Jim Anderson became the first ever champion of a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Regional Championship after trumping the field in Hammond, Indiana. The $10,000 buy-in tournament started with 226 players and Anderson banked over $500,000.
Anderson finished 242nd in this year’s Main Event in Las Vegas, driving deep in poker’s most prestigious tournament. He told WSOP officials following his win on Thursday that experience had a hand in his victory: “I definitely think my deep run in the Main Event this year helped me here. The $10K is always intimidating if you are new. But having played in it before, it allowed me to focus more. The atmosphere was kind of similar with all the lights and the television cameras around. So, I think I was used to the pressure somewhat.” He qualified for the Regional Championship after taking down a preliminary event.
Seventh place belonged to poker pro Brandon Adams, who provides commentary for the Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship on GSN. Adams ran A-5 into A-Q on his final hand in Hammond to depart the final table $77,000 richer for his efforts. The Full Tilt Poker pro also made a final table at the WSOP this year, finishing second in the Seven Card Stud World Championship for $243,000.
Fifth and sixth places belonged to two online poker pros, Shannon “BLUFFforRENT” Shorr and DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member David “Doc Sands” Sands. Shorr pushed all-in with pocket jacks and Gabe Patgorski made the call with pocket rockets. The board filled out 9-8-3-K-K and Shorr hit the skids in sixth place for $100,000. Sands met a similar fate, committing his stack with Q-10 and butting into Curt Kohlberg’s aces. Sands flopped a 10 to make matters interesting, but he ultimately hit the rail in fifth place for $131,000.
After Kohlberg departed in fourth place, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and Foxwoods sponsored pro Bernard Lee was ousted in third. He entered three-handed play in second on the leaderboard, but was eliminated in a coin flip. Lee was all-in before the flop with pocket tens and up against Patgorski’s A-K, including the king of spades. The flop fell 9-5-3, all spades, giving Patgorski a flush draw in addition to two overcards. The turn was a king and Patgorski pulled into the lead for good; Lee banked $236,000 for his run.
According to the Hendon Mob, the nearly quarter-million dollar haul was Lee’s largest in three years. His richest live payday to date came in the 2005 WSOP Main Event, where he finished in 13th place for $400,000. Lee won preliminary events during the Foxwoods World Poker Finals in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
Patgorski ultimately could not draw out on pocket aces with A-J of clubs and so Anderson emerged victorious at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. Each player who made the final table will receive entry into the $1 million Circuit National Championship, which will play out from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in May. Here’s how the final table of the first ever Regional Championship unfolded:
1. Jim Anderson – $525,449
2. Gabe Patgorski – $324,770
3. Bernard Lee – $236,368
4. Curt Kohlberg – $174,807
5. David Sands – $131,299
6. Shannon Shorr – $100,151
7. Brandon Adams – $77,556
8. Tony Hartman – $60,952
9. Mark Owens – $48,615
Two WSOP Circuit Events are taking place concurrently following the conclusion of the festivities in Hammond. The Emerald Casino in South Africa and IP Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi are both holding Circuit Events this weekend. The next Regional Championship will play out during the WSOP Circuit’s stop at Harrah’s Atlantic City in late December.
