The opening event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Harrah's Casino Tunica took on the aspects of a race in its final stages. It pitted Ronnie "Slugger" Sewell, owner of a steel fabrication business, who has 151 stock car wins to his credit, and Mark "Pegasus" Smith, who breeds race horses.
Smith, who has two Circuit rings and was trying for his third to tie WSOP champion Chris Ferguson, came close. He arrived at the final table with a small chip lead and, after getting short chipped, regained it again with three players left. But in the end it was Sewell, who is 52 and from Shelby, North Carolina, who took down the $300 no-limit event.
His victory was worth $37,384 and an eye catching gold-and-diamond trophy ring. In winning, Sewell made an incredible comeback, because not long after the dinner break on day one, he was down to only 1,000 in chips.
Sewell's prior cashes include a second in a $1,000 Circuit event and a ninth in a WPT event in Tunica last year, along with a 15th in a $5,000 WSOP tournament three years ago.
Sewell, who plays tournaments exclusively, describes his play as conservative, and said he chipped up gradually throughout this event after getting down to his last two chips. His strategy was to let other players knock each other out and not get involved in a hand unless he thought he was dominant.
Players arriving for this Circuit encountered a newly re-branded hotel-casino (formerly Grand Casino Resort Tunica) that was re-opened last year after a $45 million renovation. The expansion and upgrade of Harrah's Casino Tunica included a refurbishing of rooms with new beds, carpet and furniture. The first floor was completely reconfigured with a new entertainment bar, new carpet, lighting, high-limit salon and a new 14-table, 140-seat poker room.
Tunica is the third-largest gaming market in the United States, and Harrah's Casino Tunica is the largest casino between Las Vegas and Atlantic City, covering 2,000 acres that include three elegant hotels and an 18-hole Hale Irwin designed championship golf course.
HARRAHS TUNICA WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT
EVENT 9 1/28/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 363
PRIZE POOL $105,633
1. Ken Smith . . . . . . . . $26,420
2. Joey Huey . . . . . . . . $14,260
3. Andrew Saldael . . . . $7,394
EVENT 8 1/27/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 470
PRIZE POOL $91,180
1. Dennis Booze . . . . . . $22,796
2. Michael McKee . . . . $11,762
3. Frank Mayo . . . . . . . $6,383
EVENT 7 1/26/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 621
PRIZE POOL $120,474
1. Kevin Waldie . . . . . $30,104
2. Robert Castoire . . . $15,059
3. L C Olney . . . . . . . . . $7,831
EVENT 6 1/25/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $400 + $40
PLAYERS 390
PRIZE POOL $151,703
1. Mark Fleddermann $37,826
2. Brian Roberts . . . . . $20,428
3. Bruce Sturgeon . . . . $10,592
EVENT 5 1/24/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 905
PRIZE POOL $263,355
1. Nicholas Vita . . . . . . $65,840
2. Ethan K Foulkes . . . $32,919
3. Tim Beck . . . . . . . . . $17,118
4. Jonathan Shiohira . . $9,217
EVENT 4 1/23/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $500 + $50
PLAYERS 469
PRIZE POOL $227,465
1. Reginald Roberts . . $56,860
2. Scott Carroll . . . . . . $15,923
3. Chad Wiedenhoeft . $15,923
4. Brian Roberts . . . . . . $8,530
EVENT 3 1/22/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 509
PRIZE POOL $148,119
1. Michael Ratcliff . . . $37,024
2. Kevin Mills . . . . . . . $18,515
3. Robert Hankins . . . . $9,628
4. Roy Rhodes . . . . . . . . $5,184
EVENT 2 1/21/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 446
PRIZE POOL $129,786
1. Perry Ernest . . . . . . $32,448
2. Vincent Meeks . . . . $16,742
3. Charlie Dawson . . . . $9,085
4. Glenn Hyde . . . . . . . . $4,867
EVENT 1 1/20/09
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 514
PRIZE POOL $149,574
1. Ronald Sewell . . . . . $37,384
2. Mark Smith . . . . . . . $18,697
3. John Martinez . . . . . . $9,722
4. Ricky Blackburn . . . . $5,235
