2019 World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi

$1,700 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info

2019 World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi

Final Results
Winner
Boris Kasabov
Winning Hand
k8
Prize
$98,044
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,700
Prize Pool
$425,715
Entries
281
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000

$1,700 Main Event

Day 3 Completed

Boris Kasabov Wins WSOP Circuit IP Biloxi Main Event ($98,044)

Level 30 : 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Boris Kasabov
Boris Kasabov

The World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi $1,700 Main Event reached its conclusion Monday night after just three hours of play. It was Boris Kasabov who emerged as the winner over the 281-entry field for $98,044, his first circuit ring, and a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship.

“It feels surreal. It is very important because I knew I wasn’t going to stop playing until it happened," Kasabov said after the win. "Just like everyone says, it is a big accomplishment.”

Before this victory Kasabov had a plethora of close calls in his career, with multiple third and second-place finishes including one earlier at the Biloxi stop.

“I got second earlier in the series. Got rivered heads up, kings against ace-jack,” he explained. He went on to describe the feeling of finally breaking through: “I’m glad it happened now, most of my friends thought it would happen eventually, but it’s definitely a relief and it’s a main too, my first one being a main, it’s surreal”.

Final Table Results

PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Boris KasabovHouston, TX$98,044
2Ben ThomasBaton Rouge, LA$60,601
3Hamid IzadiMarietta, GA$42,973
4Jeremy EyerGulport, MS$31,019
5Brett ApterSt.Petersburg, FL$22,799
6Bradley MyersEssex Jct, VT$17,069
7Benny ChamplinJonesville, LA$13,020
8Wayne BoydPort Lavaca, TX$10,124
9Philip WalshGulfport, MS$8,027

A native of Houston, Texas since the age of eight when he moved to the United States from his birth country of Bulgaria, Kasabov entered the day as the shortest stack and the only one of the five remaining players to not have a circuit ring.

When discussing his mindset coming into the day he said, “I use a lot of my perception and others’ perception of me so even with a short stack I know the big stacks don’t want to just give their chips away. So, when I make a move they will respect that. I knew just a couple pots and I would be back to average so I never felt down.”

He also gave credit to the run of cards he received heads up and three-handed and credited second-place finisher Ben Thomas.

Action of the Day

The day began with just five players remaining, all fairly close in chips. The first level of play was a wild one with multiple double-ups. Eventually, after an hour of play, Brett Apter met his demise in fifth place as he went from big stack to short stack then to out in the course of just one level. In his final hand, he got his short stack all in with ace-eight only to see Thomas roll over aces.

Immediately following Apter’s elimination, the start-of-day chip leader and Gulfport local, Jeremy Eyer was eliminated in fourth place by Thomas after flopping top pair of eights only to see he was up against pocket jacks.

Three-handed play was a topsy-turvy affair as Thomas held the chip lead. He was hurt multiple times by Hamid Izadi in all-in pots when Thomas could not quite manage to ever finish off Izadi. Thomas also dropped chips to Kasabov in a few spots to allow for his rise to the eventual title. After over two hours, three-handed play was ended when Izadi went out in third place after losing a flip with ace-jack to Kasabov's pocket tens.

Heads-up play began with a big chip advantage for Kasabov and only continued to grow as he won almost all of the hands to whittle Thomas down to just a handful of big blinds before he was forced to get it in and was finished off after less than 10 hands of heads up to give Kasabov the ring.

All the events at the WSOP Circuit IP Biloxi combined attracted 2,538 entrants creating a total prize pool of $1,178,239. BJ McBrayer won the Casino Champion title with 120 points including six cashes and four final tables. That means he too has earned a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship.

Here's a look at all those who captured rings at the WSOP Circuit IP Biloxi stop:

TournamentEntriesPrize PoolWinnerPrize
Event #1: $400 NLH Double Stack148$48,840Jonathan Honeycutt$12,946
Event #2: $400 NLH665$219,449Yousef "Joe" Saleh$34,004
Event #3: $250 NLH147$29,400Charles Brady$7,791
Event #4: $400 NLH One-Day90$29,700Russell Boyette$8,815
Event #5: $400 NLH 6-Handed107$35,310Robert Cheung$9,921
Event #6: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha79$26,070William Pollard$8,068
Event #7: $400 NLH 8-Handed153$50,490Trace Henderson$13,382
Event #8: $400 Monster Stack332$109,560Shawn Quillin$24,264
Event #9: $600 NLH145$74,675Corey Harrison$20,027
Event #10: $1,700 Main Event281$425,715Boris Kasabov$98,044
Event #11: $400 NLH One-Day125$41,250Jason Tang$11,241
Event #12: $400 NLH One-Day88$29,040Gavin Munroe$8,615
Event #13: $400 NLH Double Stack178$58,740Melisa Singh$14,902

That wraps it up for the PokerNews coverage of the IP Biloxi circuit stop. Our coverage of the WSOP Circuit continues later this week from the Harrah's Las Vegas stop.

