Roland Isra overcame a huge chip disadvantage at final table to win the WSOP circuit championship at Caesars Atlantic City. Although Isra, a 52 year old professional poker player from New York City had come to the threshold of a major tournament victory before, he always seemed to be the victim of cruel misfortune. But he endured and finally earned a major breakthrough victory.
In overcoming a significant chip disadvantage, Isra, who was born in the Republic of Georgia and worked as a jeweler for 25 years before he began playing poker seriously in 2002, collected the top cash prize of $264,715-his biggest tournament win ever.
When play was fourhanded, Chris Klodnicki's shot to win back-to-back WSOP Circuit champion ships in Atlantic City came to an abrupt end when he took the final table's worst beat after moving all-in with pocket nines. He was called by Dan Witcher's pocket eights. It looked like Klodnicki would double up, but an eight of the river showed Klodnicki the door with $65,362.
Dan Witcher, from Mount Pleasant, SC battled three-handed for nearly four hours before busting out in third place. He moved all in with pocket tens only to be called by Chris Mitchell's pocket aces. Witcher was gone, claiming $81,702 in show money.
Chris Mitchell, a poker pro from Sumter, SC dominated this tournament over three full days. He held a dominant chip lead at the conclusion of Day One. By Day Two, Mitchell had more than a 2-to-1 chip lead over every other remaining player but one. He arrived at the final table with about one-third of the chips in play. But he went card dead at the worst possible time, losing his remaining chips when his failed outside straight draw lost to the champion's two pair.
CAESARS ATLANTIC CITY WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT
EVENT #10 3/12/10
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM CHAMPIONSHIP
BUY-IN $5,000 + $150
PLAYERS 174
PRIZE POOL $817,019
1. Roland Isra . . . . . . $264,715
2. Christopher Mitchell ... $138,894
3. Dan Witcher . . . . . . $81,702
4. Chris Klodnicki . . . $65,362
5. Jesse Chinni . . . . . . $49,021
6. Grayson Ramage . . $40,851
7. Feming Chan . . . . . $32,681
8. Konstantino Dimitroulakos . . . . . $24,511
9. Richard Austin . . . . . $16,340
EVENT #12 3/14/10
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 174
PRIZE POOL $33,757
1. Marguerite
Spagnuolo . . . . . . . . . $10,937
2. Sophia Wei . . . . . . . . $5,739
3. Sophany Kay . . . . . . . $3,376
4. Amy Siegel . . . . . . . . $2,700
5. Delia Stein . . . . . . . . . $2,025
6. Gina Manidis . . . . . . $1,688
7. Antionette Fiorenza . $1,350
8. Donna DiCrescento . $1,013
9. Diane Grippo . . . . . . . .$675
EVENT #11 3/13/10
NO LIMIT HOLD'EM-TURBO
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 282
PRIZE POOL $54,708
1. Roman Valerstein . . $17,507
2. Adam Blyweiss . . . . . $9,629
3. Khan Tiath . . . . . . . . $4,924
4. Donald Paddy . . . . . . $3,830
5. Patrick Quinn . . . . . . $3,282
6. George Johnson . . . . $2,735
7. Joseph Balberchak . . $2,188
8. Mike Leah . . . . . . . . . $1,641
9. Ryan Miller . . . . . . . . $1,094
