Recap of the WSOP-Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Events

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World Series of Poker Circuit

On Thursday, April 28, 2011, the World Series of Poker Circuit kicked off its latest $1,600 Main Event, this time right in poker’s backyard at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The winner of that event, along with the overall “Casino Champion,” will qualify for the upcoming $1 Million Freeroll National Championship. What’s the best way to capture the latter title? Play the preliminary ring events.

Each WSOP-Circuit stop hosts ten gold-ring events. Players can earn National Leaderboard points, based upon their performance in those events, and hopefully accumulate enough to qualify for the National Championship in May (coincidentally, that event will also be held at Caesars Palace). The player who earns the most points at each stop (AKA the "Casino Champion") automatically qualifies for that event. You can find a summary of the ring events (shown below) leading up to the Main Event, along with the current standings on the Event Leaderboard.

As always, the PokerNews Live Reporting Team is providing coverage of the Main Event, but here's a look at some of the ring events leading up to the Main Event.

Ring Opener has 16-Percent Increase

Last year, the first ring event at the WSOP-Circuit Caesars Palace drew 384 players. This year, 448 players forked over the $350 buy-in for a 16 percent increase in attendance. After two days of play, two Europeans outlasted a field, comprised mainly of Americans, to square off in heads-up action. In the end, Italian Giuseppe Biancoviso claimed victory and the $28,398 first-place prize.

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Event #1 No-Limit Hold’em

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$300+$50448$129,065
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Giuseppe BiancovisoCatania, Italy$28,398
2Leonid RyadynskyyKharkov, Ukraine$17,546
3Josh EvansPlano, TX$12,821
4George AshCarmel, CA$9,520
5Scott DaviesLas Vegas, NV$7,179
6Dmitry ShamilovBrooklyn, NY$5,494
7Blake KelsoLas Vegas, NV$4,267
8Phillip DaggerSidney, BC$3,361
9Sheila OlsenJacksonville, FL$2,685

Event #2 Numbers Up

The second ring event proved that the attendance increase in the opening event wasn’t a fluke. In fact, the $560 NLHE ring event drew 247 players, a 26 percent increase over last year’s field of 195 players. Combined, the first two ring events of the WSOP-Circuit Caesars Palace saw 695 entrants, up 18 percent from the same events in 2010.

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Event #2 No-Limit Hold’em

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$500+$60247$118,560
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Randy HubertyLa Grange, KY$29,047
2Brian HuntPearland, TX$17,948
3Brandon BowyerCorona, CA$12,967
4Akio IshiiTokyo, Japan$9,543
5Barry ClappCalgary, AB$7,149
6Richard JacksonKey West, FL$5,448
7Raju JawalekarLas Vegas, NV$4,221
8Neil WebberAustin, TX$3,323
9Darren MichelsHenderson, NV$2,658

Event #3 Plays Let’s Make a Deal

The final six players in the $350-Limit Omaha Eight-or-Better Event opted to strike a deal that saw Terry Crowe named the victor, for which he earned his first WSOP-Circuit ring. Crowe is no stranger to poker, having worked for the World Poker Tour. Now he specializes in endorsements and sponsorships. With 19 major cashes and two tournament victories, Crowe may be in need of some endorsements himself.

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Event #3 Limit Omaha Eight or Better

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$300+$50113$32,555
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
*1Terry CroweLos Osos, CA$9,766
*2David JackieLas Vegas, NV$6,036
*3Brian BumpasLong Beach, CA$4,298
*4Terry StadyAlbuquerque, NM$3,122
*5Faud KoubiVan Nuys, CA$2,313
*6Brian WilkeColorado Springs, CO$1,746
7Joseph MitchellNot Listed$1,343
8Christopher ZurawskiGlen Ellyn, IL$1,052
9Bruce HoytGilbert, AZ$839

*Denotes six-way deal

“It’s About the Ring”

Nhu “Taylor” Nguyen, a 28-year-old business owner from Houston, Texas, topped a field of 500 to take down Event #4 at the WSOP-Circuit Caesars Palace. After the win, she stated: “I played really well, but I also caught some cards. I think I made the most of the situations where I had advantages and also did not ever give up, even when I lost a few big hands.” She went on to elaborate as to why she declined an offer to chop the prize money: “It was an easy decision for me. I was not going to settle for (one of the lower places). It’s not just about pride. It’s about the ring. I wanted to win the WSOP Circuit gold ring.”

