Youngest person ever to win the World Series of Poker Main Event
World Series of Poker® Crowns Youngest-Ever Main Event Champion Joseph Cada, 21, of Shelby Township, Mich., Wins Poker’s Most Prestigious Prize and More than $8.5 Million
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 10, 2009) – A 21-year-old online poker phenom from Michigan today became the youngest person ever to win the game’s largest, longest-running, richest and most prestigious tournament: the World Series of Poker Main Event. Joseph Cada, whose previous poker winnings enabled him to pay cash for his first home at age 19, added more than $8.5 million to his bankroll with the record-setting win.
Cada, of Shelby Township, took the title by outlasting Darvin Moon, a 46-year-old self-employed logger from Western Maryland. With his victory, Cada dethroned last year’s champion, Peter Eastgate, as the youngest-ever Main Event winner.
Nine days shy of his 22nd birthday, this was the first World Series of Poker that Cada was eligible to play.
“I’ve dreamed of winning this tournament, and to do it the first year out of the gate is unbelievable,” Cada said after his victory. “This is just amazing.”
The heads-up competition for the championship went back and forth throughout the night, with the chip leading changing multiple times. Cada finally clinched the win about 2 a.m. Pacific, after 87 hands. Moon moved all in with Queen of Diamonds/Jack of Diamonds, but Cada’s pair of nines held up for the $8.5 million top prize.
Moon took home a consolation prize of more than $5.1 million for his second-place finish.
“It’s only money,” Moon said with a smile after the event. “The more you win, the more you owe to the government. I play for the game.”
ESPN will air its coverage of the World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table today (November 10) at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific.
About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year over year. The WSOP in December 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker EuropeSM. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com or www.twitter.com/wsop.
World Series of Poker® Main Event Reaches Final Two Players
World Series of Poker® Main Event Reaches Final Two Players
Ultimate Everyman and Youngest-Ever Potential Champion
to Resume Play Monday at 10pm Pacific Time
LAS VEGAS (November 8, 2009) – A self-employed logger from Western Maryland and a 21-year-old poker pro will compete Monday night for poker’s most prestigious prize and a payday of more than $8.5 million.
Darvin Moon, 46, is a woodsman playing in his first-ever World Series of Poker event. Joseph Cada is a 21-year-old poker phenom hoping to become the youngest-ever Main Event champion.
The two survived the longest U.S.-based Main Event Final Table in World Series of Poker history for the chance to capture the game’s most coveted trophy – the champion’s gold bracelet – and a top prize of $8,547,042. The runner-up will win $5,182,928.
Only the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event was longer than the 14-hour-plus marathon session that concluded today at roughly 6 a.m. Pacific. ESPN will air its coverage of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table on Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern.
“This has been the most exciting Main Event Final Table I’ve ever witnessed,” said World Series of Poker President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. “To see Joe Cada go from about two million in chips to nearly 136 million in chips – and to watch Darvin Moon go from chip leader to short stack and back again – was truly astonishing. The heads-up competition is going to be outstanding.”
When play resumes, Cada will be the chip leader with 135,950,000; Moon will begin the competition with 58,850,000.
The two sealed their place in the heads-up competition when Cada eliminated third-place finisher Antoine Saout, 25, of Saint Martin des Champs, France. Saout, a former engineering student, began final table play eighth in chips. He rose to chip leader before busting in third place to collect $3,479,670.
Poker pro Eric Buchman, 30, of Valley Stream, NY, finished in fourth place. Buchman entered the final table second in chips and collected $2,502,890, making this the most lucrative of his 10 in-the-money finishes at the World Series of Poker.
Jeff Shulman, 34, who splits time between Las Vegas and Seattle, busted in fifth place, winning $1,953,452. Shulman is the only member of the November Nine to have previously made a Main Event Final Table, finishing seventh in 2000.
Wall Street financier Steven Begleiter of Chappaqua, NY, was eliminated in sixth place. The 47-year-old former Bear Stearns Cos. executive won $1,587,160. Phil Ivey, widely considered the best poker player in the world, finished in seventh place. The 32-year-old poker pro, who owns seven World Series of Poker gold bracelets, collected $1,404,014 for his first Main Event Final Table appearance.
The eighth place finisher was Kevin Schaffel of Coral Springs, Fla. The oldest player at 52, Schaffel won $1,300,231. Going out in ninth place was James Akenhead of London. The 26-year-old former train conductor received $1,263,602.
About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year over year. The WSOP in December 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker EuropeSM. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com or www.twitter.com/wsop.
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit Season Six Official Report Event #12
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit Season Six
Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) Hammond, IN
WSOP Circuit (October 16-25, 2009)
Event #12
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $500 (+55)
Total Entries: 328
Total Prize Pool: $159,080
October 24-25, 2009
Official Report
Event #12 Headlines
1.Fred Winter Freezes the Competition in Chicago
2.Fred Winter Wins His Second WSOP Circuit Gold Ring – Takes Top Prize in Event #12
3.“My Kind of Town, Chicago” — Attendance Up 12 Percent, Prize Money Up 20 Percent Over Last Year
4.The Amazing Comeback! Tanya Murphy Returns After First Day with Fewer Chips than One Big Blind; Manages to Survive Several Hours and Finishes in Third Place
5.Former NFL Detroit Lions Player Eric Stolz Finishes as Runner Up
Event #12 Champion (Fred Winter)
•The 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event champion at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) is Fred Winter, from La Grange, IL.
•Winter is a 35-year-old controller who works in accounting and finance for a Fortune 500 company.
•This marked Winter’s second WSOP Circuit career victory. He won last year’s $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament (Event #2) at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) where he collected $55,159.
•Winter officially collected $38,173 for first place in this tournament.
•Winter also cashed in an event for the first time at last year’s WSOP in Las Vegas, which was a $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament (98th place). He now has four WSOP Circuit cashes (including two wins) and one WSOP cash, totaling $101,324 – all earned within the past year.
•Winter plays occasionally at the Horseshoe Casino poker room. He says he would like to play more often. But his full-time job occupies much of his time during the week, allowing him to play mostly on weekends.
Winner Quotes (Fred Winter)
•On winning his second WSOP Circuit gold ring: “My first gold ring is in a trophy case (at home). I plan to put this one up next to that.”
•On his future goals and plans in poker: “I am definitely shooting for a gold bracelet. I cashed the first time this year (in Las Vegas). That’s always nice. I will also definitely play more Circuit events. But hopefully, sometime in the near future I will have a bracelet to add to the collection.”
