-time favorite, acey-deucey double bubble.
What is the best part of being a poker room manager? The best part … is the opportunity it provides to help my team achieve its goals. That alone is very rewarding to me.
What can players expect when they come to your poker room? Players can expect above-and-beyond customer service, delicious tableside food, player-friendly tournament structures, strong promotions and great action.
What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy watching and attending sporting events. I’m a diehard Philly sports fan. I can be found at a poker table during my time away from work. I mostly play no-limit hold’em, but I prefer a $20-$40 stud or an Omaha-stud/8 game. — Jon Maclellan
