WSOP Circuit – Matt Keikoan Wins Lake Tahoe Main Event

The $5,000 no-limit hold’em championship event at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe attracted 64 entrants who created a total prize pool of $299,400. The tournament took place during two days of poker action, and the final table welcomed back the final 10 at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16.

Here were the chip counts when the final table began:

Seat 1: Tim Davey — 80,000
Seat 2: Roger Sippl — 125,000
Seat 3: John Goodger — 130,000
Seat 4: John McNeilly — 84,000
Seat 5: Tommy Vedes — 186,000
Seat 6: Matt Keikoan — 117,000
Seat 7: David Woo — 286,000
Seat 8: Justin Hallstrom — 89,000
Seat 9: Ari Engel — 118,000
Seat 10: Steve Kujubu — 86,000

Steve Kujubu was the first player to fall at the final table when his A-3 went to battle against the J-10 of David Woo preflop. Woo hit a 10, and that was all he needed to eliminate Kujubu in 10th place, just one spot short of a payday. John McNeilly was the first player to cash in the event after he was eliminated in ninth place ($6,737). He moved all in preflop with pocket nines, and Matt Keikoan made the call with pocket kings. The kings held, and action continued eight-handed until Tim Davey moved all in preflop and Woo woke up behind him with pocket queens. Davey revealed K-8, and the board did not come to his rescue. Davey took home $9,581 in prize money for his eighth-place finish.

Woo had been one of the most active players at the final table up until that point, but his luck ran out in seventh place. Woo lost the chip lead to Keikoan after a big river bet induced Woo to fold on a Q 7 5 J K board. After that, it still took a bad beat to send Woo home. Woo moved all in preflop against Ari Engel, and he had the lead with pocket queens. Engel held A-9, and the river brought the ace that Engel needed to win the hand and eliminate Woo in seventh place ($13,658).

Roger Sippl was the next player who tried to make a move, holding pocket fours in the hole. Tommy Vedes woke up with pocket queens behind him and made the call. The better hand held, and Sippl was awarded $17,693 for busting out in sixth place. Vedes was the next to fall after he was crippled in a hand against John Goodger. Goodger was all in with K Q against the A J of Vedes, but the board fell 10 8 2 J 8 to double up Goodger and leave Vedes with a stack of 60,000 when the blinds were 5,000-10,000 with a 1,000 ante. Vedes was then forced to ship it in with 6-5 suited, and Engel called him down with pocket jacks. The jacks held, and Vedes took his leave in fifth place ($22,347). Engel then followed Vedes to the rail an hour later. He was all in with K-8 preflop, and Keikoan made the call with pocket fives. The board kept things interesting with a few lead changes, falling K-J-10-7-5, and Keikoan won the hand. Engel took home $28,144 for his fourth-place finish.

The final three players limped to a flop of K 4 3 before Keikoan bet 15,000 and Justin Hallstrom folded. Goodger raised to 40,000 on top of Keikoan’s bet, and then Keikoan decided to reraise all in. Goodger made the all-in call with K 7, and Keikoan was well ahead with 4 3. The turn and river fell 2 and 10, Goodger took home $39,820 for third place, and action was down to the final two.

Play began slowly in the heads-up final as the two players traded small pots back and forth before a major confrontation took place. A series of raises preflop saw Hallstrom put his tournament life on the line with A 5, and he was dominated by the A K of Keikoan. The board changed nothing, and Keikoan was the champion. Hallstrom took home $56,886 for his second-place finish. Keikopan was awarded $106,435 for first place and a WSOP Circuit championship gold ring. It should pair nicely with the gold bracelet he won at the WSOP in 2008.

Here are the final results:

1: Matt Keikoan — $106,435
2: Justin Hallstrom — $56,886
3: John Goodger — $39,820
4: Ari Engel — $28,144
5: Tommy Vedes — $21,557
6: Roger Sippl — $17,066
7: David Woo — $13,174
8: Tim Davey — $9,581
9: John McNeilly — $6,737

Greg Sessler Wins the Ladies $300 no-limit hold’em Event

The other event that made headlines during the last few days at the WSOP Circuit stop at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe took place when Greg Sessler won the $300 ladies no-limit hold’em event on Nov. 14. Sessler was awarded $9,932 for topping 92 other female players (and three other males) to accomplish the quirky feat. Sessler is a 22-year-old college student attending U.C. Davis who is majoring in communications and film. He stated that his decision to play in the ladies event had to do with logistics.

“Me playing in this tournament really had nothing to do with trying to take advantage of the ladies or thinking it was a softer field,” Sessler stated. “If Jennifer Harman would have come and played in the ladies event, she would have been much tougher competition than me. I came here because I only had one day, and I really like the structures and the payout. This was the only tournament I could play.” The sense of irony was not lost on the cards in the final hand. Sessler’s heads-up opponent, Mimi Kalem, tried to make a move with Q-6 suited preflop, but Sessler woke up behind her with two ladies of his own. The pocket queens held up to win him the hand and the tournament.

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