•On his preference of online versus live poker: “I play online some. But me having a full-time job, it is tough to dedicate the time to playing. With the Circuit coming here it is easier for me because I can make plans to attend and pretty much play over the whole weekend.”
•On how he got started in poker: “I came up during the Moneymaker era. I played in home games and progressed from there.”
•On his plans for the prize money won: “I’ll reinvest it as part of my poker bankroll.”
•On whom he hopes will win the WSOP Main Event, which will be played in two weeks: “You know, I like Darvin Moon. I think he is a nice guy. He is kind of like me, just a middle-aged guy who plays when he can. I hope he takes it. It would be awesome if it were Darvin and Ivey heads-up. Hopefully, he gets the money in good and holds up.”
•On playing in the WSOP Main Event someday: It’s tough to take off that much time for the Main Event. But maybe one of these years I will get a chance to play.”
The Final Table / In-the-Money Finishers
•Players agreed to make a deal when play became four-handed. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
•The fourth-place finisher was John Schroeder, from Aurora, IL. He is a 25-year-old auditor. Schroeder officially collected $10,886.
•The third-place finisher was Tanya Murphy, who was one of the real stars of this event. Incredibly, Murphy ended the first day with only 4,500 in chips. When she returned to play on Day Two, the required big blind was 6,000. With not enough chips to even post a full blind, Murphy somehow managed to double up three times. Even more astounding, several hours later – she had the chip lead! Murphy ended up accepting third place money totaling $15,550. She works as an insurance sales consultant and lives in Muskego, WI. Murphy ended up being the highest female finalist in any WSOP Circuit event played this year in Chicago. Murphy previously cashed once at the WSOP in Las Vegas, as well.
•The runner up was Eric Stolz, from West Bloomfield, MI. Stoltz, who now works as a personal trainer, once played for the NFL’s Detroit Lions from 1996-1999. He previously has three Heartland Poker Tour cashes. Stolz’s official payout amounted to $23,595.
•The winner was Fred Winter, who officially collected $38,173 and his second WSOP Circuit gold ring.
The Tournament
•This was the twelfth tournament of the new WSOP Circuit season, and the 12th of 13 events held at this Circuit series in Chicago. The tournament attracted 328 entries.
•The buy-in was $500 (+55). The total prize pool was $159,080.
•Attendance for this event increased by 21 percent over last year. In the 2008 for the exact same event, there were 270 entrants.
•With all events at the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino now complete, combined total attendance increased by 12 percent over last year:
2008 – 4,298 total entrants
2009 – 4,747 total entrants
•With all events at the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino now complete, total prize money awarded increased by 20 percent over last year:
2008 – $2,564,097 in total prize money
2009 – $3,080,056 in total prize money
•The tournament began at noon on October 24th and was played over two days. Play lasted 14 hours on Day One – with 39 survivors. The following day, play lasted just seven hours, due largely to a deal that was made. The entire duration of the tournament lasted about 21 hours.
World Series of Poker Circuits (History)
•The first event held this year at the WSOP Circuit in Chicago (Event #1) set a record as the largest WSOP Circuit of all time, with 1,412 entrants.
•The World Series of Poker Circuits officially began in January 2005. WSOP Circuits were designed to bring the excitement of the world’s largest and most prestigious poker series to more players and fans in various regions throughout the United States. Over the past five years, WSOP Circuits have taken place at Harrah’s Entertainment properties in the following locations:
Las Vegas, NV (Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, and Bally’s/Paris)
Lake Tahoe, NV (Harvey’s Lake Tahoe)
San Diego, CA (Rincon)
New Orleans, LA (Harrah’s)
Tunica, MS (Tunica Grand)
Council Bluffs, IA (Harrah’s)
Elizabeth, IN/Louisville, KY (Horseshoe Southern Indiana)
Hammond, IN/Chicago, IL (Horseshoe Casino)
Atlantic City (Caesars, Harrah’s, Showboat)
•This event kicks off WSOP Circuit season number six. This season officially began on October 16, 2009 at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) and will conclude seven months later on May 19, 2010 at Harrah’s New Orleans. This year, there are 11 WSOP Circuit stops held at the following locations:
Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
Horseshoe Southern Indiana
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Tunica Grand
Harrah’s Council Bluffs
Caesars Atlantic City
Harrah’s Rincon
Harrah’s St. Louis (new location)
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Harrah’s New Orleans
•Only three locations have hosted WSOP Circuits during all six seasons. They are:
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s New Orleans
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
•WSOP Circuit stops typically include 10-15 tournaments played over a two-week period (some of the more popular events run longer and include as many as 23 events). Buy-ins range from $200 for the lower tournaments up to $5,000 for championship events. During the first two years of WSOP Circuits, all championship events had a $10,000 buy-in. This has been reduced to a $5,000 buy-in since the 2006-2007 season began.
•WSOP Circuits consistently attract large fields and payout impressive prize money. Here are the ten largest poker events in WSOP Circuit history:
1,412 — Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 16-17, 2009 — Event #1
1,345 — Tunica Grand (Mississippi), Jan. 7-8, 2006 – Event #3
1,187 — Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 24-25, 2008 – Event #1
1,181 – Harrah’s Atlantic City, Dec. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,106 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2007 – Event #1
1,056 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,050 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 7-8, 2008 – Event #3
983 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 6-7, 2009 – Event #3
954 – Caesars Indiana, Oct. 20, 2005 – Event #1
940 — Tunica Grand (Mississippi) Jan. 5-6, 2006 – Event #1
•Winners of WSOP Circuit tournaments receive a gold ring as the token of their achievement. This prize is patterned after the coveted gold bracelet, which is awarded to all winners of WSOP events in Las Vegas.
•The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit gold rings is Men “the Master” Nguyen, with four victories. Nguyen also has 12 WSOP Circuit career cashes.
•The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit championship events is Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, with three Main Event victories. Ferguson won Main Events at Harrah’s Rincon (2005), Harrah’s Las Vegas (2005), and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (2007).
•The player with the most prize money winnings in WSOP Circuit history is Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. His combined career earnings currently total $1,359,143. Ferguson has cashed six times.
World Series of Poker Circuit at Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
•This is the 51st WSOP Circuit tournament series played since January 2005.
•What is now the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) originally opened up as the Empress Casino, back in 1993. The casino has since been sold twice and has undergone both expansion and renovation. It is now the largest casino (measured by number of tables and gaming devices) in the greater Chicago area. The current Horseshoe Casino configuration has more than 100 live table games, 3,200 electronic gaming devices, and a 34-table poker room, making it one of the largest casinos in the Midwest.
