TUNICA, MS – The past few years in poker have been marked by incredible accomplishments by players just old enough to participate in the game.
During the 2006 WSOP a young Jeff Madsen took down two bracelets. In 2008, Peter Eastgate became the youngest player to win the WSOP Main Event title, while in 2009 Joe Cada overtook the honor just a year later in the first WSOP he was eligible to play.
51-year old Rogers Patterson followed that trend Monday, January 25th after outlasting a field of 409 players to win the 2009/2010 World Series of Poker Seniors Event at Harrah’s Tunica.
Last year’s Seniors Event attracted 274 participants. This year’s numbers marked a 67% increase.
The seniors event is open to players 50 years of age and over, making Patterson just old enough to play.
Patterson, a database administrator from Bryant, AR, chipped his way through the mammoth field of well-refined and experienced competitors to face a final table of his elders.
|
Name
|
Hometown
|
Seat
|
Chip Count
|
|
Ed Blevins
|
Hartford City, IN
|
1
|
294,000
|
|
Russ Mollow
|
Gillette, WY
|
2
|
623,000
|
|
John Payne
|
Guntown, MS
|
3
|
200,000
|
|
Rogers Patterson
|
Bryant, AR
|
4
|
277,000
|
|
Van Britt
|
Snellville, GA
|
5
|
754,000
|
|
Michael Stephens
|
Godfrey, IL
|
6
|
370,000
|
|
Roger Ledford
|
Atlanta, GA
|
7
|
690,000
|
|
John Bovin
|
Gladstone, MI
|
8
|
302,000
|
|
Alfred Bailey
|
Little Rock, AR
|
9
|
558,000
|
Ninth Place
The final table began at 4:19 pm with blinds and antes at 5,000/10,000/20,000. After losing much of his stack in a coin toss with A-J vs. the nines of John Bovin, John Payne was all-in dark with 9-2. Russ Mollow made the call with A-K. Payne was the first elimination of the night after failing to improve on the board. Ninth paid $1,383.
Eighth Place
Michael Stephens was the eighth place finisher. Stephens, who cashed in the 2006 WSOP Main event, took home $1,634.
Seventh Place
All-in with Q-9 off suit vs. the pocket 7’s of Michael Stephens, Alfred Bailey was eliminated after Stephens spiked a 7 on the flop and blanks came on the turn and river. Bailey, a 65-year old accountant from Little Rock, AR was left to figure in his $2,011 prize on this year’s taxes.
Sixth Place
Roger "Georgia Boy" Ledford was eliminated after his 8’s failed to hold up vs. his opponent’s A-J. Ledford, a two-time event champion at the 2004 Mid-America Classic earned $3,024.
Fifth Place
The remaining five players struck a deal. While details were not disclosed, the players played on for the title of Harrah’s Tunica Seniors event champion.
Just a couple of hands later, Russell "Bonk" Muller was all-in with after the turn against John Bovin’s on a king-high board. A nine on the river wasn’t enough for Muller and his day was finished. Muller picked up $4,030 for fifth while Bovin, already with nearly half of the chips in play, added more ammo to his arsenal.
Fourth Place
Bovin however, took a few big hits to his stack before taking a monster beat in a hand where he raised pre-flop to 175,000. Bovin was re-raised by Patterson to 675,000 and Bovin moved all-in.
After tanking a bit, Patterson made the call, turning over pocket 6’s.
All-in vs. the other big stack at the table, Bovin was glad not to see a coin flip as he showed pocket 9’s.
His relief faded when Patterson spiked a six on the flop. Blanks on the turn and river ended Bovin’s run as Patterson had him covered. Fourth place officially paid $5,036.
Third PlaceEdward Blevins was the third place finisher a hand after taking a beat from Donald Van Britt, who caught a river queen to crack his pocket jacks. He was eliminated after moving all-in with Q-3s. Third place paid $7,054 officially.
Second Place
Heads up action saw Patterson with a massive chip lead over Britt. Both players were all-in the first hand of heads up play with Patterson’s A-9 vs. Britt’s K-9. The jack-high board was the end of it and Patterson was crowed the Harrah’s Tunica WSOP Circuit Seniors champion. He officially earned $16,356 and a Circuit Event gold ring. Britt took home an official payout of $9,835 for second.
"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic," said Patterson about how he felt to win the tournament.
Despite his young age, Patterson seemed mature enough to handle his newly found success pretty well.
"I’m surprised they didn’t card me," joked Patterson. "I guess I look older than I am."
Still to come are 14 more events and single-day non-ring $230 and $340 buy-in events which begin at 4 pm and 7pm. The WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s Tunica runs through February 10th.