Previewing the 2012-2013 World Series of Poker Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe
The sixth stop of the 2012-2013 World Series of Poker Circuit presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof has been taking place all week long at Harveys Lake Tahoe and will culminate this weekend with the $1,675 Main Event.
Poker players flocked to scenic Lake Tahoe to take part in 12 rings events, running from Nov. 8-19, 2012. The majority of those events have come to an end, and one big storyline has emerged — Daniel Gilmer, who won two gold rings in four days to take a commanding lead in the Casino Championship race.
Gilmer, 24, first struck gold in Event #2: $365 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo when he overcame a field of 220 players to capture the $16,426 first-place prize. Days later, Gilmer entered Event #6: $365 No-Limit Hold’em and topped a field of 219 players to win his second gold ring and the $15,675 prize. What’s more, Gilmer did so by defeating a final table that included three other gold ring winners — Clint Baskin, Roger Trotter, and Daniel Aran (four-time ring winner Alek Masek finished in 10th place).
“It doesn't seem real right now,” Gilmer told the WSOP moments after his victory. “I've been playing tow years and was chasing this, and now to have two rings this week alone, is amazing. Why did I have to wait this long?”
“I got lucky in some key spots,” Gilmer continued. “I've been running very well here at Lake Tahoe, and you can't teach that… I think I am trusting myself more now. I'll follow my own convictions, to make a play even to get off a hand when I think I'm beat. You have to have that to win, and I'm getting to the point where I am trusting myself. If I think it's the right play, I'll go with it.”
Gilmer joined a short list of players to win two rings at a single stop, and still has the opportunity to do what no one has ever done — win three in one stop.
Here's a look at the WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe events completed thus far:
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #1: No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 266 | $79,800 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Miner | Carlson City, NV | $19,547 |
| 2 | Jarod Ludemann | Wells, MN | $12,080 |
| 3 | Gerald Cohen | Orinda, CA | $8,728 |
| 4 | Mark Bonsack | Cle Elum, WA | $6,423 |
| 5 | Robert Kosten | Sebastopol, CA | $4,812 |
| 6 | Jamie McCarrel | Lafayette, CA | $3,667 |
| 7 | Robert Pinney | Live Oak, CA | $2,841 |
| 8 | Kia Zolfaghari | San Francisco, CA | $2,237 |
| 9 | William Ellis II | Blue Springs, MO | $1,789 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #2: No-Limit Hold’em Turbo
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 220 | $66,000 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Gilmer | Ashland, OH | $16,426 |
| 2 | Fred Womack | Stockton, CA | $10,152 |
| 3 | Man Pham | Elk Grove, CA | $7,389 |
| 4 | Casey McCarrel | Walnut Creek, CA | $5,464 |
| 5 | Donna Delfin | Folsom, CA | $4,104 |
| 6 | Stan Quinn | Danville, CA | $3,131 |
| 7 | Michael Rabith | Danville, CA | $2,424 |
| 8 | Vlad Iuhas | Exton, PA | $1,905 |
| 9 | John Alfera | PA | $1,520 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #3: H.O.R.S.E.
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 104 | $31,200 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Diiorio | Placerville, CA | $9,360 |
| 2 | Justin Haller | Turlock, CA | $5,785 |
| 3 | Robert Theobald | Reno, NV | $4,119 |
| 4 | Fernando Ortiz | San Diego, CA | $2,992 |
| 5 | Nathan Fitzgerald | Fairfield, CA | $2,216 |
| 6 | Gabriel Baumgartner | Leipzig, Germany | $1,673 |
| 7 | Wendy Freedman | San Francisco, CA | $1,287 |
| 8 | Travis Wolfe | Alton, IL | $1,008 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #4: No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 651 | $195,300 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gregory Guth | Yuba City, CA | $40,029 |
| 2 | Yossi Azulay | Chicago, IL | $24,774 |
| 3 | Drew Caseri | Merced, CA | $18,171 |
| 4 | Robert Mather | North Highlands, CA | $13,513 |
| 5 | Jeff Fielder | Franklin, TN | $10,185 |
| 6 | Richard Gonzalez | Fremont, CA | $7,779 |
| 7 | La Sengphet | Carrollton, TX | $6,019 |
| 8 | Loni Harwood | Staten Island, NY | $4,718 |
| 9 | Richard Lehman | Billings, MT | $3,746 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #5: No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 241 | $72,300 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carter Myers | Breckenridge, MI | $17,711 |
| 2 | William Chao | Folsom, CA | $10,945 |
| 3 | Stephen Knapp | Rancho Cordova, CA | $7,907 |
| 4 | Todd Davis | Jacksonville, FL | $5,819 |
| 5 | James Casement | Saint Charles, IL | $4,360 |
| 6 | Erle Mankin | Sacramento, CA | $3,322 |
| 7 | Shawn Van Asdale | Reno, NV | $2,574 |