•Poker pioneer Jack Binion bought and took over the Empress Casino in 2001. He renamed the property as the “Horseshoe Casino.” It became officially known as “Horseshoe Hammond,” since it is actually located in Hammond, IN. Harrah’s Entertainment purchased the casino from Binion in 2004, and retained the name. However, in an effort to align itself with the Chicago area, the casino is now known as the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland).
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) underwent a $500 million renovation, which was completed last year. On August 8, 2008 (8-8-08) entertainment diva Bette Midler hosted and performed at the grand re-opening.
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) is the closest gaming facility in proximity to downtown Chicago, which is just 16 miles away. In fact, the downtown skyline can be seen from many parts of the casino, which is located along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
•A large marina is adjacent to the casino, which holds many water craft. The casino is a popular destination for boats which come to the resort from all over the region, especially during summer months.
•The casino is located less than a mile from the Indiana-Illinois border. The closest major airport is Midway, on Chicago’s south side. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is about an hour away. The casino offers shuttle service to many parts of Chicago and the region.
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) draws visitors predominately from the Chicago area. However, the WSOP Circuit attracts many players from all over Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio.
•This marks the second year that the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has hosted a WSOP Circuit stop. Last year’s field came close to setting attendance records. A big turnout is also expected this year, and the first event of the new 2009-2010 season did not disappoint. The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has now hosted two of the three largest WSOP Circuit tournaments in history.
•The Horseshoe Casino poker room regularly holds 34 tables. However, the WSOP Circuit took over the special events center called “The Venue.” This additional floor space holds 78 more poker tables. This means the Horseshoe Casino holds up to 112 poker tables combined, making it the largest capacity facility of any WSOP Circuit event.
•“The Venue” is regularly used for shows and attracts many of the biggest names in music and entertainment. The Venue holds up to 3,000 people. But most of the theatre seating was moved aside for nearly two weeks in favor of poker tables, all packed with players.
•This is one of two major poker tournaments held annually at the Horseshoe Casino. In addition to the WSOP Circuit, the casino will be hosting the “Chicago Poker Classic,” to be held February 26 through March 7, 2010. This tournament is expected to offer nine major events, plus several second chance tournaments. Attractions include $350,000 in added prize money, plus a brand new Porsche Cayman luxury car as the grand prize. A complete schedule of the 2010 Chicago Poker Classic will be forwarded to media at the completion of this year’s WSOP Circuit events.
Errors and Omissions (Previous Reports) —
1.EVENT #9: Please correct final results to show:
3rd Place – Gary Datro
6th Place – Steffan Naas
(These two players were mistakenly reversed on the EXCEL results for Event #9)
2.EVENT #5: The 31st-place finisher was Mike Ceko. He wishes to be listed on all poker records as MIKE CEKO III.
3.EVENT #2: The 8th place finisher was MARK S. SMITH, a.k.a. “Pegasus,” from Georgetown, KY (Note that Mark Smith, from Lafayette, LA is incorrectly credited by some websites — wrong).
4.EVENT #8: The 4th place finisher was JOE MAGIERA (Note that the EXCEL sheet had his name incorrectly listed as MAGLIERA – wrong).
Note: All results are official and may be reprinted by media.
__________________________________
For further information about the Horseshoe Casino Poker Room and related events, contact Jason Newman, Poker Room Manager at: jnewman1@horseshoe.com or call (219) 473-5963. For information about the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), contact Leah Eisenstein at: leah@expagency.com or call (312) 239-2339.
For official news and the latest updates from the 2009 World Series of Poker and the WSOP Circuits, visit: www.worldseriesofpoker.com
For statistics and historical information from the 2009 World Series of Poker and the WSOP Circuits, contact Nolan Dalla at: nolandalla@aol.com or nolandalla@gmail.com
For official photographs from the 2009 World Series of Poker and WSOP Circuits, visit: http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/impdi For specific media photo requests, email image22@aol.com and list “Urgent Media Request” as the subject line. Note: All photos must be credited as follows: “IMPDI 2009”
HORSESHOE CASINO (CHICAGO)
Horseshoe Casino Senior Vice President and General Manager: Dan Nita
Director of Table Games: Jose Lebron
Poker Room Manager: Jason Newman
Special Events Manager: Amie Hill
Tournament Director: Charlie Ciresi
Co-Tournament Director: Steve Frezer
WORLD SERIES OF POKER
World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
WSOP Vice President — Ty Stewart
Director of Communications – Seth Palansky
Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming — Howard Greenbaum
WSOP Events Manager — Angele Marshall
WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill
WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel
WSOP Media Director – Nolan Dalla
ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF POKER
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.
ABOUT HORSESHOE CASINO
The all-new 500 million-dollar Horseshoe Casino, a Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. property, just 20 minutes from downtown Chicago is the premier entertainment and gaming destination in Chicagoland. Where legendary gaming lives on, Horseshoe boasts more than 350,000 square feet with 3,200 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, the largest poker room in the Midwest, keno and more. The Venue at Horseshoe Casino is proud to offer the ultimate concert and entertainment destination. In conjunction with AEG Live and created by the award-winning designers of Sceno Plus, The Venue offers a premier experience in a flexible space that can hold up to 4,000 guests. Dining elegance is not overlooked and guests can choose from a variety of dining options including; Jack Binion’s Steak House which overlooks Lake Michigan and recent winner of the 2009 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, around-the-globe variety at the Village Square Buffet, a taste of Chicago at Benny’s Home Cookin’, and scrumptious fare at J.B.s Gourmet Sandwiches and Salads. For more information, please visit: www.chicagohorseshoe.com.
Know when to stop before you start.® Gambling problem? Call 1.800.9.WITH.IT. ©2009 Harrah’s License
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit Season Six Official Report Event #11
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit Season Six
Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) Hammond, IN
WSOP Circuit (October 16-25, 2009)
Main Event Championship
Event #11
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $5,000 (+200)
Total Entries: 248
Total Prize Pool: $1,190,800
October 23-25, 2009
Official Report
Event #11 Headlines
1.Dan Livingston Wins Chicago’s WSOP Circuit Championship
2.Livingston Freerolls His Way into WSOP Circuit Championship and Walks Away with $291,749 Top Prize
3.“Chicago, My Kind of Town,” — Attendance Up 12 Percent, Prize Money Up 20 Percent from Last Year
4.Top Two Finishers in Chicago’s WSOP Circuit Championship Win Free Seats at Horseshoe Casino Poker Room – Take Home a Combined Nearly Half-Million in Winnings!
