WSOP Circuit -- Gaspard Wins New Orleans TourneyGaspard Emerged From a Field of 167 Players and Led the Final Table the Entire Way |
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The final World Series of Poker Circuit $5,000 championship event of the 2008-09 season crowned a champion on Wednesday, May 20 at Harrah’s New Orleans. Jean Gaspard emerged with the win and $161,175 in prize money, along with a championship ring and a $10,000 seat in the upcoming WSOP main event in Las Vegas. The championship event in New Orleans attracted a field of 167 players that created a total prize pool worth $798,950. The top 18 players received prize money and notable cashes included Chris McCormack (11th), Matt Brady (13th), Shaun Deeb (14th), and Dwyte Pilgrim (18th). Here is a look at the chip counts heading into the final table:
Seat 1: Kenny Milam — 389,000
Seat 2: Kurt Scheer — 115,000
Seat 3: Justin Allen — 303,000
Seat 4: Anita Vasquez — 118,000
Seat 5: Jean Gaspard — 804,000
Seat 6: Ken Christopher — 232,000
Seat 7: Daniel Walsh — 553,000
Seat 8: Billy Kopp — 644,000
Seat 9: Steven McKoy — 182,000
It took an hour for things to heat up and when they did the first player to fall was Kurt Scheer in ninth place ($21,971), when he ran his A-K into the pocket tens of the chip leader Jean Gaspard. Kenny Milam fell a minute later when his A-7 paled in comparison to the pocket aces of Billy Kopp. Milam was eliminated in eighth place and he took home $25,966 in prize money.
Action slowed back down to a relaxed tone after this flurry of activity, and when chips started flying again over a half hour later the eliminations came quickly. Gaspard claimed his second victim when his pocket fours held to knock out Justin Allen in seventh place ($31,958). Ten minutes later Anita Vasquez saw her A-4 fall to the queens full of kings held by Ken Christopher and she was eliminated in sixth place ($39,948).
It took Christopher just another ten minutes after that to claim his second elimination at the final table. His pocket aces held up against the pocket tens of Daniel Walsh and Walsh was eliminated in fifth place ($49,934). The next stretch saw three hours of fluctuating chip stacks and slow play take place to decide who went home in fourth place. Steven McKoy moved all in with 9
8 preflop and Christopher called him down with A
J
. The board ran out AA
103Q and McKoy took home $63,916 in prize money.
The final three players then took a break and decided to make a deal on the tail end of the long four-handed battle. All three players received third-place prize money worth $81,892 and the remaining $175,770 was divided. Gaspard was declared the champion between the final three after holding the chip lead the entire way at the final table and he took home $161,175. Kopp took home $123,837 in second place, and Christopher was awarded $111,097 in third place.
This was the final WSOP Circuit event before the 40th annual WSOP in Las Vegas. The 2009-2010 WSOP Circuit schedule will be released later this summer.
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