| 8 | Dustin Fox | Zephyr Cove, NV | $2,027 |
| 9 | Nathan Fitzgerald | Fairfield, CA | $1,621 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #6: No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 219 | $65,700 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Gilmer | Ashland, OH | $15,675 |
| 2 | Clint Baskin | Stockton, CA | $9,685 |
| 3 | Mike Ruter | Murrieta, CA | $6,993 |
| 4 | Neil Scott | Mammoth Lakes, CA | $5,136 |
| 5 | Nicolas Vaca-Rondon | Colombia | $3,837 |
| 6 | Reggi Trotter | Arlington, TX | $2,916 |
| 7 | Daniel Aran | San Jose, CA | $2,252 |
| 8 | Robert Henderson | San Lorenzo, CA | $1,769 |
| 9 | Armando Bechthold | Vallejo, CA | $1,411 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #7: No-Limit Hold’em Six Handed
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 219 | $65,700 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Calenzo | New Hartford, NY | $17,741 |
| 2 | Donna Delfin | Folsom, CA | $10,960 |
| 3 | Daniel Brackett | San Ramon, CA | $7,678 |
| 4 | Ting Ho | Irvine, CA | $5,416 |
| 5 | Natasha Barbour | Tampa, FL | $3,850 |
| 6 | Ken Kootstra | Elk Grove, CA | $2,759 |
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #8: No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 246 | $73,800 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor Skeels | San Carlos, CA | $18,083 |
| 2 | Stephen Kats | Omaha, NE | $11,172 |
| 3 | Josh Pender | Rockhill, SC | $8,072 |
| 4 | Phuoc Khong | Oakland, CA | $5,940 |
| 5 | Rex Clinkscales | Las Vegas, NV | $4,450 |
| 6 | Erle Mankin | Sacramento, CA | $3,391 |
| 7 | Michael Conti | Park Ridge, IL | $2,627 |
| 8 | Richard Fitzgerald | Big Lake, MN | $2,069 |
| 9 | David Diiorio | Placerville, CA | $1,655 |
With several events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Champion is undetermined. Whoever captures that title, along with the eventual winner of the Main Event, will automatically qualify for the Second Annual $1 Million National Championship. Here's a look at the players who have qualified:
National Championship Qualifiers
| Player | Qualified |
|---|---|
| John Crncic | River Rock (Vancouver) Main Event Winner |
| Josh Williams | Horseshoe Horseshoe Hammond Main Event Winner |
| Mike Leah | Horseshoe Hammond Casino Champion |
| Dan Heimiller | Horseshoe Southern Indiana Main Event Winner |
| Jonathan Taylor | Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino Champion |
| Quan Nguyen | Bossier City Casino Champion |
| Jeff Gibralter | Bossier City Main Event Champion |
| Kyle Cartwright | IP Biloxi Main Event Winner |
| Cory Wood | IP Biloxi Casino Champion |
*Adina Mazzucco currently leads River Rock (Vancouver) Casino Champion, but there are still two undetermined online events to be held on Canadian site PlayNow.com that will count toward point standings.
In addition to the qualifiers, players who earn enough points on the National Leaderboard will be able to buy-in to the National Championship:
WSOPC National Leaderboard Top Ten*
| Player | Points | Rings | Cashed | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles “Woody” Moore | 150 | 0 | 7 | $46,997 |
| Caufman Talley | 142.5 | 2 | 5 | $82,963 |
| Yossi Azulay | 127.5 | 0 | 9 | $66,276 |
| Ashly Butler | 112.5 | 1 | 4 | $25,415 |
| Rex Clinkscales | 110 | 0 | 4 | $28,874 |
| Ari Engel | 105 | 1 | 4 | $68,762 |
| Aaron Massey | 105 | 1 | 4 | $24,300 |
| Blake Barousse | 102.5 | 2 | 3 | $59,916 |
| John Dolan | 100 | 1 | 4 | $63,916 |
| Austin Buchanan | 92.5 | 0 | 5 | $40,964 |
*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe stop.
Here's a look at the remaining schedule for the 2012-13 WSOP Circuit:
| Date | Event Location |
|---|---|
| Nov. 29 - Dec. 10, 2012 | Harrah’s Atlantic City |
| Dec. 6-17, 2012 | Harrah’s Rincon |
| Jan. 3-14, 2013 | The Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles) |
| Jan. 10-21, 2013 | Choctaw Durant (Dallas/Oklahoma) |
| Jan. 24 - Feb. 4, 2013 | Harrah’s Tunica (Mississippi) |
| Feb. 7-18, 2013 | Caesars Palace (Las Vegas) |
| Feb. 14-25, 2013 | Palm Beach Kennel Club (Florida) |
| Feb. 28 - March 11, 2013 | Caesars Atlantic City |
| March 14-25, 2013 | Horseshoe Cleveland |
| March 27 - April 8, 2013 | Foxwoods (Connecticut) |
| April 4-15, 2012 | Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina) |
| April 11-April 22, 2013 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs (Iowa) |
| April 25 - May 6, 2013 | Harrah’s Philadelphia |
| May 9 - May 20, 2013 | Harrah’s New Orleans |
| May 21-23, 2013 | Harrah’s New Orleans (National Championship) |
For more information on the 2012-13 WSOP Circuit season, visit WSOP.com. Also, be sure to follow our live updates from the WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe in our Live Reporting Section.
*Photos courtesy of WSOP.com.
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