5.WSOP Circuit Ends Completing Biggest Poker Event Ever Held in Chicago
Main Event Champion (Dan Livingston)
•The 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event champion at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) is Dan Livingston, from Oak Forest, IL.
•Livingston is a 22-year-old part-time poker player who is currently between jobs. He recently left his job working at an auto-detailing shop.
•Livingston mostly plays low- to middle-limit buy-in tournaments, usually at the Horseshoe Casino. His typical tournament is a weekly $100 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event. Livingston’s best run took place recently when he played three consecutive $100 buy-in tournaments and finished 3rd, 3rd, and 1st respectively. This victory, worth far more in prestige and prize money, validate that the victories in smaller buy-in tournaments were no fluke.
•Livingston won first prize totaling $291,749. He was also presented with his first ever gold ring, the ultimate token of achievement for winning a WSOP Circuit event.
•Incredibly, Livingston was on a complete freeroll for this tournament. He gained his entry, which was valued at $5,200, by playing one afternoon inside the Horseshoe Casino Poker Room. As part of a special promotion, the Horseshoe gave away as many as four Main Event seats daily – which is probably one of the very best freeroll opportunities to play in a major tournament anywhere in the world. Each day, on four different occasions for two full weeks prior to the start of this year’s Chicago series, one poker table was randomly selected. Then, one player at the table was high carded and received an entry into the Main Event championship. Livingston was high carded about two weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised to play in his biggest poker tournament ever. He then managed to defeat a large field of 248 players and win over a quarter of a million dollars. Amazing story.
•Livingston has not played in any WSOP events (in Las Vegas). But he plans to attend in 2010.
Winner Quotes (Dan Livingston)
•On his feelings immediately after the victory: “I feel really good. What was it? Forty hours of work for nearly $300,000? I’ll take it.”
•On how he thinks he played in the Main Event: “I think my game worked fine.”
•On his plans for the future: “It’s going to make me consider giving poker a shot. I am going to see if I can play for a living.”
•On how this victory compares to some other tournament successes: “My biggest cash playing online was for $4,000. So, this was a big jump.”
•On when he began thinking about the possibility of victory: “When we got to the final table, I had about 900,000 in chips. Then, I won a few early pots and I was up to 2,000,000. Then I said to myself, ‘wow, I might win this – I have about a fourth of the chips in play. I have a really good chance. And, I did it.”
•On taking a massive chip lead late when play became four-handed: “Everybody else as the table was around a million and I was up to four-million at that point. So, I could pretty much do what I wanted.”
•On his poker goals: “I have always wanted to really win a gold bracelet. But I must say that the gold ring will really do for now. This win was a big confidence booster.”
The Final Table / In-the-Money Finishers
•When final table began, the chip leader was Tom G. Floros (with 1,410,000). He enjoyed a slight lead over Tao Mosele (with 1,340,000). But four players were with within striking distance, at around 1 million in chips. Three of the finalists began play with short stacks and needed help to move into contention.
•The WSOP Circuit “unofficial” Player of the Year from last season was the highly-personable Dwyte Pilgrim, from Brooklyn, NY. He won two WSOP gold rings, including the Main Event held at Harrah’s Rincon in March 2009. Pilgrim cashed in this championship event, finishing in 19th place. This means Pilgrim has now cashed in five of the last six WSOP Circuit Main Events – a most impressive feat.
•There were no former WSOP Circuit gold ring winners in the final group of nine, which guaranteed a first-time champion.
•The ninth-place finisher was Mike Parisi, a 35-year-old poker player who received $35,533.
•The eighth-place finisher was Jacob Bazeley, a 26-year-old poker pro from Cincinnati, OH who earned $38,082.
•The seventh-place finisher was Joshua Goldstein, a 25-year-old pro poker player from Northbrook, IL who earned $42,881. The Emory University graduate was the chip leader after the completion of Day Two.
•The sixth-place finisher was William Miner, a 23-year-old pro poker player from Chicago, IL who earned $50,871.
•The fifth-place finisher was William Schweinebraten, from Rolling Meadows, IL. He is a 45-year-old insurance saleman. Schweinebraten had previously made it to a final table at the Deep Stack Venetian series. But this was his best tournament cash to date, worth $63,744.
•The fourth-place finisher was Tad Mosele, from Round Lake, IL. He is the 46-year-old owner of a construction business. He earned $84,594 for fourth place.
•The third-place finisher was Chris Gentile, from Plainfield, IL. The 35-year-old poker player collected $119,556 in prize money.
•When heads-up play began, Dan Livingston enjoyed a decisive chip advantage. He was at least a 10 to 1 favorite over Tom Floros. The final duel lasted about 30 minutes before Livingston finally prevailed.
•The final hand came when Livingston was dealt J-3 of diamonds versus Floros Q-10 offsuit. After the flop came K-10-3 and two diamonds, all of Floros chips went into the pot. The turn was a bank. But a diamond on the river gave Livingston a flush and the victory.
•The runner up was Tom Floros, from Indian Head Park, IL. Like Livingston, he too won his seat via the “high-card” promotion held at the Horseshoe Casino. Flores is a 42-year-old project manager. He received his biggest payout ever, which amounted to $180,287.
•The winner was Dan Livingston, who collected $291,749 and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring. Livingston was cheered to victory by his parents and several well-wishers.
•Five players who finished in the money were high-carded into the tournament via the Horseshoe Casino’s special promotion – including the top two finishers. In all, there were 56 seats given away as part of the Horseshoe Casino’s high-card giveaway.
The Tournament
•This was the eleventh tournament of the new WSOP Circuit season, and the 11th of 13 events held at this Circuit series in Chicago. The Main Event attracted 248 entries making it one of the larger championship events on the Circuit.
•The buy-in was $5,000 (+200). This is the standard buy-in for all WSOP Circuit championship events. During the first two seasons (2005-2007), the championship buy-in was $10,000. The buy-in was reduced in Season Three in order to allow greater player participation.
•Attendance for this event increased by a whopping 54 percent over last year. In the 2008 championship held in Chicago, there were 164 entrants.
•With all events at the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino now complete, combined total attendance increased by 12 percent over last year:
2008 – 4,298 total entrants
2009 – 4,747 total entrants
•With all events at the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino now complete, total prize money awarded increased by 20 percent over last year:
2008 – $2,564,097 in total prize money
2009 – $3,080,056 in total prize money
•The tournament began at noon on October 23rd and was played over three days. Play lasted 14 hours on Day One – ending up with 84 survivors. The following day, play lasted 12 hours – ending up with 17 survivors. Day Three play lasted 13 hours. The entire duration of the tournament lasted about 40 hours.
