Craig Welko Gets Long Awaited Gold Ring By Denying Michael Lech a Ninth
PokerNews is in town to live report the $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit Ameristar St. Charles, but that is just on gold ring event that will have played out by the end of the series.
In Event #6: $400 NLH Bounty, 136 runners created a $31,280 prize pool that was distributed amongst the top 21 players including Heather Alcorn (5th - $1,839), Melissa Bryne (8th - $842), Maurice Hawkins (10th - $581), Jeff Steele (17th - $456), Daniel Lowery (20th - $424), and Brian Nguyen (21st - $424).
In the end, St. Louis grinder Craig Welko beat Michael Lech in heads-up play to win the title for $8,336 and his first gold ring. By doing so he denied Lech his ninth ring.
“I have been waiting for this for a long time,” said Welko. “I am part of a group of friends that pretty much all have rings. I feel like I am one of the last ones to get it, so I feel like I can join that elite club. It definitely feels good.”
He added: “I felt like as long as I played my A-game and I got some cards I had a good chance, but I wasn’t exactly expecting to win even though I knew I was capable. That was one of the toughest final tables I have ever played.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craig Welko | St. Louis, Missouri | $8,336 |
| 2 | Michael Lech | Alma, Arkansas | $5,152 |
| 3 | Neil Patel | St. Louis, Missouri | $3,559 |
| 4 | Kelly Wolfe | Cincinnati, Ohio | $2,524 |
| 5 | Heather Alcorn | Ozark, Missouri | $1,839 |
| 6 | Laurence Weinberg | St. Louis, Missouri | $1,377 |
| 7 | Nicholas Query | Winslow, Indiana | $1,061 |
| 8 | Melissa Bryne | Hutto, Texas | $842 |
| 9 | Charlie Dawson | Owensboro, Kentucky | $689 |