National Championships Final Table Set; Poche in Control
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Day Two of the inaugural WSOP-Circuit National Championship has come to a close with ten players assured a piece of the $1,000,000 prizepool.
After the 100-player field was whittled down to just 35 yesterday, play today was expected to be intense – and boy it did not disappoint – as players fought hard for a spot on a final table amongst fellow gold-ring holders and WSOP-Circuit regulars.
Leading the field as play kicked off just after midday was two-time gold-ring holder La Sengphet, and as play was reduced to just three tables, she still held a spot amongst the leaders as majority day one chip leader Jonathan Poche sat atop after a strong showing during the first hour.
Unfortunately for two of the most successful players in WSOP-Circuit history, Kyle Cartwright and Dwyte Pilgrim were unable to add to their impressive trophy case that includes three gold-rings as they were both bundled out in 27th and 25th place respectively before Bernard Lee (19th) joined them on the rail.
With only a handful of eliminations between a close call and a potential six-figure payday, the aggressive and entertaining play that we had become accustomed too seized up as players looked for solid spots to get their chips into the pot. Following a few doubles and triples, players slowly began falling as Chris Klodnicki, Traci Brown, Allen Kessler, Stanley Quinn and eventual bubble boy Doug “Rico” Carli fell just shy of the money. With the televised final table being only nine-handed, play would continue until Huy Nguyen fell in 10th for a $27,500 payday as the final table of nine was formed.
Final Table Line-Up
| Seat | Player | Chip Count | BBs | Chip % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Moore | 65,500 | 13 | 3.3% |
| 2 | Adam Hui | 239,000 | 48 | 11.9% |
| 3 | Drazen Ilich | 118,000 | 24 | 5.9% |
| 4 | Jonathan Poche | 534,000 | 107 | 26.7% |
| 5 | Josh Evans | 222,500 | 45 | 11.1% |
| 6 | La Sengphet | 245,000 | 49 | 12.3% |
| 7 | Sam Barnhart | 166,000 | 33 | 8.3% |
| 8 | James Anderson | 235,000 | 47 | 11.8% |
| 9 | Matthew Lawrence | 140,000 | 28 | 7% |
Following the elimination of Nguyen, it is WSOP-Circuit New Orleans Main Event Champion Jonathan Poche holding a commanding chip lead over the final table with more then a quarter of the chips in play after amassing a 534,000-chip stack. La Sengphet still holds her place up high on the leaderboard as the remainder of the final table - that includes many a gold-ring holder and WSOP-Circuit veteran - will all have their eyes on the $300,000 first prize.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will again be on the floor of the Ceasars Palace Poker Room providing continuous live updates of all the final table action as we look to crown the WSOP-Circuit National Championships winner. So make sure to stay tuned right here from 12:00 pm PST for every sweat-tastic turn card, heart-beating river and lucky outdraw as the first gold bracelet of the 2011 summer is awarded!