Robert Georato Wins WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Main Event for $153,505 & 3rd Ring
While the 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event was playing down from six to three in Las Vegas, the 2015/2016 WSOP Circuit was wrapping up its latest stop in Lake Tahoe. The WSOP Circuit Harvey's Lake Tahoe $1,675 Main Event attracted 476 entries, which created a prize pool of $714,000. After three days of intense play, Robert Georato emerged victorious to capture the $153,505, his third gold ring, and a seat into the 2016 Global Casino Championship.
Impressively, Georato, whose win came just days after finishing runner-up to David Miller in Event #9 $365 Pot-Limit Omaha, won his first run back in 2010 in the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Council Bluffs Event #23: $345 No-Limit Hold'em, and then captured his second three years later in the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Event #1: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Reentry for $110,471.
The latest score, which was the largest of his career, brings Georato's lifetime earnings up over $800,000.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Georato | Naples, FL | $153,505 |
| 2 | Patrick Rhamey | Stateline, NV | $94,912 |
| 3 | Jacob Dahl | Portland, OR | $69,337 |
| 4 | Phong Nguyen | Los Angeles, CA | $51,401 |
| 5 | Joseph Brown | Bolivar, MO | $38,656 |
| 6 | Steve Brecher | Reno, NV | $29,488 |
| 7 | Sean Drake | Sacramento, CA | $22,812 |
| 8 | George Saca | Sacramento, CA | $17,900 |
| 9 | Janet Fitzgerald | West Palm Beach, FL | $14,244 |
According to updates from the event, Georato began the final table as the chip leader, and he got off to a hot start by scoring the first elimination, the result of a short-stacked Janet Fitzgerald shoving from the hijack with the J♠10♣ and failing to get there against Georato, who called with the 2♠2♥ from the big blind.
After the George Saca and 2011 WSOP Casino Employees champ Sean Drake fell in eighth and seventh place respectively, poker veteran Steve Brecher followed them out the door in sixth. It happened when Patrick Rhamey opened for 125,000 under the gun and then called when Brecher shoved from the hijack.
Brecher: 10♠10♥
Rhamey: K♠K♥
Brecher needed a ten, but it wasn't in the cards as the board ran out Q♥J♦7♦3♥8♦. Interestingly, the $29,488 Brecher earned for his sixth-place finish pushed him over $3 million in lifetime earnings.
Georato then sent Joey Brown home in fifth place, before Jacob Dahl eliminated Phong "Turbo" Nguyen in fourth. Not long after, Georato delivered a bad beat when his A♦J♦ flushed away Dahl's A♣K♥ after the board ran out A♥8♦4♦10♦7♥.
Heads-up play was a short affair and in the final hand of the tournament, Georato flopped bottom set with pocket sevens to best the Rhamey's top pair of tens.
Here's a look at all those who won rings at the latest stop:
| Event | # of Entrants | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 $365 NLHE | 145 | Tom Masinter | $12,181 |
| #2 $365 NLHE Reentry | 665 | Shawn Van Asdale | $40,898 |
| #3 $365 NLHE Turbo | 111 | Bill Davis | $9,989 |
| #4 $365 NLHE | 164 | Steve Foutty | $13,284 |
| #5 $365 NLHE 6-Max | 178 | Scott Stewart | $14,953 |
| #6 $365 NLHE | 191 | Pete Uhl | $14,899 |
| #7 $365 NLHE Monster | 346 | Daniel Evans | $23,874 |
| #8 $580 NLHE | 226 | Woody Moore | $28,252 |
| #9 $365 PLO | 92 | David Miller | $8,277 |
| #10 $1,675 Main Event | 476 | Robert Georato | $153,505 |
| #11 $365 NLHE Turbo | 126 | David Diiorio | $10,583 |
| #12 $365 NLHE | 122 | Ting Ho | $10,249 |
It's also worth noting Steve Foutty accumulated the most overall points during the Harveys Lake Tahoe stop to earn the title Casino Champion, which gives him an automatic entry into the 2016 WSOP Global Casino Championship. It marked the second consecutive year Foutty has won this title at Harveys Lake Tahoe.
The 2015/2016 WSOP Circuit will now head to Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas from November 12-23.
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