On Sunday, Kurt Jewell triumphed at the largest main event in World Series of Poker Circuit history at the Horseshoe Hammond outside Chicago. On Monday, the WSOP-C’s first Regional Championship kicked off, with some 226 players buying-in for $10k apiece. The total prize pool will be $2.1m, with $525k of that going to the eventual champeen. The final nine will also earn spots in the Circuit National Championship in Vegas that will precede the 2011 WSOP kickoff. Midway through Day 2 action, David Paredes is well out ahead of the pack, more than doubling the chip total of current #2 John Patgorski.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to emphasize the World portion of WSOP, the Circuit has touched down at the Emerald Casino in South Africa. Although two tournaments are planned over three days, the African winners of this first ever WSOP Africa stop do not get rings or bracelets and points will not accrue toward the WSOP-C’s cumulative system.
