Joseph McKeehen, winner of Event #1 $365 NLHE. Photo courtesy of WSOP.
The Harrah's New Orleans stop kicked off in a big way when Joseph Mckeehen, who you may recall as the Caesars Atlantic City Main Event Champ, won his second ring in Event #1 $365 No-Limit Hold'em.
McKeehen proceeded to add a second and tenth place finish to his Harrah's New Orleans résumé, which has earned him the title of Casino Champ. Only one other player who has accomplished the feat is Jonathan Taylor, who was The Lodge Main Event Champion & Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino Champion.
Since both men won two seats into the National Championship but only need one, the two extra seats have been applied to the National Championship Leader Board, meaning instead of 60 at-large seats there are 62 up for grabs. Certainly good news for those players lingering around the bubble.
Daniel Weinman limped the button and then called when Kasra Khodayarkhani raised to 350,000. The flop saw Khodayarkhani check-call a bet of 320,000 before both players checked the turn and river.
Khodayarkhani rolled over the while Weinman simply mucked.
Daniel Weinman raised to 200,000 on the button, Kasra Khodayarkhani defended his big blind, and then check-called 180,000 from Weinman on a flop of . The turn was the , both players checked, and the completed the board.
Khodayarkhani checked a third time, Weinman slid out 525,000, and Khodayarkhani tank-folded.
Kasra Khodayarkhani raised to 200,000 from under the gun, Daniel Weinman three-bet to what looked like 500,000 in the big blind, and Khodayarkhani moved all in for 2.39 million. Weinman instantly called.
Khodayarkhani:
Weinman:
Nearly five million chips were in the middle, and if Weinman were to win the flip, he would have more than two-thirds of the chips in play.
"All-diamond flop," he requested.
He was close, because the flop had two diamonds. Weinman called for no cards on the turn, but perhaps he should have because the hit the felt, giving Khodayarkhani a leading pair of queens.
Just for kicks and giggles, Khodayarkhani improved to two pair when the completed the board, and he doubled to 4.85 million chips. Weinman fell to 4.71 million.
In the last hand of Level 32, Daniel Weinman opened for 160,000 under the gun and received a call from Rogen Chhabra on the button. Joseph Hebert then three-bet to 440,000 from the small blind, both his opponents called and three players watched the flop come down .
Two checks put action on Chhabra and he promptly shoved all in for 1.825 million. Hebert folded while Weinman made the call.
Chhabra:
Weinman:
Chhabra was behind and looking for a diamond, but wouldn't find one as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river. Chhabra took home $58,487 for his fifth-place finish while Weinman chipped up to 7 million.
Action folded to Kasra Khodayarkhani in the small blind and he simply moved all in to put the pressure on a short-stacked Rogen Chhabra in the big. Chhabra squeezed out his cards and the called off for 1.145 million.
Chhabra:
Khodayarkhani:
Chhabra got it in good and would hold as the board ran out .
Luke Graham opened to 195,000 on the button Daniel Weinman three-bet to 425,000 from the small blind, and Graham quickly called, leaving just one million behind.
The flop fell , Weinman checked, and Graham instantly moved all in. Weinman screwed up his face, then flicked his cards into the muck.
Kasra Khodayarkhani appeared to have the biggest rail here at the final table as circuit regulars such as Jeff Fielder, Cord Garcia, Ben Reason and Alex Masek are sweating their friend. Well, they just got something to cheer about.
It began with Luke Graham opening for 175,000 from the cutoff. When action reached Khodayarkhani in the small blind, he promptly moved all in for 1.48 million. The big blind folded and Graham snap-called.
Graham:
Khodayarkhani:
Khodayarkhani was dominated and in need of some help, and he found a little on the flop as an eight would make him a straight. Much to his dismay, and that of his supporters, the turned to take away those out as an eight would now give Graham a bigger straight. That meant Khodayarkhani needed one of the two remaining fives in the deck to stay alive.
"He runs so bad late in tournaments," Fielder had said of his friend not 15 minutes before. That may have been the case in the past, but not in this particular hand as the dealer burned and put out the on the river!
Khodayarkhani hit his two outer and his rail went wild. A big smile crept upon his face and he sat in his chair seemingly in disbelief at his good fortune.
Rogen Chhabra opened to 180,000 from under the gun, and Daniel Weinman moved all in for two million even in the small blind. Kasra Khodayarkhani surrendered his big blind, and Chhabra promptly stood up.
"You look like you're in a calling stance," Weinman told him.
"Yeah," Chhabra answered. "I call."
Weinman turned over then sunk down into his seat. Chhabra tabled , and we were off to the races.
The flop fell , giving Weinman a leading pair of queens, and he gave a two-handed fist pump will still slouched in his seat.
"Good hand," Chhabra told him, cutting out stacks of blue T25,000 chips.
Chhabra could still send Weinman packing with a ten on the turn or river, but the and the were both bricks. Weinman doubled to around 4.2 million chips, while Chhabra plummeted down to 1.685 million.
flop saw Khodayarkhani check-call a bet of 320,000 before both players checked the 
turn and 
river.
while Weinman simply mucked.
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. The turn was the 
, both players checked, and the 
completed the board.
flop had two diamonds. Weinman called for no cards on the turn, but perhaps he should have because the 
hit the felt, giving Khodayarkhani a leading pair of queens.
completed the board, and he doubled to 4.85 million chips. Weinman fell to 4.71 million.
.
, Weinman checked, and Graham instantly moved all in. Weinman screwed up his face, then flicked his cards into the muck.
flop as an eight would make him a straight. Much to his dismay, and that of his supporters, the 
on the river!
, and we were off to the races.