Chris Karambinis Scores $168,039 in Chicago Poker Classic
The opening event of the Sixth Annual Chicago Poker Classic (CPC) was a $350 no-limit hold'em tournament that featured eight starting flights. All told, the event attracted 3,092 entries and created a prize pool of $1 million. In the end, it was hometown hero Chris Karambinis who walked away with the $168,039 first-place prize.
The tournament also offered a $5,000 bonus to those who reached Day 2 each time they advanced after this first. Those who moved on from multiple flights assumed their largest stack on Day 2 and the player who forfeited the most chips via double qualifying was awarded a $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event seat as well as $2,000 cash. The $5,000 bonus was paid out a total of 11 times with Mid-States Poker Tour Pro Matthew Kirby forfeiting the most chips to earn the WSOP seat and cash.
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Karambinis | Park Ridge, IL | $168,039 |
| 2 | Oleg Badmayev | Hoffman Estates, IL | $103,104 |
| 3 | Igor Hot | Brookfield, WI | $66,895 |
| 4 | Jared Palmer | Pebbles, OH | $46,208 |
| 5 | Shawn Rice | Lubbock, TX | $32,806 |
| 6 | Javier Figueroa | Chicago, IL | $24,114 |
| 7 | Ryne Johnson | Menasha, WI | $17,723 |
| 8 | Aaron Garrison | Newburgh, IN | $14,512 |
| 9 | Nick Jivkov | Des Plaines, IL | $11,882 |
| 10 | Andrzej Rogowski | Chicago, IL | $9,728 |
Notable finishes: Ralph Massey (19th - $4,442), Zal Irani (25th - $4,442), Matt Kirby (29th - $3,461), Aaron Massey (47th - $2,287), Bob Whalen (66th - $1,745), Austin Buchanan (89th - $1,376)
The more than 3,000-entry field actually amassed a prize pool of $927,600, but in order to meet the $1 million guarantee, Hammond staff added an additional $50,400 in prizes on top of the $22,000 in double-qualifier promotional dollars. This made for more than $72,000 in added value.
Day 2 began Saturday at 2 p.m. with 112 players remaining and Jacob Baumgartner leading the way. Baumgartner rode his chip lead deep into the tournament, finishing 13th, but it was Karambinis, who began Day 2 second in chips, that ended up being the last man standing. Karambinis’ poker résumé now boasts three victories including two WSOP Circuit wins.
The $1,500 Main Event, which begins on Friday, May 9, will also offer a $1,000,000 guarantee prize pool. The championship features two starting flights beginning at 12 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The winner of that tournament will also receive a $10,000 WSOP Main Event seat. Last year’s Main Event champion, Blake Bohn, earned over $288,000 for his performance.
Here's a look at the remaining 2014 Chicago Poker Classic schedule:
| Event | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Event 5: $600 NLH | Tuesday, May 6 | 12 p.m. |
| Event 6: $500 HORSE | Wednesday, May 7 | 12 p.m. |
| Event 7: $350 NLH | Thursday, May 8 | 12 p.m. |
| Event 8: $1,500 Main Event | Friday/Saturday May 9-10 | 12 p.m. |
| Event 9: $250 NLH Reentry | Saturday/Sunday, May 10-11 | 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. |
| Event 10: $350 NLH Turbo | Monday, May 12 | 12 p.m. |
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