Erik Gorman Wins WSOP Circuit Harrah's Cherokee Main Event

The $1,700 buy-in no-limit main event at the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee attracted a field of 1,000 total entries, blowing away the $1 million guarantee to create a prize pool of $1,515,000. In the end, Erik Gorman emerged victorious from the sea of competitors, securing his first WSOPC gold ring and the first-place prize of $260,480.

“It’s nice. It’s very nice. I’m just happy and excited," Gorman told WSOP reporters in the wake of his first major poker victory. When asked about his plans for his winnings, he said, “It has to become a reality first.”

In addition to the money and the hardware, the 43-year-old glass blower based out of Matthews, North Carolina was also awarded 960 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. This was his second POY-qualified score of the year. The POY race is sponsored by Global Poker.

Gorman came into the final day of this event as the shortest stack with 15 players remaining. He managed to quickly climb up the leaderboard, finding two early double-ups to surge back into the middle of the pack. By the time the field had been narrowed to the final table, he had fought his way into the outright lead. He increased his advantage even further by winning a race against Randall Rothwell. Gorman’s pocket tens held up against AJ to send Rothwell to the rail in ninth place ($26,304).

WSOP bracelet winner Ken Aldridge was the next to fall. He ran pocket kings into the pocket aces of Michael Kassem to finish eighth ($33,098). Kassem also knocked out another bracelet winner in Kyle Cartwright (6th – $53,698).

Hannah Guthrie picked up pocket aces and called the all-in of Fikret Kovac, who held KQ. Kovac made a pair of queens, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Guthrie’s aces and he was eliminated in fifth place ($69,920).

Gorman found himself with pocket tens up against a suited ace-jack again, this time facing Ryan Jones. The board improved neither player and Jones was knocked out in fourth place, earning $91,459 for his deep run in this event.

Michael Kassem got his last chips in preflop with Q10. Gorman called with AJ and the board ran out 63267. Gorman’s ace high was enough to earn him the pot and send Kassem to the rail in third place ($120,770).

With that Gorman took a 17 million to 13 million lead into heads-up play against Hannah Guthrie, who managed to quickly fight her way into the lead. She was one card from winning the event at one point, with a flush up against the pocket pair of Guthrie on a paired board. The river brought trips on the board to give Gorman a winning full house and the lead. The very next hand Guthrie got all-in with A3 and Gorman called holding AQ. The board came down KQ61010 and Gorman made queens and tens to secure the pot and the title. Guthrie earned $160,978 as the runner-up.

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

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