A massive field of 1,470 total entries turned out for the 2023 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee $1,700 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event, creating a prize pool worth more than $2.2 million. After two starting flights and another two days of tournament action, it was Pittsburgh, PA resident Joseph Crowley who came away with the title and the top prize of $348,785.
Crowley overcame this year’s WSOP main event champion Daniel Weinman heads-up to secure the win, earning his first WSOPC gold ring in the process.
“I had to go through the reigning main event champ heads up to win, so that was a little intimidating. But I got through it,” Crowley told Poker.org reporters covering the event.
Weinman, a two-time bracelet winner, fell just short of securing his second WSOPC main event win at this venue. In 2015 he bested a field of 1,010 entries for his lone victory on the circuit. The two-time World Poker Tour champion was awarded $215,576 as the runner-up, growing his career earnings to more than $16 million.
Crowley increased his lifetime total to nearly $909,000. Prior to this huge win, his top payout had been $78,263 for winning a $1,100 buy-in event at the 2021 Venetian DeepStack Championship II festival.
Crowley has made 12 final tables in 2023, with two titles won along the way. His 2,071 total Card Player Player of the Year points are enough to place him 193rd in the overall POY standings presented by Global Poker.
The final day of this event began with 12 players remaining and Weinman in the lead. Weinman remained on top after 15-time WSOPC ring winner Maurice Hawkins hit the rail in seventh place ($57,070), but soon began to slide down the chip counts. Crowley doubled up through Weinman twice, moving into the lead after the second. Weinman picked up pocket aces against the pocket sixes of Tyler Phillips (4th – $123,261) and held to right the ship a bit heading into three-handed action.
Crowley’s pocket jacks won a preflop race against the K-Q of 2023 WSOPC Harvey’s Lake Tahoe main event champion Jarod Minghini (3rd – $162,276) to set up the final showdown for the championship ring.
Crowley won a big pot right out of the gate to take a massive lead and soon closed out the event when his 10-9 outran Weinman’s A-9 suited, making trips to lock up the victory.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Joseph Crowley | $348,785 | 960 |
| 2 | Daniel Weinman | $215,576 | 800 |
| 3 | Jarod Minghini | $162,276 | 640 |
| 4 | Tyler Phillips | $123,261 | 480 |
| 5 | Christopher Churchwell | $94,483 | 400 |
| 6 | Chad Varnas | $73,092 | 320 |
| 7 | Maurice Hawkins | $57,070 | 240 |
| 8 | Dale Roesel | $44,980 | 160 |
| 9 | Christopher Conrad | $35,787 | 80 |
Photo provided by WSOP.
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