Jason Sandling Wins World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah's Cherokee for $204,487
The fifth-to-last stop on the 2013/2014 World Series of Poker Circuit schedule wrapped up its $1,675 Main Event on Monday at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina.
The tournament attracted 665 entries to create a prize pool of $997,500. After three days of play, Jason Sandling walked away with the $204,487 first-place prize and a seat into the 2014 National Championship.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jason Sandling | Clayton, NC | $204,487 |
| 2nd | William O’Neal | Evans, GA | $126,533 |
| 3rd | Erik Gorman | Matthews, NC | $92,807 |
| 4th | Zack Caldwell | Kernersville, NC | $69,017 |
| 5th | Harold Evans | Evansville, IN | $52,020 |
| 6th | Tripp Kirk | Atlanta, GA | $39,730 |
| 7th | Ralph Massey | Chicago, IL | $30,743 |
| 8th | Robert Park | Lilburn, GA | $24,100 |
| 9th | Travis Turner | Watauga, TN | $19,132 |
Notable finishes: Robert “Uncle Krunk” Panitch (62nd - $3,042), Bill Varga (38th - $3,691), Phillip Hui (35th - $4,130), Nancy Birnbaum (34th - $4,130), Ben Mintz (33rd - $4,668), Daniel Lowery (16th - $10,314)
According to the WSOP Live Blog, the final day saw 11 players return to action in Level 26 (15,000/30,000/5,000). Over the next couple of hours, Jason Stover (11th - $15,381) and Kyrikos Katsamperis (10th - $15,381), who began the day third in chips, both hit the rail to establish the final table of nine.
In Level 27 (20,000/40,000/5,000), Travis Turner moved all in for 605,000 from the cutoff and received a call from Zack Caldwell in the big blind.
Turner: 4♦4♠
Caldwell: A♠K♠
It was a race, and Turner was looking good through the J♥9♣7♥ flop. Unfortunately for him, the A♣ spiked on the turn to give Caldwell a hammerlock on the hand. The K♥ river was of no consequence, and Turner was sent to the rail in ninth place for $19,132. Robert Park, who earned $24,100 for his eighth-place finish, followed him out the door a short time later.
In Level 28 (25,000/50,000/5,000), Ralph Massey was crippled after his A♥Q♦ failed to overcome the A♠K♣ of William O’Neal. Massey then got his last 20,000 all in preflop, Sandling limped from the small blind, and Caldwell checked his option from the big. Both active players then checked it down as the board ran out A♦5♦4♣10♦Q♠. Massey showed the 6♥3♣ for not much of anything, and then Caldwell rolled over the 4♠2♣ to take down the pot. Massey was felled in seventh place for $30,743.
Less than 15 minute later, Sandling opened for 105,000 under the gun and Tripp Kirk, who had begun the day as chip leader, moved all in for roughly 900,000. Sandling snap-called holding the K♦K♣, which had Kirk’s K♠Q♥ crushed. The board ran out a dry 8♦4♣3♦10♣A♥, and Kirk had to settle for sixth place and $39,730.
From there the eliminations continued to mount and included Harold Evans (5th - $52,020), Caldwell (4th - $69,017), and Erik Gorman (3rd - $92,807), which left Sandling, who held a nearly 3-1 chip lead, to battle O’Neal in heads-up play.
In what would be the final hand of the tournament, O’Neal moved all in for 1.6 million and Sandling made the call.
O’Neal: Q♥8♥
Sandling: A♠4♥
O’Neal was in need of some help, but he found none as the board ran out 10♠7♠3♦10x7x. O’Neal had to settle for runner-up and a $126,533 consolation prize.
Congratulations to Jason Sandling, winner of the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee Main Event for $204487, a gold ring, and a seat into the 2014 National Championship.
The 2013/2014 WSOP Circuit continues at Horseshoe Council Bluffs from now until April 21. You will be able to find a recap from that Main Event upon its completion right here on PokerNews.com
*Photos and data courtesy of the WSOP.
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