WSOP-C Hammond, Day 2: Billirakis, Woolf Headline Final Table
Several big names remained near the top of the leader board as Day 2 kicked off of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at the Horseshoe Hammond, including Dustin "Neverwin" Woolf and Steve "MrSmokey1" Billirakis, who started the day at the top of the pack. When the day ended, 31 of the 40 players that started Day 2 were done, but Billirakis and Woolf were still standing as the final table was set. Billirakis finished Day 2 with the chip lead, with Jason DeWitt in second and Woolf in third place as each strove toward his first WSOP Circuit Championship.
Day 2 kicked off with a bang as players headed to the rail in droves. Jason DeWitt chipped up nicely as he eliminated opponents on consecutive hands to start the day off right. First, he cracked short-stacked Ralph Massey's A♦A♥ with Q♥6♥ on a board of K♦9♥10♦J♥2♠. Then DeWitt got into a huge hand with Domenico Caprara and Brett Richey, which saw all the chips in the middle preflop. DeWitt's 10♠10♥ was ahead preflop to Caprara's K♠Q♣ and Richey's 8♣8♦, but when the board ran out J♣7♦K♣Q♠K♦, Caprara made a full house to take the main pot. DeWitt claimed the side pot between himself and Richey, and Richey made an early exit.
Other notable early eliminations included Jamin Stokes, whose quest for two final tables in a month at the WSOP Circuit ended when Kyle Schertz's 5♣5♦ held up against Stokes' K♥Q♦. Also busting just outside the money was Dean Hamrick, who finished tenth at this year's WSOP Main Event. Hamrick moved all in over the top of Ravi Raghavan on a board of 8♠3♠2♣. Dustin Woolf called, and Raghavan went into the tank before tossing his pocket jacks away face up. Hamrick was ahead with 8♥5♦ to Woolf's 4♠2♠, and the 5♣ on the turn improved both hands. The A♥ on the river gave Woolf the wheel and sent Hamrick packing.
After Adam Jacobs was eliminated in 19th place, the bubble was burst and the flood of post-bubble bustouts commenced. In lightning-fast fashion Johnny Neckar (18th), Alec Milam (17th), John Callahan (16th) and Jim Kasputis Jr. (15th) all headed to the payout line for their cash. Former NBA player Ken Norman capped the fast break of eliminations when he busted in 14th ($15,765). Norman got all his chips in preflop with A♦Q♦ and found one caller in Gary Leibovitz. Leibovitz tabled a dominated K♥Q♣, and Norman was poised for a double-up until the flop came down J♦Q♠K♦. Leibovitz took the lead and never looked back as the turn and river came running jacks to give him a bigger full house and send Norman to the bench.
Shane Stokes came back from the dinner break to a particularly unappetizing exit hand. Stokes moved all in over the top of Gary Leibovitz with K♠J♠. Ravi Raghavan then moved all in over the top of Stokes with A♠A♦, and Leibovitz made the call with Q♥Q♦. Leibovitz hit his two-outer on the 3♥5♣Q♣ flop, and the 9♠ on the turn changed nothing. When the A♣ came on the river, Raghavan hit a two-outer of his own to reclaim the lead and send Stokes to the rail in 12th ($17,736). Dustin Woolf then remarked that he had folded the A♥, leading Raghavan to remark, "I hit one-outers, baby!"
Play consolidated to one table after Nick Jivkov busted in 11th place ($17,736), and Domenico Caprara became the final table bubble boy a few hands later when he fell in tenth place ($17,736) to Steve Billirakis. Thomas Koral raised preflop from early position, and Billirakis re-raised. Caprara moved the last of his chips in to call, and Koral got out of the way as Billirakis tabled Q♣Q♥. Caprara showed 9♥4♦, but picked up a little bit of help on the 4♠6♦10♥ flop. However, Billirakis made a set on the Q♦ turn, and the 4♥ on the river was just the icing on the cake as it made a full house for Billirakis and sent Caprara to the payout line.
With Caprara's elimination, Steve Billirakis laid firm claim to the chip lead as the final-table seating assignments and chip stacks were settled as follows:
Seat 1: Thomas "tommyboy83" Koral - 351,000
Seat 2: George Dietz - 174,000
Seat 3: Gary Leibovitz - 156,000
Seat 4: Steve "MrSmokey1" Billirakis - 754,000
Seat 5: Sameer Al-Dbhany - 253,000
Seat 6: Ravi Raghavan - 213,000
Seat 7: Jason DeWitt - 651,000
Seat 8: Dustin "Neverwin" Woolf - 419,000
Seat 9: Kyle Schertz - 325,000
Join PokerNews at 2PM CT on Sunday for all the live updates as these nine players take their shot at the top prize and the WSOP Circuit championship ring.
