Richard Bai Wins 2019 WSOP Circuit Potawatomi Main Event

A total of 447 entries were made in the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatmoi $1,700 no-limit hold’em main event, easily surpassing the $500,000 guarantee to create a final prize pool of $677,205. In the end, the lion’s share of that money was awarded to Richard Bai, who earned $138,317 and as the latest WSOP Circuit champion. Bai now sports career live tournakment earnings of $919,733.

Bai also took home his second WSOPC gold ring, having previously won a $1,125 buy-in no-limit hold’em event at the WSOPC Horseshoe Hammond stop in late 2017. He has now made 15 cashes on the WSOP Circuit and has accumulated nearly $280,000 on this particular tour.

The 31-year-old resident of Schaumburg, Illinois was awarded 720 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. This was only his second POY-qualified score of the year, and as a result, he sits in 703rd place in the 2019 POY race standings, which are sponsored by Global Poker.

The final day of this tournament began with seven players remaining and Bai in the lead. Brett Apter was the first player eliminated when he got all-in with AQ, which failed to hold up versus the AJ of Matthew Levin. Apter earned $20,151 as the seventh-place finisher after his opponent spiked a jack on the flop and held from there.

Bai scored the next elimination, moving all-in with the nut flush draw and making a runner-runner straight against the top pair of Nikolas Stone (6th – $26,167).

Matthew Levin managed to win another all-in with a dominated ace. His AQ made a flush against the AK of Jorden Helstern to send him to the rail in fifth place ($34,460).

During four-handed action Bai fell all the way to the bottom of the leaderboard, sitting with less than ten big blinds at his low point. He managed to secure two double-ups through James Pupillo and shortly afterward regained the outright lead.

Bai then managed to flop set over set against Pupillo, with 88 against the 44 on a A842K board. Pupillo shoved on the river and Bai quickly called to send him to the rail in fourth place ($46,017).

With that Bai took a monster lead into three-handed play. He picked up AK facing an all-in from Henry Zou and held against A4. Bai flopped a king to bust Zou in third place ($62,298).

Bai took more than a 5.5:1 chip advantage into heads-up play against Matthew Levin. He managed to extend that lead even further. By the time the final hand arose, Levin was down to just over ten big blinds. He moved all-in from the button with Q6 and bai quickly called holding A4. The board ran out 8549J to give Bai the ace-high flush. With that he secured the pot and the title, while Levin settled for $85,488 as the runner-up finisher.

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

Winner photo provided by WSOP.

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