After events in Chicago, Southern Indiana, Lake Tahoe, and Atlantic City, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit traveled south to Tunica, Mississippi for its sixth stop of the 2009-2010 season. Michael Crump won the $340 buy-in No Limit Hold’em kickoff event.
A total of 304 players entered the first tournament of the Circuit schedule at Harrah’s Tunica, the closest casino to Memphis, Tennessee. The attendance was markedly lower than in 2009, when 514 players entered the same $340 buy-in event. Accordingly, that meant attendance was down 41%. Nevertheless, Crump made the most of the truncated field, coming out on top for $20,000. In the tournament’s final hand, Jerold Rogers was all-in with 10-5 on a board of 2-9-A-10 for second pair. However, Crump held A-9 for two pair and a queen hit on the river to earn him the win.
Fifth place finisher Mark “Pegasus” Smith owns four WSOP Circuit gold rings and was gunning for a record-setting fifth piece of hardware in Tunica. Smith earned two gold rings in the final two months of 2009, taking down $345 and $340 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournaments in Southern Indiana and Atlantic City. Tied with Smith for four gold rings is 2009 Poker Hall of Fame nominee Men “The Master” Nguyen. All told, Smith owns $450,000 in career WSOP and Circuit Event earnings.
Here’s how the final table shook out in the Old South:
1. Michael Crump – $20,185
2. Jerold Rogers – $12,277
3. Ryan Enis – $8,738
4. Gerard Thorpe – $6,246
5. Mark “Pegasus” Smith – $4,992
6. J. Austin Hijar – $3,746
7. Joseph Pace – $2,500
8. David Couch – $2,027
9. James Whittinghill – $1,719
A total of 19 poker tournaments will play out at Harrah’s Tunica, culminating in the series’ $5,150 buy-in Main Event on February 8th, one day following Super Bowl XLIV. The remaining schedule, which features all No Limit Hold’em events, is as follows. All times are Central:
Friday, January 22nd at 12:00pm
Event #3: No Limit Hold’em
$550 buy-in
Saturday, January 23rd at 12:00pm
Event #4: No Limit Hold’em
$340 buy-in
Sunday, January 24th at 12:00pm
Event #5: Seniors No Limit Hold’em
$230 buy-in
Monday, January 25th at 12:00pm
Event #6: No Limit Hold’em
$230 buy-in
Tuesday, January 26th at 12:00pm
Event #7: No Limit Hold’em
$230 buy-in
Wednesday, January 27th at 12:00pm
Event #8: No Limit Hold’em
$340 buy-in
Thursday, January 28th at 12:00pm
Event #9: No Limit Hold’em
$340 buy-in
Friday, January 29th at 12:00pm
Event #10: No Limit Hold’em
$440 buy-in
Saturday, January 30th at 12:00pm
Event #11: No Limit Hold’em
$550 buy-in
Sunday, January 31st at 12:00pm
Event #12: Ladies No Limit Hold’em
$230 buy-in
Monday, February 1st at 12:00pm
Event #13: No Limit Hold’em
$340 buy-in
Tuesday, February 2nd at 12:00pm
Event #14: No Limit Hold’em
$340 buy-in
Wednesday, February 3rd at 12:00pm
Event #15: No Limit Hold’em
$340 buy-in
Thursday, February 4th at 12:00pm
Event #16: No Limit Hold’em
$440 buy-in
Friday, February 5th at 12:00pm
Event #17: No Limit Hold’em
$550 buy-in
Saturday, February 6th at 12:00pm
Event #18: No Limit Hold’em
$1,080 buy-in
Monday, February 8th at 12:00pm
Event #19: Championship Event
$5,150 buy-in
In last year’s Tunica Circuit Event Championship, Kai Landry defeated David Dao heads-up to earn $183,000. The tournament generated a field of 154 players and a final table that also featured online poker pros Matt “All In At 420” Stout and Mike “goleafsgoeh” Leah. Top tournament pros Kathy Liebert and Full Tilt Poker’s Gavin Smith finished in the money.
hey,mike way to go buddy a dream come true. Take care see ya