•Last year’s champion was the former WSOP gold bracelet winner Steve Billirakis. He did not enter this year’s event and failed to defend his title.
•Livingston and Billirakis are now the two lone WSOP Circuit winners from Chicago. They were 22 and 23 years old respectively at the time of their victories.
World Series of Poker Circuits (History)
•The first event held this year at the WSOP Circuit in Chicago (Event #1) set a record as the largest WSOP Circuit of all time, with 1,412 entrants.
•The World Series of Poker Circuits began in January 2005. WSOP Circuits were designed to bring the excitement of the world’s largest and most prestigious poker series to more players and fans in various regions throughout the United States. Over the past five years, WSOP Circuits have taken place at Harrah’s Entertainment properties in the following locations:
Las Vegas, NV (Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, and Bally’s/Paris)
Lake Tahoe, NV (Harvey’s Lake Tahoe)
San Diego, CA (Rincon)
New Orleans, LA (Harrah’s)
Tunica, MS (Tunica Grand)
Council Bluffs, IA (Harrah’s)
Elizabeth, IN/Louisville, KY (Horseshoe Southern Indiana)
Hammond, IN/Chicago, IL (Horseshoe Casino)
Atlantic City (Caesars, Harrah’s, Showboat)
•This event kicks off WSOP Circuit season number six. This season officially began on October 16, 2009 at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) and will conclude seven months later on May 19, 2010 at Harrah’s New Orleans. This year, there are 11 WSOP Circuit stops held at the following locations:
Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
Horseshoe Southern Indiana
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Tunica Grand
Harrah’s Council Bluffs
Caesars Atlantic City
Harrah’s Rincon
Harrah’s St. Louis (new location)
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Harrah’s New Orleans
•Only three locations have hosted WSOP Circuits during all six seasons. They are:
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s New Orleans
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
•WSOP Circuit stops typically include 10-15 tournaments played over a two-week period (some of the more popular events run longer and include as many as 23 events). Buy-ins range from $200 for the lower tournaments up to $5,000 for championship events. During the first two years of WSOP Circuits, all championship events had a $10,000 buy-in. This has been reduced to a $5,000 buy-in since the 2006-2007 season began.
•WSOP Circuits consistently attract large fields and payout impressive prize money. Here are the ten largest poker events in WSOP Circuit history:
1,412 — Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 16-17, 2009 — Event #1
1,345 — Tunica Grand (Mississippi), Jan. 7-8, 2006 – Event #3
1,187 — Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 24-25, 2008 – Event #1
1,181 – Harrah’s Atlantic City, Dec. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,106 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2007 – Event #1
1,056 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,050 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 7-8, 2008 – Event #3
983 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 6-7, 2009 – Event #3
954 – Caesars Indiana, Oct. 20, 2005 – Event #1
940 — Tunica Grand (Mississippi) Jan. 5-6, 2006 – Event #1
•Winners of WSOP Circuit tournaments receive a gold ring as the token of their achievement. This prize is patterned after the coveted gold bracelet, which is awarded to all winners of WSOP events in Las Vegas.
•The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit gold rings is Men “the Master” Nguyen, with four victories. Nguyen also has 12 WSOP Circuit career cashes.
•The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit championship events is Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, with three Main Event victories. Ferguson won Main Events at Harrah’s Rincon (2005), Harrah’s Las Vegas (2005), and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (2007).
•The player with the most prize money winnings in WSOP Circuit history is Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. His combined career earnings currently total $1,359,143. Ferguson has cashed six times.
World Series of Poker Circuit at Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
•This is the 51st WSOP Circuit tournament series played since January 2005.
•What is now the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) originally opened up as the Empress Casino, back in 1993. The casino has since been sold twice and has undergone both expansion and renovation. It is now the largest casino (measured by number of tables and gaming devices) in the greater Chicago area. The current Horseshoe Casino configuration has more than 100 live table games, 3,200 electronic gaming devices, and a 34-table poker room, making it one of the largest casinos in the Midwest.
•Poker pioneer Jack Binion bought and took over the Empress Casino in 2001. He renamed the property as the “Horseshoe Casino.” It became officially known as “Horseshoe Hammond,” since it is actually located in Hammond, IN. Harrah’s Entertainment purchased the casino from Binion in 2004, and retained the name. However, in an effort to align itself with the Chicago area, the casino is now known as the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland).
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) underwent a $500 million renovation, which was completed last year. On August 8, 2008 (8-8-08) entertainment diva Bette Midler hosted and performed at the grand re-opening.
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) is the closest gaming facility in proximity to downtown Chicago, which is just 16 miles away. In fact, the downtown skyline can be seen from many parts of the casino, which is located along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
•A large marina is adjacent to the casino, which holds many water craft. The casino is a popular destination for boats which come to the resort from all over the region, especially during summer months.
•The casino is located less than a mile from the Indiana-Illinois border. The closest major airport is Midway, on Chicago’s south side. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is about an hour away. The casino offers shuttle service to many parts of Chicago and the region.
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) draws visitors predominately from the Chicago area. However, the WSOP Circuit attracts many players from all over Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio.
•This marks the second year that the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has hosted a WSOP Circuit stop. Last year’s field came close to setting attendance records. A big turnout is also expected this year, and the first event of the new 2009-2010 season did not disappoint. The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has now hosted two of the three largest WSOP Circuit tournaments in history.
•The Horseshoe Casino poker room regularly holds 34 tables. However, the WSOP Circuit took over the special events center called “The Venue.” This additional floor space holds 78 more poker tables. This means the Horseshoe Casino holds up to 112 poker tables combined, making it the largest capacity facility of any WSOP Circuit event.
•“The Venue” is regularly used for shows and attracts many of the biggest names in music and entertainment. The Venue holds up to 3,000 people. But most of the theatre seating was moved aside for nearly two weeks in favor of poker tables, all packed with players.
•This is one of two major poker tournaments held annually at the Horseshoe Casino. In addition to the WSOP Circuit, the casino will be hosting the “Chicago Poker Classic,” to be held February 26 through March 7, 2010. This tournament is expected to offer nine major events, plus several second chance tournaments. Attractions include $350,000 in added prize money, plus a brand new Porsche Cayman luxury car as the grand prize. A complete schedule of the 2010 Chicago Poker Classic will be forwarded to media at the completion of this year’s WSOP Circuit events.
