Bayou Poker Challenge Main Event | 2008 WSOP Circuit Event - Harrah's New Orleans

05-21-2008 13:08 UTC-5

Player Bios: Lou Esposito (Seat 3)

[user66118]

Perhaps the handicapping favorite in this event is 32-year-old Lou "The Big Easy" Esposito. Esposito is a native of Howard Beach, NY, but appears to be at very much home here in New Orleans. In each of the last three WSOP Circuit Events here, Esposito has made it to the final table, cutting through fields of 346, 160, and now 249 players respectively. He took the title in the first of those, making him the defending Harrah's New Orleans Circuit Champion.

Esposito has only been playing poker since 2006, but has already racked up more than $1,000,000 in career earnings. Apart from his title here last year, he also won the 2007 Borgata Winter Open $1,000 event, and then came close to repeating that feat with a 4th place finish in the same event this year.

The Big Easy will start the day in 8th place with 116,000 chips.

Tags: Lou Esposito

05-21-2008 13:07 UTC-5

Player Bios: Chuck Kelley (Seat 2)

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donpeters

Chuck Kelley hails from Staunton, Virginia. A former stockbroker, Kelley has had various sizable cashes in World Poker Tour events over the past few years. The most significant of these came when he placed 2nd at Borgata's 2007 Winter Poker Open, taking just under $850,000. The Clemson Tiger alum plays golf and basketball in his free time. When he's not traveling and playing poker, Kelley works as a real estate manager.

Starting chips: 142,000

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05-21-2008 13:06 UTC-5

Player Bios: Floyd Vanderford (Seat 1)

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[user42991]

Floyd Vanderford is living the dream, as this is his first ever tournament. He won a $65 super satellite entry into this event. Vanderford is a local product who normally works as a general contractor. He has a long road to hoe as he begins the day as the short stack with 65,000 in chips.

Tags: Floyd Vanderford

05-21-2008 13:05 UTC-5

Almost Set for Day Three

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[user66118]

We are here in the tournament theatre at Harrah's, as the staff prepares the room for the conclusion of the Bayou Poker Challenge. The room has been reconfigured, and all poker tables have been removed. All of them, that is, apart from the final table, which is positioned on stage, backdropped by the recognizable WSOP starscape.

When we begin play in just under an hour, we will have nine players battling for the championship ring and their spot in the record books. Here are the chip counts for the field:

Seat 1: Floyd Vanderford - 65,000
Seat 2: Chuck Kelley - 142,000
Seat 3: Lou Esposito - 116,000
Seat 4: Timothy "TK" Miles - 687,000
Seat 5: Jeff Tims - 345,000
Seat 6: Ed Jatho - 406,000
Seat 7: Marc Fratter - 321,000
Seat 8: Gabe Costner - 166,000
Seat 9: Nick Ceci - 256,000

Following are brief biographies of all nine players. We'll see you back here at 2:00pm CDT when the action starts!