Michael Hudson Wins 2019 WSOP Circuit Potawatomi Main Event

The 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi $1,700 no-limit hold’em main event attracted a field of 667 total entries, building a final prize pool of $1,010,505. After three days of action, Michael Hudson emerged victorious with the title, the $207,159 top prize, and his first WSOPC gold ring.

The 32-year-old poker pro from Illinois was also awarded 840 Card Player Player of the Year points, enough to see him move into 46th place in the overall POY race standings.

Hudson came into the final day of this event as the chip leader with nine players remaining. He had surged into the lead late on day 2 of the event after winning a massive hand against 2007 World Poker Tour Bellagio Cup champion Kevin Saul. With plenty of chips in the pot and a board of 7558J, the river action began with a check from Hudson. Saul bets 590,000. Damjan Radanov folded and Hudson check-raised to 1,825,000. Saul called with the 77 for a flopped full house, only to get shown Hudson’s 88 for a higher boat made on the turn.

With that, Hudson took a dominant advantage into day 3, with 157 big blinds in his stack. The next largest stack, belonging to Hank Sitton, was just 57 big blinds. He furthered his advantage by scoring the first two eliminations of the final table, sending Eric Wasylenko (9th – $19,38) and Cody Brinn (8th – $24,414) to the rail and growing his stack to over 200 big blinds.

Kevin Saul had still managed to make the final table after losing the sick hand with his flopped full house. Saul hung around to six-handed action, and then won a preflop race with pocket tens up against the AK of Damjan Radanov to send him packing in sixth place ($40,248).

Hudson earned his third knockout of the final table when his A10 managed to beat out the AJ of Brett Apter, making a pair of tens to secure the pot. Apter took home $52,698 as the fifth-place finisher.

Saul was ultimately eliminated in fourth place when his pocket jacks lost a coin flip to Joshua Turner’s AQ. Saul was awarded $69,917 for his deep run in this event, bringing his career live tournament earnings to more than $3.6 million.

Hank Sitton was knocked out in third place when his pocket aces were cracked by a flopped full house for Hudson. Sitton had raised from the small blind and Hudson defended his big blind with J5. The flop came down JJ5. The chips all got in after the 5 hit the turn, and Sitton was down to needing an ace on the river to survive. The 10 secured the pot for Hudson. Sitton took home $94,017 as the third-place finisher.

Hudson had more than a 5-to-1 chip lead over Turner when heads-up action began. Turner, who has seven WSOPC gold rings to his name, managed to fight all the way back into the lead. Hudson was able toe regain the momentum relatively quickly, though, and by the time the final hand arose he once again held a sizable lead.

The last hand of the tournament began with Turner limping in from the button with the Q6. Hudson checked with his J5, the same hand he had eliminated Sitton with. The flop came down 542 and Hudson checked. Turner bet 250,000 and Hudson moved all-in. Turner called for his last 3.6 million or so with his straight and flush draws. The turn was the 10 to keep Hudson’s pair of fives the best hand. The 2 sealed the deal, locking up the title for Hudson and sending Turner to the rail as the runner-up. He earned $128,183 for his impressive showing in this event.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Winner photo provided by the WSOP.

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