Errors and Omissions (Previous Reports) –
1.EVENT #9: Please correct final results to show:
3rd Place – Gary Datro
6th Place – Steffan Naas
(These two players were mistakenly reversed on the EXCEL results for Event #9)
2.EVENT #5: The 31st-place finisher was Mike Ceko. He wishes to be listed on all poker records as MIKE CEKO III.
3.EVENT #2: The 8th place finisher was MARK S. SMITH, a.k.a. “Pegasus,” from Georgetown, KY (Note that Mark Smith, from Lafayette, LA is incorrectly credited by some websites — wrong).
4.EVENT #8: The 4th place finisher was JOE MAGIERA (Note that the EXCEL sheet had his name incorrectly listed as MAGLIERA – wrong).
Note: All results are official and may be reprinted by media.
__________________________________
For further information about the Horseshoe Casino Poker Room and related events, contact Jason Newman, Poker Room Manager at: jnewman1@horseshoe.com or call (219) 473-5963. For information about the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), contact Leah Eisenstein at: leah@expagency.com or call (312) 239-2339.
For official news and the latest updates from the 2009 World Series of Poker and the WSOP Circuits, visit: www.worldseriesofpoker.com
For statistics and historical information from the 2009 World Series of Poker and the WSOP Circuits, contact Nolan Dalla at: nolandalla@aol.com or nolandalla@gmail.com
For official photographs from the 2009 World Series of Poker and WSOP Circuits, visit: http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/impdi For specific media photo requests, email image22@aol.com and list “Urgent Media Request” as the subject line. Note: All photos must be credited as follows: “IMPDI 2009”
HORSESHOE CASINO (CHICAGO)
Horseshoe Casino Senior Vice President and General Manager: Dan Nita
Director of Table Games: Jose Lebron
Poker Room Manager: Jason Newman
Special Events Manager: Amie Hill
Tournament Director: Charlie Ciresi
Co-Tournament Director: Steve Frezer
WORLD SERIES OF POKER
World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
WSOP Vice President — Ty Stewart
Director of Communications – Seth Palansky
Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming — Howard Greenbaum
WSOP Events Manager — Angele Marshall
WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill
WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel
WSOP Media Director – Nolan Dalla
ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF POKER
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.
ABOUT HORSESHOE CASINO
The all-new 500 million-dollar Horseshoe Casino, a Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. property, just 20 minutes from downtown Chicago is the premier entertainment and gaming destination in Chicagoland. Where legendary gaming lives on, Horseshoe boasts more than 350,000 square feet with 3,200 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, the largest poker room in the Midwest, keno and more. The Venue at Horseshoe Casino is proud to offer the ultimate concert and entertainment destination. In conjunction with AEG Live and created by the award-winning designers of Sceno Plus, The Venue offers a premier experience in a flexible space that can hold up to 4,000 guests. Dining elegance is not overlooked and guests can choose from a variety of dining options including; Jack Binion’s Steak House which overlooks Lake Michigan and recent winner of the 2009 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, around-the-globe variety at the Village Square Buffet, a taste of Chicago at Benny’s Home Cookin’, and scrumptious fare at J.B.s Gourmet Sandwiches and Salads. For more information, please visit: www.chicagohorseshoe.com.
Know when to stop before you start.® Gambling problem? Call 1.800.9.WITH.IT. ©2009 Harrah’s License
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit Season Six Official Report Event #10
2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit Season Six
Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) Hammond, IN
WSOP Circuit (October 16-25, 2009)
Event #10
H.O.R.S.E.
Buy-In: $500 (+55)
Total Entries: 119
Total Prize Pool: $52,515
October 21-22, 2009
Official Report
Event #10 Headlines
1.Poker Pro Eric Crain Wins H.O.R.S.E. Event at Chicago’s WSOP Circuit
2.Crain Wins His Second WSOP Gold Ring – Previous Win Was Three Years Ago in Tunica
3.Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) Continues to Draw Big Fields – Attendance Up 11 Percent Over Last Year, Through First Ten Events
Event #10 Champion (Eric Crain)
•The 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit champion of Event #10 held at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) is Jeff Eric Crain, from Murphysboro, IL.
•Crain is a 25-year-old professional poker player.
•Crain has been playing professionally for about five years. He mostly plays online.
•Crain says he travels to approximately four major tournaments a year, including most of the summer in Las Vegas at the WSOP.
•This was Crain’s second WSOP Circuit victory. He previously won the $300 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event held at the Tunica Grand, in January 2007. Crain now has five WSOP Circuit cashes, and three final table appearances. He has also cashed four times at the WSOP in Las Vegas, including a sixth-place finish in the $2,000 buy-on Mixed Games event held earlier this year.
•Crain’s prize money winnings in WSOP-related events total $80,841 in WSO play and $88,537 in WSOP Circuit.
•Crain attended college, but opted to play poker instead. He once studied journalism.
•For his victory, Crain won $14,703 in prize money, plus the coveted gold ring which is presented to all WSOP Circuit winners.
•Crain’s hometown of Murphysboro is located in southern Illinois, and is within easy driving distance of five WSOP Circuit events to be held this season – including Chicago/Hammond, Tunica, Council Bluffs, Southern Indiana, and St. Louis.
Winner Quotes (Eric Crain)
•On how things are going as a poker pro: (Laughing) “It depends on which month you ask me.”
•On what winning a WSOP Circuit gold ring means, particularly victory number two: “It’s neat because when I won my first ring, I obsessed for a while over winning something significant. I had done well in cash games at that time but had never done anything in tournaments. So, when I won that event (back in 2007) I did not realize now until three years later how really hard it is to win a major tournament. Yeah, it’s really nice.”
•On his goals in poker: “I want to get better at a lot of the H.O.R.S.E. games. Oddly, I feel I am really weak in a lot of the Stud games. I have been working with some players who play some high-stakes stud and they taught me a lot. I was basically doing everything wrong, so that really helped me out.”
•On poker advice for those who might be thinking about poker either professionally or semi-professionally: “Keep grinding and do not play too ridiculously big. Try to keep a level head and keep building slowly.”
•On those who helped him improve his game: “Brad Libson (who finished fifth in this event) really helped me a lot. In fact, I busted him. Some others were Brett Ritchie, Tony Rivera, Scott, Tom and a few others – they really helped me a lot with my game.”
•On his plans for the near future: “I will surely be coming here more in the future. Plus there is Tunica. And there is a WSOP Circuit event coming to St. Louis for the first time, which is next spring. I will be playing more for sure.”
•On whom he is cheering for at this year’s WSOP November Nine, to be played in two weeks: “I think if Ivey wins he will bring a lot of good things to the game. Poker will continue to grow if Ivey wins, and I think that will really be good for the sport. A big name pro winning gives everyone someone to look up to, and that would be a great thing for poker.”
