Foxwoods Casino World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event winner is Allen Kessler, and Dan Smith closes in on the Global Poker Index Player of the Year title after victory in a side event at the European Poker Tour in Barcelona.
When Allen Kessler decided to boycott the World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker, due to his disagreement with the Quantum Reload philosophy, who would have thought he would have been ending the month with a huge six-figure score?
That’s exactly what has happened after Kessler triumphed over a field of 526 entrants to take the first prize of $170,031 at the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) $1,675 Main Event in Connecticut.
Kessler was only playing in the event after making that principle based decision not to travel to The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, and what an inspired decision it turned out to be.
Kessler’s victory – his third WSOPC gold ring win – takes his total WSOP earnings over the $1.3m mark, and he now has over $3.1m in live tournament earnings (all competitions).
The event attracted Nov Niners new and old with the 2012 Nov Niner Michael Esposito making an appearance alongside the 2014 combatant Billy Pappas. Both players made it through to Day 2 but not beyond.
The heads-up action between Kessler and Dube lasted over two hours, with Chainsaw having to claw his way back from a significant chip deficit to take the title, and he now wins a 2015 WSOP National Championship seat as well as the big money check.
Final Table Standings
1 – Allen Kessler – $170,031
2 – Mark Dube – $105,103
3 – Greg White – $76,791
4 – Hilary Dombrowski – $56,940
5 – Alex Rocha – $42,785
6 – Mike Quibble – $32,662
7 – Kevin Darouvar – $25,306
8 – Matt Zola – $19,851
9 – Michael Lavoie – $15,837
Dan Smith Lights up EPT Barcelona
Dan Smith took his total live tournament earnings to the $8.8m mark after winning €159,500 in a €2,200 NLHE side event at the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Barcelona.
The victory is Smith’s sixth in EPT side event/high roller events, and he had to do it the hard way with a final table composed of Anton Wigg (3rd), Toby Lewis (4th) and Joao Simao (5th).
The victory edges Smith closer to Keven Stammen and Alex Bilokur, in the 2014 Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the year (POY) race, and if he can overtake them by the end of the year, he would become the first player to win two GPI POY titles after his win in 2012.
Wigg’s third place finish means he has taken close to €150,000 away from the EPT Barcelona side event tables after winning the €2,150 NLH/PLO Turbo 8-Max event earlier this week.
In other side event news Henrik Hecklen of Denmark won the €2k Estrellas High Roller for €293k, after beating Mexico’s Santiago Nadal in HU action: Pratyush Buddiga (4th) and David Peters (5th) were two of the notables on that final table.
Tom-Aksel Bedell from Norway beat the UK’s Alex Goulder in HU action in the €1k NLHE Single Re-Entry for €130,100, and Laura Gallardo Rinot of Spain defeated the very impressive Maria Von Perger from Germany in the HU phase of the €220 Ladies event for €5,250. An impressive field of 102 players turned up in that one.
Finally, Joao Vieira of Portugal beat Michael Schmitz of Germany in the HU phase of the €1k PLO Hi/Lo Championships for €27,500. Barny Boatman made the final table finishing in eighth place.