Tags: Ben ThomasBoris KasabovBrett ApterHamid IzadiJeremy Eyer

Ben Thomas Eliminated in 2nd Place ($60,601)

Level 30 : 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Ben Thomas
Ben Thomas

Ben Thomas's stack was quickly faded down to just four big blinds. Boris Kasabov jammed from the button and Thomas called off.

Ben Thomas: {5-Spades}{4-Hearts}
Boris Kasabov: {k-Clubs}{8-Diamonds}

The flop came down {3-Spades}{10-Diamonds}{8-Spades} to pair the eight and make things dire for Thomas, though the turn was the {5-Hearts} to offer some hope. The dealer burned one last time and put out the {9-Hearts} on the river to end Thomas's tournament as runner-up.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Boris Kasabov us
Boris Kasabov
8,430,000
2,115,000
2,115,000
Profile photo of Ben Thomas us
Ben Thomas
Busted

Tags: Ben ThomasBoris Kasabov

Level: 30

Blinds: 50,000/100,000

Ante: 100,000

Hamid Izadi Eliminated in 3rd Place ($42,973)

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Hamis Izadi
Hamis Izadi

Boris Kasabov raised to 190,000 preflop. Hamid Izadi asked how much before shoving all in for about 1,500,000. Kasabov snap-called.

Hamid Izadi: {a-Hearts}{j-Diamonds}
Boris Kasabov: {10-Clubs}{10-Spades}

The board ran out {a-Spades}{9-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{k-Diamonds} and Izadi was eliminated in third place for $42,973.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Boris Kasabov us
Boris Kasabov
6,315,000
1,615,000
1,615,000
Profile photo of Hamid Izadi us
Hamid Izadi
Busted
Day 1 Chip Leader

Tags: Boris KasabovHamid Izadi

Thomas Gets Revenge on Izadi

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Ben Thomas was all in preflop with the {a-Hearts}{5-Clubs} which was behind the {a-Clubs}{q-Spades} of Hamid Izadi.

The flop came {q-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{6-Diamonds} and the turn was the {4-Clubs} to give Thomas a straight draw. It came in on the river when the {3-Diamonds} peeled off.

Thomas, who had stood up ready to leave, sat back down relieved that he had pulled one back from Izadi.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ben Thomas us
Ben Thomas
1,900,000
150,000
150,000
Profile photo of Hamid Izadi us
Hamid Izadi
1,850,000
-160,000
-160,000
Day 1 Chip Leader

Tags: Ben ThomasHamid Izadi

Nine Lives Izadi Stings Thomas Again

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Hamid Izadi moved his remaining 1,105,000 into the middle from the button. Ben Thomas contemplated it for quite a while from the big blind before tossing in the chips to call.

Thomas was again ahead with another chance to take out Izadi as he held the {4-Clubs}{4-Hearts} versus the {a-Hearts}{6-Clubs} of Izadi.

However, the dealer spread the flop {a-Diamonds}{8-Hearts}{2-Spades} to zoom Izadi into the lead. The turn was the {9-Clubs} and the river the {3-Spades} to give Izadi a double and send Thomas to the short stack.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Hamid Izadi us
Hamid Izadi
2,010,000
660,000
660,000
Day 1 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Ben Thomas us
Ben Thomas
1,750,000
275,000
275,000

Tags: Ben ThomasHamid Izadi

Kasabov Takes Bog Pot from Izadi

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Boris Kasabov
Boris Kasabov

A large pot of over 1,500,000 was in the middle on a board that read {a-Spades}{7-Spades}{6-Clubs}{3-Hearts}{10-Hearts}. Hamid Izadi made a river bet of 900,000.

Boris Kasabov shoved to put Izadi into a predicament. Izadi stewed it over and talked to himself for about 30 seconds before deciding to fold.

"Four-five?" guessed Izadi but Kasabov showed the {a-Hearts}{10-Spades} which Izadi said was still ahead of him, claiming he folded ace-five.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Boris Kasabov us
Boris Kasabov
4,700,000
1,250,000
1,250,000
Profile photo of Hamid Izadi us
Hamid Izadi
1,350,000
-2,300,000
-2,300,000
Day 1 Chip Leader

Tags: Boris KasabovHamid Izadi