The Final Table / In-the-Money Finishers
•When final table began, the chip leader was Eric Crain. He maintained his advantage throughout the three-hour finale. Crain was only seriously threatened when play became heads-up with Mark Dimberg. At one point, the two players were about even in chips. But Crain ultimately prevailed.
•There was only one former WSOP Circuit gold ring winner in the final group of eight – Eric Crain.
•The eighth-place finisher was Kevin McClayton. He received $1,870.
•The seventh-place finisher was Matt Rosen. He received $2,120.
•The sixth-place finisher was Michael Komarek, from Plainfield, IL. He received $2,530.
•The fifth-place finisher was Bradley Libson, from Vail, CO. He is a 27-year-old poker pro. Libson previously make it to the final table of the Deuce-to-Seven championship at the WSOP. This time he settled for a fifth-place payout totaling $3,186.
•The fourth-place finisher was Joe Kunst, from Willow Springs, IL. He is a 55-year-old salesman. Kunst collected $4,247.
•The third-place finisher was John Klawitter, from Chicago, IL. He is a dentist. Klawitter drilled into the prize pool and filled his poker bankroll to the tune of $6,016.
•When heads-up play began, Eric Crain enjoyed a slight chip advantage over Mark Dimberg. The two players were close in chips at one point, but Crain ultimately prevailed. The heads-up match lasted about 45 minutes.
•The runner up was Mark Dimberg, from Evanston, IL. He received $9,089.
•The winner was Eric Crain, who collected $14,703 and his second WSOP Circuit gold ring.
The Tournament
•H.O.R.S.E. is an acronym for the five most popular poker games played inside American cardrooms today. H.O.R.S.E. tournaments include a rotation of the following games — Hold’em, Omaha High-Low Split, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split (also called Eight-or-Better). Many purists consider H.O.R.S.E. to be the ultimate test of poker skill, since it requires that players play all games well in order to win. This claim was perhaps best illustrated at the 2006 World Series of Poker, where H.O.R.S.E. returned to the tournament schedule after a long hiatus. For more than two decades, the late poker legend Chip Reese had been widely regarded as the best all-around player in the world. Appropriately, he won the inaugural tournament which cost $50,000 to enter and became the first H.O.R.S.E. world champion. Due in part to the increasing popularity of H.O.R.S.E. at the WSOP in Las Vegas, some WSOP Circuits now include at least one such tournament.
•The rotation of games in this tournament lasts eight hands. In other words – following eight dealt hands of Hold’em, there are eight hands of Omaha High-Low followed by eight hands of Razz, and so forth.
•This was the tenth tournament of the new WSOP Circuit season and the tenth of 13 events scheduled for this Circuit in Chicago. This tournament (Event #10) attracted 119 entries.
•This was the largest H.O.R.S.E. tournament ever held in the Chicago region. Last year’s H.O.R.S.E. tournament had a $300 buy-in, which created a smaller prize pool. The largest H.O.R.S.E. prize pool in WSOP Circuit history was held in 2006 when the Tunica Grand $3,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. competition had a $145,500 prize pool.
•Through the first ten events of the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland), attendance is up 11 percent over last year. Through the first ten events, the comparisons are as follows:
2008 – 3,198 total entrants
2009 – 3,597 total entrants
•Through the first ten events of the 2009 WSOP Circuit series at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland), prize money is up 10 percent over last year. Through the first ten events, the comparisons are as follows:
2008 – $1,419,091 in total prize money
2009 – $1,563,142 in total prize money
•The game played was Pot-Limit Omaha with re-buys. The buy-in was $300 (+45). The total prize pool amounted to $63,898. The top 14 finishers collected prize money.
•The tournament began at noon on October 20th and was played over two days. The entire duration of the tournament lasted about 16 hours.
World Series of Poker Circuits (History)
•The World Series of Poker Circuits began in January 2005. WSOP Circuits were designed to bring the excitement of the world’s largest and most prestigious poker series to more players and fans in various regions throughout the United States. Over the past five years, WSOP Circuits have taken place at Harrah’s Entertainment properties in the following locations:
Las Vegas, NV (Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, and Bally’s/Paris)
Lake Tahoe, NV (Harvey’s Lake Tahoe)
San Diego, CA (Rincon)
New Orleans, LA (Harrah’s)
Tunica, MS (Tunica Grand)
Council Bluffs, IA (Harrah’s)
Elizabeth, IN/Louisville, KY (Horseshoe Southern Indiana)
Hammond, IN/Chicago, IL (Horseshoe Casino)
Atlantic City (Caesars, Harrah’s, Showboat)
•This begins WSOP Circuit season number six. This season officially began on October 16, 2009 at the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago) and will conclude seven months later on May 19, 2010 at Harrah’s New Orleans. This year, there are 11 WSOP Circuit stops held at the following locations:
Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
Horseshoe Southern Indiana
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Tunica Grand
Harrah’s Council Bluffs
Caesars Atlantic City
Harrah’s Rincon
Harrah’s St. Louis (new location)
Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Harrah’s New Orleans
•Only three locations have hosted WSOP Circuits during all six seasons. They are:
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s New Orleans
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
•WSOP Circuit stops typically include 10-15 tournaments played over a two-week period (some of the more popular events run longer and include as many as 23 events). Buy-ins range from $200 for the lower tournaments up to $5,000 for championship events. During the first two years of WSOP Circuits, all championship events had a $10,000 buy-in. This has been reduced to a $5,000 buy-in since the 2006-2007 season began.
•WSOP Circuits consistently attract large fields and payout impressive prize money. Here are the ten largest poker events in WSOP Circuit history:
1,412 — Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 16-17, 2009 — Event #1
1,345 — Tunica Grand (Mississippi), Jan. 7-8, 2006 – Event #3
1,187 — Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), Oct. 24-25, 2008 – Event #1
1,181 – Harrah’s Atlantic City, Dec. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,106 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2007 – Event #1
1,056 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 5-6, 2008 – Event #1
1,050 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 7-8, 2008 – Event #3
983 — Caesars Atlantic City, Mar. 6-7, 2009 – Event #3
954 – Caesars Indiana, Oct. 20, 2005 – Event #1
940 — Tunica Grand (Mississippi) Jan. 5-6, 2006 – Event #1
•Winners of WSOP Circuit tournaments receive a gold ring as the token of their achievement. This prize is patterned after the coveted gold bracelet, which is awarded to all winners of WSOP events in Las Vegas.
