$3,250 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 13:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining:  48 of 104

Ian O’Hara got it all in from the button with , but he needed to improve to stay alive against the of Arkadiy Tsinis, who was UTG+1.

The board came , and the pocket kings held up for Tsinis to win the pot and eliminate O’Hara from the tournament.

Arkadiy Tsinis  –  127,000  (64 bb)
Ian O’Hara  –  Eliminated

Tsinis is currently second (behind David Tuthill) in the race for Casino Champion this series. The winner will receive entry into the 2020 WSOP Global Casino Championship.

The tournament clock shows 48 players remaining from a field of 104, which means the average chip stack is about 86,500 (43 big blinds). The final 16 players will finish in the money, guaranteed at least $5,481 each.

2020 WSOP Circuit – February
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida – Event 6
$400 Monster Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  1,371
Prize Pool:  $452,430
February 11-13, 2020

The Monster Stack event attracted a huge field of 1,371 players, and on Thursday night, the last player standing was recreational player Kevin Ho, who earned $70,567 and his first WSOP Circuit Ring.

The field was so large that there were more than 41 million worth of chips in play, and for the first time, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa used the slightly larger pink 500K chips. More importantly, the $200K guarantee was more than doubled, with the total prizepool worth $452,430.

“What’s funny is that I wanted to chop,” said Ho about the prizepool. “I didn’t know we couldn’t chop in the WSOP, so with six or seven players left, I said, ‘Hey, do you guys want to chop?’ I was just chasing the money. The money’s more important to me.”

Ho started Day 2 on a down note after losing a huge pot in the final hand of Day 1 that would have made him the chipleader, but instead left him with less than 20 big blinds.

“If I had won that hand,” said Ho, “I would have had 1.8 million going into Day 2. Instead I started today short, with 231,000. So I lost that big pot, but I came back and just built it up.”

Ho began the final table second in chips, just a single big blind behind Alon Eldar. But once he realized he couldn’t chop, Ho worked his way into a big chip lead, and with four players left he had nearly as many chips as the other three players combined.

“I think I got lucky,” said Ho about the final table. “A lot of the tough players got knocked out early. I was shocked. The ones I was scared of, they just lost with bad luck or whatnot.”

After the elimination of Abdelouahed Bouanani in third place, heads-up play began between Ho and Serge Dergham.

The first hand of heads-up play would also be the last.

Ho and Dergham battled back and forth over a board of . On the river, Ho checked, Dergham shoved with (ace high), and Ho called with for two pair to end the tournament by winning his first WSOP Circuit ring and $70,567.

Final Table Results:

1st:  Kevin Ho  –  $70,567 + WSOP Circuit Ring
2nd:  Serge Dergham  –  $43,614
3rd:  Abdelouahed Bouanani  –  $32,323
4th:  Chastity Fowler-Lee  –  $24,227
5th:  Robert Cheung  –  $18,367
6th:  Alon Eldar  –  $14,086
7th:  Ryan Jones  –  $10,929
8th:  Giedrius Bagdonas  –  $8,581
9th:  Joseph Hebert  –  $6,818
10th:  Carlos Guerrero  –  $5,483

2020 WSOP Circuit – February
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida – Event 8
$2,200 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  173
Prize Pool:  $346,000
February 12-13, 2020

When heads-up play began in Event 8 ($2,200 High Roller) between Romeo Mendoza and A.J. Kelsall, Mendoza was outchipped by more than 3.5-to-1. But an ace on the river reversed Kelsall’s momentum, and Mendoza held onto the lead after that and closed out the victory for his first WSOP Circuit ring.

“It means a lot,” said Mendoza, “especially because I won it here in my hometown. I’ve been playing at this casino since it opened.”

When the 10-handed final table began, Kelsall had a sizable lead with 132 big blinds, and it looked like he might coast to his first February 13th victory. (More on that later.) When there were four players left, Kelsall had almost as many chips as the other three players combined, and he had that 3.5-to-1 lead over Mendoza when heads-up play began.

Then there was the river card that changed everything.

Kelsall check-shoved the turn on a board of , and Mendoza tanked for a long time before he called with for an overpair. But Kelsall turned over for two pair, and Kelsall was one card away from his first February 13th victory. (Don’t worry, that’ll make sense soon.)

But the river card was the , giving Mendoza a set to win the pot and double into a 3-to-2 chip lead. Mendoza was in control after that, eventually winning when his beat Kelsall’s after the board double-paired with aces and jacks.

