Previewing the 2011-2012 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah's Philadelphia
The 2011-2012 World Series of Poker Circuit continued this past week with the second-to-last stop of the season, Harrah��s Philadelphia. That stop��s Main Event begins on Saturday, May 5, so we thought it��d be a good idea to recap the WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia action thus far.
One notable event was Event #5: $555 No-Limit Hold��em, which drew 134 players and created a prize pool of $64,505. That event saw circuit regular Katherine ��Kat�� Bowen, an owner of an Internet service provider from Gladewater, Texas, make the trip to the East Coast in an attempt to earn more points toward the National Championship.
It was a wise decision as she soon found herself at the final table, where some superb plays made her one of the final two players left with a slight chip lead over Steven Skowrownski, a 27-year-old poker pro from Indiana. In the final hand, Skowrownski was all in preflop holding A?J? and in bad shape against the A?K? of Bowen. The board ran out nine-high and Bowen captured her first WSOP Circuit gold ring and the $18,197 first-place prize.
��This has been a really great experience and this is my first gold ring, so you can��t beat that,�� Bowen said after the win.
Prior to he win, Bowen had amassed 77.5 points on the WSOP Circuit, meaning the additional 50 awarded to her for the win will no doubt be enough to qualify her for this year��s National Championship.
Here's a look at the WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia events completed thus far:
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #1: No-Limit Hold��em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$45 | 208 | $60,528 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurt Magalski | Honesdale, PA | $15,741 |
| 2 | Charles Bailey | West Chester, PA | $9,721 |
| 3 | Timothy Faro | Glen Burnie, MD | $7,019 |
| 4 | Michael Sheldon | Dresher, PA | $5,155 |
| 5 | Nick Gorman | South Lake Tahoe, CA | $3,851 |
| 6 | Morgan Clark | Wilmington, DE | $2,927 |
| 7 | Yechiel Mesika | Glen Mills, PA | $2,261 |
| 8 | Sai Wang | Drexel Hill, PA | $1,775 |
| 9 | Spyros Malkotsis | Merrick, NY | $1,416 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #2: No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$45 | 395 | $114,945 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas McGlothlin | Felton, DE | $25,279 |
| 2 | Jonathan Sorscher | Lynbrook, NY | $15,627 |
| 3 | John Alfera | Arnold, PA | $11,448 |
| 4 | Joshua Stewart | West Chester, PA | $8,500 |
| 5 | Adam Cook | Pasadena, MD | $6,409 |
| 6 | Eliezer Gonzalez | Dulles, VA | $4,906 |
| 7 | Joseph Liberta | Berlin, NJ | $3,810 |
| 8 | Ilya Soyfer | Morganville, NJ | $3,001 |
| 9 | Mario Rodriguez | Wilkes Barre, PA | $2,397 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #3: No-Limit Hold��em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $500+$55 | 126 | $61,110 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Ippolito | East Meadow, NY | $17,109 |
| 2 | Jason Steel | Alpharetta, GA | $10,576 |
| 3 | Kevin Mason | West New York, NJ | $7,634 |
| 4 | William Phillips | Metairie, LA | $5,609 |
| 5 | Susan Frazier | Troy, VA | $4,193 |
| 6 | Joseph Hebda | Saint John, IN | $3,188 |
| 7 | Everett Carlton | St. Paul, MN | $2,465 |
| 8 | Theodore Peterson | Fortuna, CA | $1,936 |
| 9 | Chris Back | Vancouver, BC, Canada | $1,545 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #4: No-Limit Hold��em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$45 | 197 | $57,327 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Gentry | La Jolla, CA | $14,908 |
| 2 | Michael Wolf | Staten Island, NY | $9,207 |
| 3 | Lorne Kanover | Bellmore, NY | $6,648 |
| 4 | Michael Vallone | Hilliard, OH | $4,883 |
| 5 | Stephen Bredfeldt | Elizabethtown, PA | $3,648 |
| 6 | Robert Parker | Staten Island, NY | $2,772 |
| 7 | Andre Brodeur | Norristown, PA | $2,141 |
| 8 | Jesse Moses | New Castle, PA | $1,681 |
| 9 | William Stone | Auburndale, WI | $1,341 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #5 No-Limit Hold'em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $500+$55 | 134 | $64,505 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katherine "Kat" Bowen | Judson, TX | $18,197 |
| 2 | Steven Skowronski | Hammond, IN | $11,247 |
| 3 | Edward Stanish | Claymont, DE | $8,119 |
| 4 | Kevin McColgan | Douglassville, PA | $5,965 |
| 5 | Robert Johnson | Bridgewater, NJ | $4,460 |
| 6 | Corey Cutrell | Seattle, WA | $3,391 |
| 7 | Laurence Goldstein | Commack, NY | $2,621 |
| 8 | Adam Miller | Broomall, PA | $2,059 |
| 9 | Drew Woodke | Omaha, NE | $1,644 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #6: Mixed Pot-Limit Hold��em/Omaha
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$45 | 95 | $27,645 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ari Engel | Las Vegas, NV | $8,292 |
| 2 | Brian Woods | Lutherville, MD | $5,126 |
| 3 | Dejuante Alexander | Houston, TX | $3,650 |
| 4 | Anthony Zinno | Boston, MA | $2,651 |
| 5 | Brent Carter | Oak Park, IL | $1,964 |
| 6 | Stephen Bent | Springfield, PA | $1,483 |
| 7 | Eric Doerr | Newark, DE | $1,140 |
