FOXWOODS WRAPS UP SECOND STOP OF NEW CIRCUIT SEASON

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.