World Series of Poker Circuit -- AJ Jejelowo Wins $10,000 Southern Regional ChampionshipJejelowo Takes Home $235,956 and a Gold Ring |
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The final table of the $10,000 World Series of Poker Circuit $10,000 Southern Regional Championship took place on Sunday in New Orleans, where poker has been played for more than two centuries. There were some familiar faces at the final table, including Allen Kessler, Allie Prescott. and Matthew Waxman, but in the end it was an accomplished unknown who scored his first tournament cash by winning the tournament.
AJ Jejelowo plays poker as a recreational activity and today he turned it into a very profitable hobby. The 27-year-old medical researcher at Rice University topped the field of 75 runners after winning his way into the tournament through a satellite. The graduate of John Hopkins University was awarded $235,956 for the victory and he plans to put it to good use.
“I’ll pay off some of my student loans,” said Jejelowo after the final table, which lasted 12 hours. He continued, “This feels great to win. I’m really stoked right now. But I’m really tired, too.” Read on below to see how he won the tournament title.
Here is a look at the chips counts when the final table began:
Seat 1: Allie Prescott — 353,000
Seat 2: Harry Cullen — 164,500
Seat 3: Allen Kessler — 85,000
Seat 4: Jeremy Gaubert — 121,500
Seat 5: Gary Friedlander — 469,000
Seat 6: Kunal Patel — 160,000
Seat 7: Matt Waxman — 171,000
Seat 8: AJ Jejelowo — 489,000
Seat 9: Scott Lipshutz — 237,500
Play moved slowly to start the final table and then a double elimination kicked off the bustouts after hours of drought. Jeremy Gaubert fell in ninth place ($12,000) and Kunal Patel fell in eighth place ($26,401) when neither player was able to top the aces and queens of Allie Prescott.
Another period of slow action followed after that before Matthew Waxman chose the wrong time to move all in because Harry Cullen was waiting to call him down with pocket aces. Waxman missed his open-ended straight draw and fell in seventh place ($30,794). Allen Kessler had held on for a while up to that point but his run came to an end at when he went to the races with A-K against the pocket tens of Prescott. The board ran out K-J-3-7-10 and Kessler was awarded $37,736 in prize money.
Pocket tens sent the next player to the rail as well. Gary Friedlander held the 10
10
against the A 9 of Scott Lipshutz. The board ran out 7 5 4 A
3 and Lipshutz was awarded $48,673.
Four players went to the dinner break and when they did AJ Jejelowo still held the chip lead with 947,000. When they returned Friedlander took the chip lead with 1.1 million when he eliminated Prescott in fourth place ($66,202). His pocket aces were more than enough to dispose of Prescott’s pocket sixes. Jejelowo quickly took the lead back and he extended it even further with a knockout punch against Cullen, who took home $95,214 in prize money in third place.
Heads-Up Chip Counts:
Jejelowo: 1,691,000
Friedlander: 505,000
The final hand came quick, with Jejelowo opening the action with a raise to 40,000 from the button preflop. Friedlander reraised to 140,000 and Jejelowo reraised all in. Friedlander made the all-in call for 639,000 and they flipped over their cards:
Jejelowo: A 9
Friedlander: A K
Board: Q
6 5 A 9
Friedlander was eliminated on the hand in second place and he took home $145,422 in prize money as the runner up. Jejelowo won the hand on the river and it made him the tournament champion. He took home a gold ring, $235,956 in prize money, and a seat in next week’s WSOP Circuit National Championship, which runs from May 27-29.
Final-Table Results:
1: AJ Jejelowo — $235,956
2: Gary Friedlander — $145,422
3: Harry Cullen — $95,214
4: Allie Prescott — $66,202
5: Scott Lipshutz — $48,673
6: Allen Kessler — $37,736
7: Matt Waxman — $30,794
8: Kunal Patel — $26,401
9: Jeremy Gaubert — $12,000
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