Caesars World Series of Poker Circuit Event EndsCory Carroll Outlasts 336 Players to Take Down $506,176 and a Seat in the WSOP Main Event |
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People say that taking a chip lead into a final table isn't a guarantee of success. Tell that to Cory "UGOTPZD" Carroll and he may disagree. An established online player but relatively unknown on the live circuit, Carroll carried the chip lead into the final nine players of the Caesars Palace World Series of Poker Circuit Event and rarely relinquished it. He played dominating big-stack poker on his way to a first-place finish worth $506,176. The win scored him a buy-in to the 2007 WSOP main event and a championship ring as well.
Big names were at every table in a star-studded field of 336 players who posted $5,000 to battle for a $1,629,000 prize pool. With $10,000 in starting chips and 75-minute levels, it took three days to narrow the field to nine players. Only two name pros, Chad Brown and Dave "The Dragon" Pham, survived to Wednesday's final table. Even though the rest of the final table lacked name recognition, it still hosted a number of solid players including: Steve Wong (live pro, with over $1 million in career winnings; he finished 67th in the World Poker Tour Championship last week), Justin Pechie (2006 WSOP $2,500 final table; over $300,000 live career winnings) and chip leader Cory Carroll (over $300,000 in online winnings).
Entering play Wednesday, the final nine were:
Seat No. 1. Chad Brown - $136,000
Seat No. 2: Vasile Buboi - $349,000
Seat No. 3: Justin Pechie - $307,000
Seat No. 4: Cory "UGOTPZD" Carroll - $713,000
Seat No. 5: Eric Davis - $272,000
Seat No. 6: Steve Wong - $573,000
Seat No. 7: Michelle Law - $192,000
Seat No. 8: Paul Kitsos - $327,000
Seat No. 9: David "The Dragon" Pham - $491,000
Play started with the blinds of $4,000-$8,000 and a $1,000 ante. Pro Chad Brown was short-stacked to begin the day and within 20 minutes he was the first elimination at the final table.
Brown got all in preflop with 8
8
but was dominated by Vasile Buboi with 9 9. Brown needed help to stay alive and it appeared he got it when he spiked a set on a K
8 5 flop, but the poker gods were quick to take it away with the 9
on the turn. Brown failed to hit the case 8 and was sent home in ninth for $32,592. The tournament's final female player, Michelle Law, busted next.
Cory Carroll raised to $26,000 from early position and Law reraised. They eventually got all in preflop, Law showed A 10 and Carroll 9 9. Law couldn't win the race and was eliminated in eighth place for a $48,888 payout.
Steve Wong busted next when he failed to make a hand with A K. Buboi raised to $31,000 and Wong reraised to $91,000 from the button. Buboi called and the flop came J 7 6. Buboi checked and Wong moved all in. It seemed that this was the action Buboi intended to induce because he quickly called with 10
-10
. The next two cards bricked and Wong was eliminated in seventh place for $65,184.
Dave Pham was slain in a two0hand combination a short time later. Pham raised preflop and Eric Davis called. Both players checked the J 8 2 flop, the turn was the 4 and Davis led $95,000. Pham called. The river was the 9 and Davis bet $200,000. Pham went into the taknk, and then called. Davis showed J J and Pham mucked. Crippled, Pham was eliminated shortly thereafter by Justin Pechie in sixth for $81,481.
Paul Kitsos busted next in an apparent squeeze play. Carroll, playing aggressively, raised to $38,000 from the cutoff and Davis called. Kitsos pushed for $145,000. Carroll though long and then called with A-4. Davis mucked and Kitsos showed Q J. The ace high held and Kitsos was eliminated in fifth for $97,776.
The day's most impressive play may have been from Pechie. He nursed his short stack for hours, fluctuating between $170,000 and $215,000 for most of the day before finally making his move, doubling up twice in a short time. He then made an important call in a large pot. Pechie raised to $45,000 and was called by Davis from the small blind. The flop came 8 5 3, Davis bet $120,000 and Pechie called. The 6 came on the turn and both players checked. The river was the 8, Davis bet out $110,000, and Pechie thought and then called with A5 . His hand was good and Pechie was second in chips with $1.1 million.
Buboi was the next to be eliminated. He pushed all in with 109 on a board of 9 7 5 6 and Cory Carroll called with A 8. Buboi was sent to the rail with $114,720. Play was three-handed for a short time until Eric Davis was the next to fall.
In an unraised pot the flop came 10 6 3, Cory Carroll checked to Davis who bet $65,000 with A T. Carroll pushed all in with A 2 and hit the nut flush on the turn with the7. Davis finished third for $130,368. Heads up play began shortly after with Carroll holding a 2-to-1 chip lead over Pechie.
Pechie was able to wrestle a small lead after doubling up with A K, but the tournament ended up coming down to a coin flip worth $245,400. With both players around $1.5 million in chips Justin Pechie raised to $60,000 preflop and Cory Carroll reraised to $200,000. Pechie made it $600,000 more, and Carroll pushed with 9 9. Pechie called with K J, and the board came 10 8 2 4 3. Pechie was down to his last $145,000 in chips and was eliminated the next hand in second place for $260,736.
Carroll won the Caesars Palace Circuit Championship Event ring, $506,176, and a seat in the WSOP main event.
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