Poker gave Brent Roberts a chance to satisfy his love of traveling the world. He's played tournaments in places like Macau, Barcelona, the Bahamas, and Aruba. But it was right here that the 23-year-old from nearby Staten Island, New York made his biggest score when he won the $5,150 championship event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Harrah's Atlantic City. Victory brought him $280,040, a $10,000 buy-in to the 2009 WSOP main event, and the coveted gold-and-diamond trophy ring. He won by beating a strong table that contained several other pros.
Roberts learned poker four years ago playing with friends. His prior major cashes include $151,570 for fifth in a WSOP $1,500 no-limit event, and $111,282 for winning a Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza tournament.
His style of play depends on his opponents. At the final table tonight he engaged his preferred strategy-aggression-when he sensed that his opponents were playing passively, by folding to move up the pay ladder. Early in this three day event he got lucky when his A-Q prevailed against an opponent's A-K, and was in average shape on day two. Then he began chipping up and arrived at the final table with the chip lead and never fell far behind after that.
This three-day main event drew 179 players and yielded a prize pool of $867,100 plus the 10K seat. When the match was heads-up, Phillip Reed led with about 2 million to 1.6 million for Roberts. Then Roberts pulled into the lead with about 2.2 million when he made a runner-runner flush while holding 10d-3d.
The final hand came not long after. The flop showed 9c-8d-Ks. Reed bet 120,000, Roberts came over the top for 340,000, Reed moved in, and without hesitation Roberts called. He held 9d-8s for two pair against Reed's Qd-Js. Reed was now an 81-to-19 dog against hitting an inside straight or catching two spades or runner-runner trips. He caught the deuce of spades on the turn, but the five of diamonds on the river ended his evening.
For finishing second, Reed, from Washington, D.C. and at 23 is the same age as the winner, took home $147,707. But it was Brent Roberts' night, sung to the tune of more than $280,000, and a nice infusion for his traveling budget.
HARRAHS ATLANTIC CITY
EVENT #10 12/14/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT MAIN EVENT-NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $4,900 + $250
PLAYERS 179
PRIZE POOL $867,100
1. Brent Roberts . . . . $280,040 plus... $10,000 WSOP Seat
2. Phillip Reed . . . . . . $147,707
3. Kyle Bowker . . . . . . $86,710
4. Robert McLaughlin $69,368
5. Allen Bari . . . . . . . . $52,026
6. Timothy Kelly . . . . . $43,355
7. Dwyte Pilgrim . . . . . $34,684
8. Scott Zakheim . . . . . $26,013
EVENT #14 12/18/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 140
PRIZE POOL $25,200
Julian Manolio
1. Julian Manolio . . . . . $8,165
2. Ian Palomo . . . . . . . . $4,284
3. Steven Rampersaud . $2,520
4. Frank Kruczek . . . . . $2,016
5. Jim Frey . . . . . . . . . . $1,512
6. Steve Albert . . . . . . . . $1,260
7. Jonathan Guiterrez . $1,008
8. Don Mercer . . . . . . . . . .$756
EVENT #13 12/17/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM TURBO
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 184
PRIZE POOL $37,204
David A Fox
1. David A Fox . . . . . . . $12,054
2. Tom Masciopinto . . . $6,324
3. Augie Galioto . . . . . . $3,720
4. Brad Young . . . . . . . . $2,976
5. George Machesic . . . $2,236
6. Jae Wang . . . . . . . . . . $1,860
7. Alan Greenberg . . . . $1,488
8. Steven Oxler . . . . . . . $1,116
EVENT #12 12/16/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 251
PRIZE POOL $75,388
Anthony Erekat
1. Anthony Erekat . . . . $24,096
2. Chad Martin . . . . . . $13,252
3. Brian Adragna . . . . . $6,777
4. Jon-Paul Interlandi . $5,271
5. Kevin Bober . . . . . . . $4,518
6. Eric Doerr . . . . . . . . . $3,765
7. Daniel Yanofski . . . . . $3,012
8. Eugene Fouksman . . $2,259
EVENT #11 12/15/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $500 + $60