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Event #4 No-Limit Hold’em

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$300+$50500$144,000
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Nhu “Taylor” NguyenHouston, TX$30,962
2Joel NimmoPasco, WA$19,142
3Kennii NguyenChicago, IL$13,984
4Jeremiah DegreefSandy, Utah$10,367
5Paul BalzanoSunrise, FL$7,796
6Craig GoddardBognor Regas, UK$5,947
7Mehmet KarsliIstanbul, Turkey$4,601
8Vincent MaglioRevere, MA$3,610
9Raymond LamVancouver, BC$2,873

A Look at the Rest of the Ring Events . . .

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Event #5 Pot Limit Omaha

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$300+$50123$35,424
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Jessie BryantConway, AR$9,919
2Blake KelsoLas Vegas, NV$6,130
3Jordan StoneFayetteville, GA$4,425
4Gregory AversaLas Vegas, NV$3,252
5Ryan McclainWarrensburg, MO$2,431
6James CavanaughSanta Rosa, CA$1,848
7Richard CresiskiCambridge, MA$1,492
8Eric FroehlichSpringfield, VA$1,122
9Hoang NguyenChicago, IL$896

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Event #6 No-Limit Hold’em

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$500+$60306$146,880
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Robert WhalenCudahy, WI$34,517
2Daniel EichhornHenderson, NV$21,342
3Daniel SindelarLas Vegas, NV$15,500
4Christopher FelixLas Vegas, NV$11,449
5Michael HolmWoodridge, IL$8,595
6Zachary KingHenderson, NV$6,555
7Vincent MaglioRevere, MA$5,078
8Saeed SotendehToronto, ON$3,992
9Norihisa OkadaGumma, Japan$3,186

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Event #7 No-Limit Hold’em

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$300+$50530$152,640
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Todd ChewNowhere, IL$32,809
2Jeff SluzinskiLas Vegas, NV$20,290
3Thomas Alex HultBorlange, Sweden$14,823
4Michael WassermanLas Vegas, NV$10,989
5Justin KrugerDenison, TX$8,264
6ThomasAurach, Austria$6,304
7Joe WailorSeattle, Washington$4,877
8Adam HuiMarkham, ON$3,827
9James GlennRedding, CA$3,045

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Event #8 NLHE Six-Handed

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$500+$60306$146,880
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Michael SouzaSan Diego, CA$27,001
2Christopher AmaralFall River, MA$16,688
3[Removed:321] Abedi-AraniLas Vegas, NV$15,500
4Blake KelsoLas Vegas, NV$8,982
5Peter LockwoodArlington, TX$6,747
6Hiroaki HaradaCosta Mesa, CA$5,146
7Rick TroendlyUnited States$3,985
8Jay HongRiverside, CA$3,132
9Rex ClinkscalesLas Vegas, NV$2,498

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Ring Event #9 No-Limit Hold'em

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$1,000+$90230$220,800
PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Miller DaoMaricopa, AZ$55,202
2Melvin SkeelesFarmerville, LA$34,118
3Neal (Wallace) JordanExcello, MO$24,831
4Adam HuiMarkham, ON$18,364
5Sang NguyenSan Jose, CA$13,793
6Barry ClappCalgary, AB$10,521
7Kasra KhadayarkhaniDallas, TX$8,148
8Sonja JurkovichLas Vegas, NV$6,403
9Thomas WintersSan Angelo, TX$5,107

WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace “Casino Champion” Leaderboard

PlayerPointsRingsCashedEarnings
*Miller Dao5011$55,202
Blake Kelso8503$19,379
Jessie Bryant6012$11,489
Robert Whalen5011$34,517
Todd Chew5011$32,809
Nhu Nguyen5011$30,962
Randy Huberty5011$29,047
Giuseppe Biancoviso5011$28,398
Michael Souza5011$27,001
Terry Crowe5011$9,766

*Dao has already clinched his seat in the National Championship with a final-table appearance at the West Regional Championship at Harrah's Rincon.

You can check out our live coverage of the WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace Main Event (which is happening now) on our Live Reporting page. In the meantime, don’t miss your chance to qualify for the National Championship and your shot at the $1 million freeroll. There are still a few opportunities left on the WSOP Circuit schedule.

Remaining 2010/2011 WSOP Circuit Schedule

EventLocationDates
Circuit EventCaesars Palace (Las Vegas)April 14-30, 2011
Circuit EventHarrah’s ChesterApril 27-May 9, 2011
Regional ChampionshipHarrah’s New OrleansMay 9-May 22, 2011

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PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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