This Week's Big Winner: Ben Zamani Wins WSOP Circuit Planet Hollywood Main Event

Ben Zamani has won the 2018 World Series of Poker Circuit Planet Hollywood $1,675 no-limit hold’em main event. The two-time WSOP bracelet winner and former World Poker Tour Player of the Year outlasted a field of 610 total entries to win $192,152 and his first WSOPC gold ring.

After surviving to the final day of this event Zamani had to contend with a stacked final table that included a number of accomplished poker pros like 2010 WSOP main event third-place finisher Joseph Cheong, bracelet winner Barry Hutter, Jesse Yaginuma and Ben Palmer. 

Here are the five biggest hands from the final table that propelled Zamani to the win.

Tournament: WSOP Circuit Planet Hollywood Main Event
Buy-In: $1,675
No. of Entries: 610
Prize Pool: $915,000
1st Place Prize: $192,152

The Action

Cheong raised to 80,000 on the button and was three-bet by Zamani to 200,000 from the small blind. With the action back on Cheong, he moved all-in for 880,000 and Zamani immediately called with pocket aces. Cheong was in terrible shape with A 5, making him only about 13 percent likely to stay in the tournament, according to the Card Player Pker Odds Calculator. The board ran out 8 4 3 4 8 and Cheong was eliminated in eighth place, earning $22,436.

The Action

Zamani raised to 80,000 from the button and Mlekoday called from the big blind. The flop came down Q 9 2 and both players checked. The turn was the K, and Mlekoday checked. Zamani bet 125,000 and Mlekoday called. The river was the 7 and Mlekoday opted to move all-in. Zamani instantly called with a set of nines, and Mlekoday could only show Q 10 for second pair. He banked $28,621 for his seventh-place finish.

The Action

Zamani raised to 130,000 from the small blind and McEvoy three-bet to 400,000 from the big blind. Zamani moved all-in and McEvoy called off the rest of his chips, tabling pocket tens. Unfortunately for him, Zamani held pocket kings, and they held as the board ran out four high to give him the pot and a huge lead in the tournament. McEvoy finished fifth, earning $48,522.

The Action

After accumulating approximately 92 percent of the chips in play four-handed, it was only a matter of time before Zamani finished off his opponents. Powrie moved all-in from the button for 490,000 and Hutter re-shoved from the small blind for 680,000. Zamani was down to gamble and made the call from the big blind with 8 4. His hand turned out to be live against Hutter’s A 7 and Powrie’s K Q. The board gave Zamani just enough, running out 10 4 3 3 9 to give him the pot and score a double knockout. As the shorter stack, Powrie earned $64,489 for his fourth-place showing, while Hutter took home $86,907 for finishing third.

The Action

On the very next hand, Zamani moved all-in from the button. Palmer had just 480,000 remaining, or six big blinds, and elected to make the call with J 2. He was slightly ahead of Zamani’s 10 7, and even paired up on a flop of A K J. But the turn was the Q, giving Zamani a Broadway straight. The river was the 3, and Palmer was eliminated in second place, earning $118,849. Zamani scooped the pot, along with the title, the WSOP Circuit ring, and the $192,152 first-place prize.

Final Table Results

1. Ben Zamani — $192,152
2. Ben Palmer — $118,849
3. Barry Hutter — $86,907
4. Scott Powrie — $64,489
5. Aaron McEvoy — $48,522
6. Jesse Yaginuma — $37,012
7. Hank Mlekoday — $28,621
8. Joseph Cheong — $22,436
9. Stephen Nussrallah — $17,824