WSOP-C Caesars Indiana, Day 2: Wilbur Futhey Claims Ring
The final 18 players in the World Series of Poker Circuit Championship gathered round two tables at Caesars Indiana to battle it out for $180,289, the $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP Main Event, $1,000 spending money in that event, and the WSOP Circuit gold and diamond ring. WSOP bracelet winner Robert Cheung held the chip lead going into Day 2, but it was Wilbur Futhey that outlasted all the competition and took down the title at the end of the day.
Day 2 kicked off with a burst of eliminations as Bill Johnson (18th), James McKinney (17th) and Beth Shak (16th) all went to the rail in the early levels. Shak suffered a bad beat to end her tournament, getting all her chips in good with 10♣10♥ to Jerry Martin's 9♣9♦, but the 9♠ on the flop gave Martin his two-outer and sent Shak to the cage to collect $6,677 in prize money.
John Ferguson went out in 15th ($7,790) when his A-10 was no good to Robert Cheung's A-K, and then Philip Sparta took out Dave Costain in 14th ($7,790) when Sparta's pocket eights held up against Costain's K-Q. After Tim Laws busted in 13th ($7,790), Sparta ran his pocket nines into Dale Poynter's K♣K♦. The board ran out A♦J♥A♠7♣Q♥, and one-time chip leader Sparta was eliminated in 12th place ($8,903).
Day 1 chip leader Cheung was next to go, busting in 11th place when he shoved preflop with J-7. Steve Merrifield called with A-J, and no help came on the board for Cheung, who picked up $8,903 for his tournament. Jason Glass was the final-table bubble boy when he fell to Futhey in 10th place ($8,903). Futhey shoved all in from under the gun with J♠10♣, and Glass called with A♣K♣. The flop of 3♥J♦6♥ hurt Glass, and no help came on the river as he was eliminated.
Michael Iacovone got all his chips in preflop with Q♥5♥ against Dale Poynter and Benjamin Hock soon after the final table was set. Poynter fired a bet when the turn made the board 10♥2♣A♠9♥. Hock folded, and Poynter tabled A♦9♥ for two pair. The 10♣ on the river was inconsequential, and Iacovone was eliminated in ninth ($11,129). Next, Jerry Martin went all in preflop with A♣Q♦, and he found two callers in Merrifield and Jason Mann. The side pot checked all the way down as the board ran out J♥K♦9♥9♦Q♥. Mann tabled K♥10♦ for the straight, and Martin was busted in eighth ($16,693).
After a reraise preflop from Benjamin Hock, Giovanni Marcacci called to see a flop of J♣4♦7♣. Both players checked the flop, and then Hock fired at the A♣ turn. Marcacci raised, and Hock went all in over the top. Marcacci called with 4♠4♥ for bottom set, but was drawing to one out against Hock's J♣J♥. The 6♦ river wasn't it, and Marcacci went home in seventh ($22,258). Dale Poynter took out Jason Mann in sixth ($27,822) when the flop of K♦6♥Q♠ hit both players well. Mann fired at the flop with A♦K♠, and Poynter check-raised all in with 6♠6♣ for bottom set. Mann called with top pair, top kicker, and was eliminated when the turn and river came down 8♠9♥.
Benjamin Hock became Poynter's next victim when he busted in fifth ($33,387). Hock open-shoved J♥J♠, and Poynter called with A♦Q♥. The flop of 3♥2♦7♦ helped neither player, but running diamonds on the 4♦6♦ turn and river gave Pointer the flush and sent Hock home. Doug "Rico" Carli put a cap on a strong Circuit Indiana series with his fourth cash when he busted in fourth place ($44,516). Carli went all in over the top of Steven Merrifield with A♣J♣, only to see Wilbur Futhey move all in over the top of him with A♠K♥. Merrifield got out of the way, the board came down K♣-3x-7♦5♠9♣, and Carli was out in fourth.
Merrifield then bounced Poynter in third ($55,645) to set up heads-up play for the title. Poynter moved all in preflop with K♣J♥ and Merrifield called with A♥9♥. The board ran out A♠7♣8♥9♥Q♣, and Poynter was gone in third place. Merrifield took the chip lead into heads-up play, but the short heads-up match swung into Futhey's favor with a double-up on the very first hand. After doubling through Merrifield with a four-flush on the first hand of heads-up play, Futhey then allowed Merrifield to double through him to bring things almost back to even.
After a few more hands of heads-up play, Futey reraised all in preflop with A♣K♠. Merrifield quickly called with A♠10♣, and the flop looked bad for Merrifield, coming out 6♠Q♣Q♠. The 10♥ on the turn gave Merrifield a brief respite, but the J♣ on the river gave Futhey the Broadway straight and the championship. Merrifield picked up $94,596 for his second-place finish, and Futhey won $180,289, the $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP Main Event, $1,000 spending money in that event, and the WSOP Circuit gold and diamond ring.