PLAYERS 137
PRIZE POOL $68,500
Joseph Mascio
1. Joseph Mascio . . . . . $22,194
2. Benjamin Breed . . . $11,645
3. Jay Johnson . . . . . . . $6,850
4. Kevin Johnson . . . . . $5,480
5. Joseph Notario . . . . . $4,110
6. Dean Schultz . . . . . . . $3,425
7. Brian Martinez . . . . . $2,740
8. Mario Sfameni . . . . . . $2,055
9. Mike Rodriguez . . . . $1,370
EVENT #9 12/13/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT LADIES-NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 178
PRIZE POOL $53,400
Alida Veliu
1. Alida Veliu . . . . . . . . $17,107
2. Cortney Scheiner . . . $8,976
3. Donna Dicrescento . . $5,280
4. Patricia Killian . . . . . $4,224
5. Lisa Strippoli . . . . . . $3,168
6. Helen Ellis . . . . . . . . . $2,640
7. Jennifer Sherwood . . $2,112
8. Trish Anderson . . . . . $1,584
EVENT #8 12/12/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $2,000 + $100
PLAYERS 157
PRIZE POOL $314,000
Jack Schanbacher
1. Jack Schanbacher $101,736
2. Feming Chan . . . . . $53,380
3. James Arvesen . . . . $31,400
4. Nicholas Maimone . $25,120
5. Tom Dobrilovic . . . . $18,840
6. Charlie Townsend . . $15,700
7. Dwyte Pilgrim . . . . . $12,560
8. Michael Santoro . . . . $9,420
EVENT #7 12/11/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $1,000 + $80
PLAYERS 259
PRIZE POOL $259,000
Lahcen Imkhaoun
1. Lahcen Imkhaoun . $82,880
2. Tobin Dreher . . . . . . $45,584
3. Steve Cowley . . . . . . $23,310
4. Lee Childs . . . . . . . . $18,130
5. Timothy Finne . . . . $15,540
6. Robert McLaughlin $12,950
7. Theodore Ely . . . . . . $10,360
8. Allan Lubin . . . . . . . . $7,770
EVENT #6 12/10/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $500 + $40
PLAYERS 346
PRIZE POOL $173,000
Menan Saydam
1. Menan Saydam . . . . $53,530
2. Josh Brikis . . . . . . . $27,680
3. Michael Messim . . . $13,840
4. Robert Castoire . . . $12,110
5. David Zeitlin . . . . . . $10,380
6. Frank Randazzo . . . . $8,650
7. Emmanuel Jannes . . $6,920
EVENT #5 12/9/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 671
PRIZE POOL $201,300
Massoud Nikjouian
1. Massoud Nikjouian . $56,364
2. Christian Lusardi . . $29,189
3. Jeffrey Colpits . . . . $16,104
4. Steve Lipkins . . . . . $14,091
5. Carlos Delafuente . . $12,078
6. Aaron Teel . . . . . . . . $10,065
7. Kenny Moyer . . . . . . $8,052
EVENT #4 12/8/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $500 + $40
PLAYERS 312
PRIZE POOL $155,997
Maurice Hawkins
1. Maurice Hawkins . . $48,360
2. Ben Lester . . . . . . . . $24,960
3. Thomas J. McCann $12,480
4. Alicia Spencer . . . . . $10,920
5. W.D. Horan . . . . . . . . $9,360
6. Julio Fernandez . . . . $7,800
EVENT #3 12/7/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $500 + $60
PLAYERS 140
PRIZE POOL $25,200
Michael Morgovsky
1. Michael Morgovsky $47,895
2. William Lau . . . . . . $24,720
3. Michael Stuccchio . $12,360
4. Alan Goodman . . . . $10,815
5. Gary Reben . . . . . . . . $9,270
6. Jonathan Hoke . . . . . $7,725
7. Joseph Cervera . . . . . $6,180
8. Glenn Davis . . . . . . . . $4,635
9. Richard Hall . . . . . . . $3,090
EVENT #2 12/6/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $500 + $60
PLAYERS 617
PRIZE POOL $309,897
Emil Lebovich
1. Emil Lebovich . . . . . $86,380
2. Peter Fianu . . . . . . . $44,733
3. Douglas Pitchford . . $24,680
4. Tim B . . . . . . . . . . . . $21,595
5. Abraham Korotki . . $18,510
6. Jimmy Nunez . . . . . $15,425
7. Larry Roberts . . . . . $12,340
8. Alex Gomez . . . . . . . . $9,255
9. Jonas Wexler . . . . . . . $6,170
EVENT #1 12/5/08
WSOP CIRCUIT EVENT NO LIMIT HOLD 'EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 1,181
PRIZE POOL $354,300
Metin G Esen
1. Metin G Esen . . . . . $85,032
2. Raymond Ross . . . . $47,848
3. Peter Becchina . . . . $28,344
4. Mike Rodriguez . . . $24,801
5. Ross Shapiro . . . . . . $21,258
6. Mina Akladious . . . $17,715
7. John Phatt . . . . . . . . $14,172
8. Robert Wing . . . . . . $10,619
9. Vincent Basilicata . . . $7,086
