August 28, 2017 (Mashentucket, CT) - The second stop of the 2017/2018 World Series of Poker Circuit
season has concluded at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Over the
course of the series many Foxwoods and East Coast regulars made deep
runs, and won World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) rings. It also saw a
few well-known Circuit regulars from all over the country that traveled
to Connecticut for the first time, as well as one International
traveler/ring winner.
Poker
professional Chris Tryba started off the series by winning his second
ever WSOPC ring and $14,664 after he defeated 188 players in Event #1 -
$365 No-Limit Hold’em. Two other well-known Foxwoods players won their
first Circuit rings, Paul Freedman ($31,605) in Event #5 - No-Limit
Hold’em Monster Stack, and Robert Corcione ($53,400) in Event #9 - $365
No-Limit Hold’em. Corcione also made a deep run in the $1,675 Main
Event, ultimately finishing 12th for $11,736. But perhaps the most
well-known Foxwoods player of all, Soukha Kachittavong, had a truly
breakout series, winning a combined total of $29,789 and two rings after
he took down Event #8 - $365 No-Limit Hold’em and Event #12 - $365
No-Limit Hold’em.
On
the complete opposite side of “Foxwoods regulars” was Olivier Lacoste
who bested a field of 126 entries to win his first Circuit ring in Event
#6 - $580 no-limit hold’em for $63,000. Lacoste lives in Strousburg,
France, and was in the United States for only a short time on holiday
visiting his in-laws. He played just one event, won it, and in the
process picked up 50 Casino Championship points that he intends to build
upon this coming November at the WSOPC International stop in Paris,
France.
Other
ring winners at this stop included Panja Lymswam, who won the massive
re-entry Event #2 for $119,949, Quintin Tyson who took down the $365
No-Limit Hold’em Event #3, John Sciacca who won the $580 No-Limit
Hold’em Six Max Event #4 for $25,060, and poker dealer/player Andrew
Chapman who won the only non-hold’em event of the series, Event #7 –
Omaha Hi-Lo for $12,012.
A
few WSOP Circuit regulars that showed up for their first-ever
appearance at Foxwoods included Jason Gooch, Wendy Freedman, and Jordan
Meltzer. Gooch had a strong series with four cashes, and two final table
appearances. Meltzer also secured two cashes for a combined total of
just under $7,000.
Poker professional Jeremy Meacham won the Foxwoods $1,675 Main Event
after final tabling it for the third year in a row. In 2015 he placed
6th for $28,556, in 2016 he took 3rd for $66,930, and this year he
finally secured the win for $156,735, his first Circuit ring, and a seat
in the 2018 Global Casino Championship.
Caleb
Clarke has only been playing poker for three years, but his performance
this series is proof that he is truly a skilled professional of the
game. Clarke cashed four times this series, and all four were final
table appearances. He closed out his series by winning the $3,250 High
Roller event for $50,625 and his first ring. Clarke’s stellar showing
over the course of the series earned him the title of Foxwoods Casino
Champion. That title awards Clarke a seat into next year’s Global Casino
Championship and he joins Meacham as the second and third players of
the season to earn automatic seats into the event.
The
player who accumulates the most overall points during the 12 ring
events at and Circuit stop earns the title of Casino Champion and
receives automatic entry into the WSOP Global Casino Championship.
Additionally, all players who cash in ring events earn points that apply
toward the season-long race to claim one of the limited at-large bids.
More information on the points system is available on WSOP.com.
Foxwoods
has a history of Casino Champion winners ending with much higher point
totals than other Circuit stops. This year was no exception. While
Clarke was busy making final table after final table, it was Robert
‘Bobby’ Corcione that held the lead for a large portion of the series.
While it seemed that Corcione would lock up the Casino Champion title
with his deep run in the main event, Clarke decided to late-register the
$3,250 High Roller Event #11 in hopes of securing additional points and
passing Corcione on the leaderboard. Clarke went on to win the high
roller, while Corcione busted just shy of the main event final table,
and Clarke officially took over the lead. But it wasn’t over yet.
Corcione played the very last event of the series, Event #12 - $365
No-Limit Hold’em in hopes of obtaining enough additional points to
clench the lead one final time, but he ended up stone bubbling it, and
Clarke officially locked up the title.
The
Circuit is now on break and resumes in a week in Mississippi. The IP
Biloxi stop kicks off on September 7th and will award another 12 rings
along with two more seats into next year’s Global Casino Championship.