“I’ve been playing with A.J. for over 15 years,” said Mendoza. “We’re both hometown guys. We play high-stakes cash games all the time together, so it’s really cool that it was me and him.” But even though they are friends, they were playing for a WSOP Circuit ring, and both of them wanted it. “I felt that if me and A.J. got heads-up, I would win. I kind of know how he plays.”

As for Kelsall, this is the third time in the past four years that he made a final table on February 13th. The last two times (2017 and 2018) he lost to two-time WSOP bracelet winner Loni Harwood, something they’ve joked about ever since.

With Harwood absent from this final table and Kelsall holding a commanding chip lead, all signs pointed to this being Kelsall’s year to finally win on February 13th. Until that ace of hearts fell on the river.

Final Table Results:

1st:  Romeo Mendoza  –  $88,717 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd:  A.J. Kelsall  –  $54,831
3rd:  Eric Salazar  –  $38,190
4th:  Steven Veneziano  –  $27,206
5th:  James Calderaro  –  $19,834
6th:  Miguel Hernandez  –  $14,805
7th:  William Medina Diaz  –  $11,322
8th:  Hamid Izadi  –  $8,876
9th:  Ben Diebold  –  $7,138
10th:  Arkadiy Tsinis  –  $5,891

$2,200 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 173

After Mendoza caught an ace on the river to double thru Kelsall, he carried that momentum over the next 20 minutes or so into the chip lead.

Finally, A.J. Kelsall raised to 125,000, Romeo Mendoza reraised to 425,000, and Kelsall thought for a while before he moved all in for 1,445,000.

Mendoza thought for a bit before he called with , and Kelsall turned over . Kelsall needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the board double-paired to counterfeit Kelsall’s pocket tens, giving Mendoza the victory with the two pair on the board and his king kicker.

Kelsall finished as the runner-up, earning $54,831, while Mendoza won the title, the WSOP Circuit Ring, and $88,717.

Stay tuned for a recap for this event.

1st:  Romeo Mendoza  –  $88,717 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd:  A.J. Kelsall  –  $54,831
3rd:  Eric Salazar  –  $38,190
4th:  Steven Veneziano  –  $27,206
5th:  James Calderaro  –  $19,834
6th:  Miguel Hernandez  –  $14,805
7th:  William Medina Diaz  –  $11,322
8th:  Hamid Izadi  –  $8,876
9th:  Ben Diebold  –  $7,138
10th:  Arkadiy Tsinis  –  $5,891

$2,200 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$100,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 173

With the board showing on the turn and about 350K already in the pot, A.J. Kelsall checked, Romeo Mendoza bet 200,000, and Kelsall check-raised all in. Mendoza went into the tank with 660,000 left in his stack.

As he considered the situation, Kelsall asked if Mendoza had ace-queen.

Mendoza asked, “Is ace-queen good?”

“Depends on the river,” answered Kelsall.”

Mendoza thought for a while longer before asking Kelsall if he had queen-six.

Kelsall pointed to his cards and asked, “Are these cards marked?”

Eventually, Mendoza called with , and Kelsall turned over — . Kelsall had turned two pair, and Mendoza needed to improve to stay alive.

The river card was — the . Mendoza rivered a set of aces to win the pot and double up in chips.

Romeo Mendoza  –  3,125,000  (63 bb)
A.J. Kelsall  –  2,075,000  (42 bb)

$400 Monster Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 1,371

In the first hand of heads-up play, Serge Dergham raised from the small blind to 1,250,000, and Kevin Ho called from the big blind.

The flop came , Ho checked, Dergham bet 1,500,000, and Ho called.

The turn card was the , Ho bet 1,500,000, and Dergham called.

The river card was the , Ho checked, Dergham moved all in for about 6,000,000, and Ho called with for two pair, nines and eights. Dergham showed for ace high, and Ho wins the title and the WSOP Circuit ring!

Stay tuned for a recap from this event.

1st:  Kevin Ho  –  $70,567 + WSOP Circuit Ring
2nd:  Serge Dergham  –  $43,614
3rd:  Abdelouahed Bouanani  –  $32,323
4th:  Chastity Fowler-Lee  –  $24,227
5th:  Robert Cheung  –  $18,367
6th:  Alon Eldar  –  $14,086
7th:  Ryan Jones  –  $10,929
8th:  Giedrius Bagdonas  –  $8,581
9th:  Joseph Hebert  –  $6,818
10th:  Carlos Guerrero  –  $5,483

$400 Monster Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,371

The players return from a break to begin Level 37, with increased blinds of 250,000-500,000 and a 500,000 ante. With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 13.7 million (27 big blinds).

Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Seat 1.  Abdelouahed Bouanani  –  3,450,000  (7 bb)
Seat 2.  Serge Dergham  –  7,000,000  (14 bb)
Seat 3.  Kevin Ho  –  30,700,000  (61 bb)

About seven minutes into the level, Abdelouahed Bouanani moved all in from the small blind for about 3,500,000, and Serge Dergham thought for a while before he called from the big blind with .

Bouanani turned over , and he needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Dergham paired his king to win the pot and double up in chips.

Abdelouahed Bouanani  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($32,323)

Heads-up play is now underway between Kevin Ho and Serge Dergham, and these are their approximate chip counts, followed by the remaining payouts:

Kevin Ho  –  31,000,000  (62 bb)
Serge Dergham  –  10,200,000  (20 bb)

1st:  $70,567 + WSOP Circuit Ring
2nd:  $43,614

$400 Monster Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,371

Serge Dergham moved all in from the button for 2,700,000, and chipleader Kevin Ho called from the small blind with . Dergham turned over , and needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Dergham won the pot with a five-high straight to double up in chips.

Serge Dergham  –  6,200,000  (16 bb)
Kevin Ho  –  22,425,000  (56 bb)

A short while later, Kevin Ho raised UTG/cutoff to 1,000,000, Chastity Fowler-Lee moved all in from the small blind for 3,875,000, and Ho asked for an exact count before he called with .

Fowler-Lee turned over , and she needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came — Fowler-Lee turned a gutshot straight draw, but Ho rivered a set of threes. Ho won the pot to eliminate Fowler-Lee in fourth place.

Kevin Ho  –  30,100,000  (75 bb)
Chastity Fowler-Lee  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($24,227)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 13,700,000 (34 big blinds), and the next player to bust will earn $32,323.

$400 Monster Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36:  200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 1,371

With the blinds still at 150,000-300,000 (300,000 ante), Chastity Fowler-Lee and Serge Dergham saw a flop of with about 1.5 million already in the pot.

Fowler-Lee bet 1,500,000 from the big blind, Dergham moved all in under the gun for 2,275,000, and Fowler-Lee called with for ace high. Dergham turned over for ace high with a king kicker, and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Dergham won the pot with his king kicker to double up in chips.

Serge Dergham  –  6,000,000  (20 bb)
Chastity Fowler-Lee  –  5,200,000  (17 bb)

Shortly after the blinds increased to 200,000-400,000 (400,000 ante), chipleader Kevin Ho raised from the button to 1,000,000, Robert Cheung moved all in from the small blind for 4,300,000, and Ho asked for an exact count before he called.

Cheung said, “I have a pair. I hope you don’t have a pair.”

Cheung showed , and Ho turned over . Cheung needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket sixes held up for Ho to win the pot and eliminate Cheung in fifth place.

Kevin Ho  –  19,900,000  (50 bb)
Robert Cheung  –  Eliminated in 5th Place  ($18,367)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 10,275,000 (26 big blinds), and the next player to bust will earn $24,227.

$400 Monster Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 1,371

Chastity Fowler-Lee raised from the button to 600,000, Serge Dergham moved all in from the big blind for 2,975,000, and Fowler-Lee called with . Dergham turned over , and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Dergham won the pot with his ace to double up in chips.

Serge Dergham  –  6,325,000  (25 bb)
Chastity Fowler-Lee  –  2,800,000  (11 bb)

Abdelouahed Bouanani moved all in from the button for 5,375,000, and Alon Eldar called from the big blind with . Bouanani turned over , and needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket aces held up for Bouanani to win the pot and double up in chips.

Abdelouahed Bouanani  –  11,125,000  (45 bb)
Alon Eldar  –  1,925,000  (8 bb)

Robert Cheung raised under the gun to 550,000, Chastity Fowler-Lee called from the cutoff, and Alon Eldar moved all in from the button for 1,800,000. Cheung tanked for a while before he moved all in over the top for about 4.5 million.

Fowler-Lee folded, and Eldar showed . Cheung turned over , and Eldar needed his pocket fives to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Cheung flopped a gutshot straight draw and turned a pair of jacks to win the pot and eliminate Eldar in sixth place.

Robert Cheung  –  7,000,000  (28 bb)
Alon Eldar  –  Eliminated in 6th Place  ($14,086)

With five players remaining, the average chip stack is about 8,225,000 (33 big blinds), and the next player to bust will earn $18,367.