A cozy field of just 64 players turned out for the $5,150 buy-in World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Event Championship at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe. In the end, bracelet winner Matt Keikoan emerged victorious from the pack and earned $106,000.
Last November, there were 132 entrants in the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Circuit Championship, meaning that attendance in 2009 was sliced in half. Nevertheless, the $106,000 payday for Keikoan also marked a return home. He told tournament officials after play had concluded, “I live only about three hours away from here. I used to come here all the time on vacation when I was a kid. I really love it here at Lake Tahoe.” Keikoan captured his bracelet during the 2008 WSOP in a $2,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event, defeating online poker whiz Shannon Shorr heads-up in a final table that also included J.C. Tran, Alex Bolotin, Chris Bjorin, and Theo Tran.
Keikoan was sixth in chips entering the final table, with the remaining field looking up at bracelet winner David Woo. However, Keikoan battled through an eight-hour session that saw the field trimmed from nine to two and found himself as a 5:1 chip leader against Justin Hallstrom heads-up. In the final hand of the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Circuit Event Championship, Keikoan called Hallstrom’s all-in with A-K; Hallstrom held just A-3. The flop came king-high, keeping Keikoan in the lead for good in the hand and shipping him the $106,000 first place prize. All was not lost for Hallstrom, however, who earned $56,000 for second place. Here’s how the field shook out in the Nevada casino:
1. Matt Keikoan (San Rafael, California) – $106,435
2. Justin Hallstrom (Lodi, California) – $56,886
3. John Goodger (Montreal, Quebec) – $39,820
4. Ari Engel (Las Vegas, Nevada) – $28,144
5. Tommy Vedes (Las Vegas, Nevada)- $21,557
6. Roger Sippl (Woodside, California) – $17,066
7. David Woo (Atlanta, Georgia) – $13,174
8. Tim Davey (Morgan Hill, California) – $9,581
9. John McNeilly (San Francisco, California) – $6,737
Tommy Vedes is fresh off a win in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Festa al Lago Main Event, which saw him bank $1.2 million. The seven-figure payday came on the heels of a $352,000 take for placing 19th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, which wrapped up two weeks ago with 21 year-old Joe Cada earning $8.5 million. “Bodog” Ari Engel scooped a WSOP Circuit gold ring in 2007 after winning a $300 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event at Caesars Atlantic City for $63,000. He claimed his second ring by winning a $1,060 buy-in Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em event for $22,000 in April, besting Adam White.
Due to the small field size in Lake Tahoe, only the top nine finishers (the final table) made the money. The distinction of bubble boy went to Steve Kujubu of Sacramento, California, who landed in 10th place and walked away empty-handed. A total of 18 events played out during the WSOP’s Circuit stop at Harvey’s, which generated 2,664 total entries and a healthy $1.1 million in prize money. Last year, 2,163 players threw their hats into the ring, although only 13 events were held.
The WSOP Circuit staff will now take a well-deserved break for Thanksgiving before heading to Harrah’s Atlantic City. The poker tournaments in the East Coast casino kick off on December 4th with a $340 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event. The Championship tournament comes with a buy-in of $5,150 and begins on December 13th, the 10th of 17 events on the docket. Last year, Brent “Astrolux85” Roberts defeated Phillip Reed in the finale of the WSOP Circuit stop at Harrah’s Atlantic City.