•The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit gold rings is Men “the Master” Nguyen, with four victories. Nguyen also has 12 WSOP Circuit career cashes.
•The player who has won the most WSOP Circuit championship events is Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, with three Main Event victories. Ferguson won Main Events at Harrah’s Rincon (2005), Harrah’s Las Vegas (2005), and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (2007).
•The player with the most prize money winnings in WSOP Circuit history is Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. His combined career earnings currently total $1,359,143. Ferguson has cashed six times.
World Series of Poker Circuit at Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland)
•This is the 51st WSOP Circuit tournament series played since January 2005.
•What is now the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) originally opened up as the Empress Casino, back in 1993. The casino has since been sold twice and has undergone both expansion and renovation. It is now the largest casino (measured by number of tables and gaming devices) in the greater Chicago area. The current Horseshoe Casino configuration has more than 100 live table games, 3,200 electronic gaming devices, and a 34-table poker room, making it one of the largest casinos in the Midwest.
•Poker pioneer Jack Binion bought and took over the Empress Casino in 2001. He renamed the property as the “Horseshoe Casino.” It became officially known as “Horseshoe Hammond,” since it is actually located in Hammond, IN. Harrah’s Entertainment purchased the casino from Binion in 2004, and retained the name. However, in an effort to align itself with the Chicago area, the casino is now known as the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland).
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) underwent a $500 million renovation, which was completed last year. On August 8, 2008 (8-8-08) entertainment diva Bette Midler hosted and performed at the grand re-opening.
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) is the closest gaming facility in proximity to downtown Chicago, which is just 16 miles away. In fact, the downtown skyline can be seen from many parts of the casino, which is located along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
•A large marina is adjacent to the casino, which holds many water craft. The casino is a popular destination for boats which come to the resort from all over the region, especially during summer months.
•The casino is located less than a mile from the Indiana-Illinois border. The closest major airport is Midway, on Chicago’s south side. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is about an hour away. The casino offers shuttle service to many parts of Chicago and the region.
•The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) draws visitors predominately from the Chicago area. However, the WSOP Circuit attracts many players from all over Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio.
•This marks the second year that the Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has hosted a WSOP Circuit stop. Last year’s field came close to setting attendance records. A big turnout is also expected this year, and the first event of the new 2009-2010 season did not disappoint. The Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland) has now hosted two of the three largest WSOP Circuit tournaments in history.
•The Horseshoe Casino poker room regularly holds 34 tables. However, the WSOP Circuit took over the special events center called “The Venue.” This additional floor space holds 78 more poker tables. This means the Horseshoe Casino holds up to 112 poker tables combined, making it the largest capacity facility of any WSOP Circuit event.
•“The Venue” is regularly used for shows and attracts many of the biggest names in music and entertainment. The Venue holds up to 3,000 people. But most of the theatre seating was moved aside for nearly two weeks in favor of poker tables, all packed with players.
•This is one of two major poker tournaments held annually at the Horseshoe Casino. In addition to the WSOP Circuit, the casino will be hosting the “Chicago Poker Classic,” to be held February 26 through March 7, 2010. This tournament is expected to offer nine major events, plus several second chance tournaments. Attractions include $350,000 in added prize money, plus a brand new Porsche Cayman luxury car as the grand prize. A complete schedule of the 2010 Chicago Poker Classic will be forwarded to media at the completion of this year’s WSOP Circuit events.
Errors and Omissions (Previous Reports) –
TWO CORRECTIONS:
1.WSOP Circuit – Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland); Event #2; October 17-18, 2009; 8th place finisher was MARK S. SMITH, a.k.a. “Pegasus,” from Georgetown, KY (Note that Mark Smith, Lafayette, LA is incorrectly credited by some websites).
2.WSOP Circuit – Horseshoe Casino (Chicagoland); Event #8; October 20-21, 2009; 4th place finisher was JOE MAGIERA (Note that the EXCEL sheet had his name incorrectly listed as MAGLIERA – wrong).
Note: All results are official and may be reprinted by media.
__________________________________
For further information about the Horseshoe Casino Poker Room and related events, contact Jason Newman, Poker Room Manager at: jnewman1@horseshoe.com or call (219) 473-5963. For information about the Horseshoe Casino (Chicago), contact Leah Eisenstein at: leah@expagency.com or call (312) 239-2339.
For official news and the latest updates from the 2009 World Series of Poker and the WSOP Circuits, visit: www.worldseriesofpoker.com
For statistics and historical information from the 2009 World Series of Poker and the WSOP Circuits, contact Nolan Dalla at: nolandalla@aol.com or nolandalla@gmail.com
For official photographs from the 2009 World Series of Poker and WSOP Circuits, visit: http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/impdi For specific media photo requests, email image22@aol.com and list “Urgent Media Request” as the subject line. Note: All photos must be credited as follows: “IMPDI 2009”
HORSESHOE CASINO (CHICAGO)
Horseshoe Casino Senior Vice President and General Manager: Dan Nita
Director of Table Games: Jose Lebron
Poker Room Manager: Jason Newman
Special Events Manager: Amie Hill
Tournament Director: Charlie Ciresi
Co-Tournament Director: Steve Frezer
WORLD SERIES OF POKER
World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
WSOP Vice President — Ty Stewart
Director of Communications – Seth Palansky
Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming — Howard Greenbaum
WSOP Events Manager — Angele Marshall
WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill
WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel
WSOP Media Director – Nolan Dalla
ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF POKER
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.
ABOUT HORSESHOE CASINO
The all-new 500 million-dollar Horseshoe Casino, a Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. property, just 20 minutes from downtown Chicago is the premier entertainment and gaming destination in Chicagoland. Where legendary gaming lives on, Horseshoe boasts more than 350,000 square feet with 3,200 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, the largest poker room in the Midwest, keno and more. The Venue at Horseshoe Casino is proud to offer the ultimate concert and entertainment destination. In conjunction with AEG Live and created by the award-winning designers of Sceno Plus, The Venue offers a premier experience in a flexible space that can hold up to 4,000 guests. Dining elegance is not overlooked and guests can choose from a variety of dining options including; Jack Binion’s Steak House which overlooks Lake Michigan and recent winner of the 2009 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, around-the-globe variety at the Village Square Buffet, a taste of Chicago at Benny’s Home Cookin’, and scrumptious fare at J.B.s Gourmet Sandwiches and Salads. For more information, please visit: www.chicagohorseshoe.com.
Know when to stop before you start.® Gambling problem? Call 1.800.9.WITH.IT. ©2009 Harrah’s License
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