Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2011-12 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's Rincon
Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011-12 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's Rincon
Buy-in
$1,620
Prize Pool
$483,060
Entries
332
Level
29
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000
![[user75311]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 29
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
The action was jam packed here on Day 3 of the 2012 WSOP-C Rincon Main Event as we whittled our final 11 players down to one in under seven hours of clock time. The man left standing was Joe Kuether, who was playing just his second career Circuit Main Event. The last one he played was at Caesers in Las Vegas when he finished in 7th place. For conquering the field of 332 players, Kuether earned $111,104 and his very first WSOP-C ring.
Kuether’s impressive appearances in these Circuit events are just the beginning of his already stellar 2012 poker resume. He is fresh off not one, but two victories, in the Wynn Classic series that just took place in Las Vegas in addition to four cashes, including one final table, at the L.A. Poker Classic.
Kuether was among the leaders since early in Day 2 through heads up play and was never at serious risk of being eliminated. Arguably his most important hand of the tournament came against none other than Freddy Deeb. Kuether held 
on a 
flop and was able to get paid on all three streets to vault himself into the chip lead mid-way through the final table.
Deeb, who finished fourth, might as well have charged the WSOP an entertainment fee for keeping everyone involved thoroughly amused. Not a hand went by without him joking around with either a player at the table, the dealer, the tournament staff or a PokerNews reporter. Unforunately, he became short stacked when play reached four handed and his 
was unable to catch up to the 
of Kuether.
Chris Cronin headed into heads up play with a lot of momentum. He eliminated our third place finisher, Ryan Gentry, after the two got it all in on a 
board. Cronin held 
against the 
of Gentry but when the turn and river came the 
and 
respectively, Gentry was eliminated.
That created a fantastic heads up battle between Cronin, who with this result finished second in points during the Rincon circuit tour stop, and the 2012 poker all-star Kuether. The two players exchanged the chip lead multiple times before Kuether knocked him out.
With the blinds at 25,000/50,000, Kuether raised to 100,000 on his button as he had every single hand of heads up play. Cronin made the call to see a 
flop. Both players checked and the turn was the 
. Cronin let Kuether fire out 125,000 before check-raising to 300,000 chips. Kuether moved all in and Cronin, who had started the hand with about 2 million, made the call. Kuether held 
and had to dodge the 
of Cronin. The river was an emphatic and Kuether became our champion.
Here are the full results of our final table.
| Place | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Joe Kuether | $111,104 |
| 2 | Chris Cronin | $68,686 |
| 3 | Ryan Gentry | $50,108 |
| 4 | Freddy Deeb | $37,167 |
| 5 | David Funkhauser | $27,998 |
| 6 | Ty Spires | $21,414 |
| 7 | Chris Bratene | $16,617 |
| 8 | Stephen Plache | $13,081 |
| 9 | Ryan Buckholtz | $10,444 |
Joe Kuether raised it up to 100,000, and Chris Cronin made the call. The flop came down , and both players checked. The turn came the , and Cronin check again. Kuether led out for 125,000, and Cronin came back with a raise to 300,000. Kuether announced all in, and Cronin took about 10 seconds before throwing a chip in, signifying a call. The cards were flipped, and Kuether was in great shape to take down the title.
Kuether: 
Cronin:
Kuether was well out in front with his aces, and he would need to dodge a nine or king on the river to win the pot. The river came the , giving Kuether an unnecessary set, and Cronin was eliminated. He took home $68,686 for his efforts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,640,000
2,260,000
|
2,260,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Joe Kuether raised his button to 100,000 and Chris Cronin moved all in. Joe Kuether made the call and was potentially a few moments away from capturing the title.
Kuether:
Cronin:
The flop was 
and Cronin was in fantastic shape to double up. The turn officially ended the hand and just like that Cronin is back into it with a fighting chance.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,380,000
-620,000
|
-620,000 |
|
|
1,920,000
620,000
|
620,000 |
Cronin raised to 100,000, and Kuether made the call. The dealer fanned out a flop of 
, and Kuether checked to Cronin, who fired out 100,000. Kuether put in a check raise to 275,000, and Cronin came along to see the turn. That card was the , and Kuether carefully assembled a bet of 500,000, and put it in the middle. Cronin tanked for about 30 seconds before releasing his hand, conceding the pot to Kuether. After the hand, Cronin is down to 1.3 million, and will need a double up soon.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,000,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
1,300,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |
Joe Kuether raised to 100,000 on his button, just as he has on every hand so far during heads up play. Chris Cronin made the call and the two saw the flop come 
. Cronin checked and Kuether continued for 100,000. Cronin made the call.
The turn was the 
and Cronin check-called again, this time 175,000 in chips. When the river was the , Cronin paused to think and then stacked 400,000 over the betting line. Kuether quickly tossed in a couple of chips indicated his intent to call. Cronin could only show while Kuether rivered broad way with .
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,700,000
850,000
|
850,000 |
|
|
1,900,000
-850,000
|
-850,000 |
Cronin raised to 100,000, and Kuether made a reraise to 250,000. Cronin called, and the flop came out 
. Kuether led out with 300,000, and Cronin shot back with a raise to 750,000. Kuether thought for about 90 seconds, before looking at the dealer, and saying "1.2". This was a raise to 1.2 million, and it was back to Cronin, who took about 20 seconds before folding his hand. With that, Kuether had retaken the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,850,000
580,000
|
580,000 |
|
|
2,750,000
-580,000
|
-580,000 |
Chris Cronin limped his button and Joe Kuether checked. The flop was and Kuether check-called a bet worth 75,000. The turn was the 
and once again Kuether check-called, this time 150,000.
The river was the and after Kuether checked for a third time, Cronin announced a bet of 300,000. Kuether mulled it over for a bit before making the call and mucked when Cronin turned over 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,330,000
730,000
|
730,000 |
|
|
3,270,000
-730,000
|
-730,000 |
Kuether raised to 100,000 preflop, and Cronin called. The flop came down 
, and both players checked. The turn came the 
, and Cronin fired out 100,000. Kuether assembled a bet of 250,000, and slid it into the middle. It was back to Cronin, who took about 20 seconds before he put in a reraise to 575,000 total. Kuether thought for about 45 seconds before making the call, swelling the pot up to over 1.2 million.
The river brought a scary , and Cronin slowed down and checked. Kuether assembled a huge bet of 1.15 million, and slid it into the middle. Cronin looked pained as Kuether slid the bet in, and we went deep into the tank. After about two minutes, Cronin open folded 
for flopped two pair, and Kuether raked in the massive pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,000,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
|
2,600,000
-750,000
|
-750,000 |
It's not a big lead, but it's a lead none-the-less. Chris Cronin limped his button for the first time and Joe Kuether decided to test out this new strategy by raising to 150,000. Cronin called.
The flop was 
and both players checked to see the 
turn. This time Kuether led for 150,000 and was called by his opponent. The river was the 
and both players reverted back to checking.
"Five," Kuether told Cronin. It was no good as Cronin held 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,350,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
|
3,250,000
-350,000
|
-350,000 |