| 8 | Eric Miller | Seaford, NY | $893 |
| 9 | Robert Bresner | New York, NY | $712 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #7: No-Limit Hold��em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $500+$55 | 132 | $64,505 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Burson | Hidden Valley, CA | $18,063 |
| 2 | Richard Austin | Lansdale, PA | $11,163 |
| 3 | Ryan Blank | Baltimore, MD | $8,058 |
| 4 | Clifford Goldkind | Potomac, MD | $5,921 |
| 5 | Dean Buchanan | Kirkland, WA | $4,426 |
| 6 | Gordon Eng | Cliffside Park, NJ | $3,365 |
| 7 | Kyle Cartwright | Bartlett, TN | $2,601 |
| 8 | Bryan Devonshire | Henderson, NV | $2,044 |
| 9 | Kevin McColgan | Douglasville, PA | $1,631 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #8: No-Limit Hold��em Six-Handed
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$45 | 170 | $49,470 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian O��Donoghue | Bayside, NY | $13,359 |
| 2 | John Alfera | Arnold, PA | $8,255 |
| 3 | Anthony Zinno | Boston, MA | $5,942 |
| 4 | David Harris | Salem, NJ | $4,355 |
| 5 | Benjamin Anderson | Bayside, NY | $3,248 |
| 6 | Robert Parker | Staten Island, NY | $2,465 |
| 7 | Ilya Soyfer | Morganville, NJ | $1,903 |
| 8 | Christopher McGrill | Havertown, PA | $1,493 |
| 9 | Carlos Juarez | Philadelphia, PA | $1,190 |
WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Event #9: No-Limit Hold��em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000+$80 | 94 | $91,180 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abraham Faroni | Penn Valley, PA | $27,353 |
| 2 | Andrew Barber | Sacramento, CA | $16,907 |
| 3 | Joseph Cappello | New Rochelle, NY | $12,038 |
| 4 | David Curre | Fairport, NY | $8,744 |
| 5 | Jonathan Sorscher | Lynbrook, NY | $6,477 |
| 6 | James Boyle | Harve De Grace, MD | $4,890 |
| 7 | Ariel Albilia | Syosset, NY | $3,761 |
| 8 | Reggi Trotter | Arlington, TX | $2,349 |
| 9 | Brandon Fish | Kearney, NE | $2,349 |
With several events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia Casino Champion is undetermined. Whoever captures that title, along with the eventual winner of the Main Event, will automatically qualify for the Second Annual $1 Million National Championship. Here's a look at the players who have qualified:
National Championship Qualifiers
| Player | Qualified |
|---|---|
| David Nicholson | Horseshoe Bossier City Main Event Winner |
| Chris Gamboa | Horseshoe Bossier City Casino Champion |
| Robert Castoire | Horseshoe Southern Indiana Main Event Winner |
| Mark ��Pegasus�� Smith | Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino Champion |
| Bob Chow | Horseshoe Hammond Main Event Winner |
| Drazen Ilich | Horseshoe Hammond Casino Champion |
| Gene Dudek | IP Biloxi Casino Champion |
| Jerry Monroe | IP Biloxi Main Event Winner |
| Michael Rosenbach | Lake Tahoe Casino Champ |
| Bryan Schultz | Lake Tahoe Main Event Champion |
| Tuan Phan | Harrah��s AC Main Event Winner |
| Hao Le | Harrah��s AC Casino Champ |
| Freddy Deeb | Bicycle Casino Main Event Winner |
| Huy Quach | Bicycle Casino Champ |
| Raja Kattamuri | Choctaw Casino Champ |
| Abraham Araya | Choctaw Main Event Champion |
| Gary Bolden | Caesars Palace Casino Champ |
| Kevin Calenzo | Caesars Palace Main Event Winner |
| Matthew Weber | Harrah��s Tunica Casino Champ |
| Kurt Jewell | Harrah��s Tunica Main Event Winner |
| Charles Flett | Palm Beach Casino Champ |
| James Harnden | Palm Beach Main Event Winner |
| Tuan Phan | Harrah��s AC Main Event Winner |
| Hao Le | Harrah��s AC Casino Champ |
| Joseph Kuether | Harrah��s Rincon Main Event Winner |
| Jonas Mackoff | Harrah��s Rincon Casino Champ |
| Scott Stanko | Council Bluffs Main Event Winner |
| Michael Nellis | Council Bluffs Casino Champ |
| Nikolas Stone | Harrah��s St. Louis Casino Champ |
| Tripp Kirk | Harrah��s St. Louis Main Event Winner |
In addition to the qualifiers, players who earn enough points on the National Leaderboard will be able to buy-in to the National Championship:
WSOPC National Leaderboard Top Ten*
| Player | Points | Rings | Cashed | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Clark | 202.5 | 1 | 8 | $74,868 |
| Alexandru Masek | 187.5 | 1 | 11 | $147,528 |
| Daniel Blakeman | 170 | 1 | 8 | $151,798 |
| Stephen Kats | 160 | 1 | 11 | $57,506 |
| Mark ��P0ker H0�� Kroon | 157.5 | 1 | 7 | $62,973 |
| Michael Sanders | 155 | 0 | 6 | $157,516 |
| Benjamin Kramer | 155 | 1 | 12 | $62,232 |
| Michael Cooper | 155 | 0 | 9 | $57,051 |
| Chris Parsons | 150 | 0 | 7 | $74,942 |
| Ryan Gentry | 145 | 1 | 6 | $72,384 |
| A.P. Phahurat | 142.5 | 0 | 9 | $68,942 |
*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Harrah��s Philadelphia stop.
Don��t miss your chance to qualify for the National Championship. There is only one stop on the WSOP Circuit schedule:
Remaining 2011-2012 WSOPC Schedule
| Event | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Event | Harrah��s New Orleans | May 10 - 21, 2012 |
*Photos courtesy of Eric Harkins and ImageMasters.
Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook today! In the meantime, see who qualifies for the National Championship this week by following our Live Reporting Team��s coverage from the Harrah��s Philadelphia.
