Global Championship Qualifier Tyler Phillips Wins Gold in Cherokee
The 2019 Global Casino Championship has taken center stage, but prior to its start a series of gold ring events had played out at the Harrah's Cherokee stop. On tournament was Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em, which drew 2,766 entries and generated a $912,780 prize pool.
In the end, 27-year-old Tyler Phillips claimed the title for $123,216 and his first gold ring. If that name sounds familiar it's because Phillips is in action here in the Global Casino Championship. He qualified after becoming the WSOP Circuit Harrah's Cherokee Casino Champ back in April, which is when he notched a half dozen cashes including $22,629 for finishing runner-up in Event #5: $400 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed.
According to the WSOP report, Phillips entered the final table in the middle of the pack but made it all the way to heads-up play, albeit at a 2:1 chip disadvantage. That didn’t discourage him as he hung tough and eventually finished as the last player standing.
“It feels amazing,” said Phillips. “Every time I come to Cherokee, I feel like I have a chance. Something has just happened recently. Last year, in the 6-max when I got heads up, I had a two-to-one chip advantage and still lost. To come here and have a two-to-one deficit and be able to take it down it feels like everything just went right.”
He added: “I am just going to play as many tournaments as I can this series.”
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee Event #2 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Phillips | Charlotte, North Carolina | $123,216 |
| 2 | Dragan Lunic | Duluth, Georgia | $78,464 |
| 3 | Todd Mercer | N/A | $59,063 |
| 4 | Steven Merritt | Conyers, Georgia | $44,862 |
| 5 | Scott Moersdorf | Knoxville, Tennessee | $34,387 |
| 6 | David Jackson | Jacksonville, Florida | $26,601 |
| 7 | Curtis King | Charleston, West Virginia | $20,769 |
| 8 | Michael Whitton | Rockmart, Georgia | $16,368 |
| 9 | Jamison Alford | Charleston, South Carolina | $13,022 |