Event #7: $365 No-Limit Hold'em (30 minute levels)

Nebraska pro becomes the newest addition to the Circuit’s five-time club

There’s been a recent trend of players winning their fifth Circuit title — Roland Israelashvili and Caufman Talley have both done it during the past month — and Brandon Fish has just become the newest addition to that list.

Fish defeated a field of 370 entries in a $365 no-limit hold’em event at Harrah’s New Orleans, winning his fifth gold ring and $24,414 in cash. He also collected 50 points in the race for Casino Champion at this venue and in the season-long race for seats in the Global Casino Championship.

Fish is a 31-year-old professional poker player from Kearney, Nebraska, a small town along I-80 in the middle of the state. A familiar face on the WSOP Circuit, he’s earned nearly $300,000 on the traveling tour, including those five wins.

The breakthrough came in Atlantic City in 2012, where Fish won the big re-entry event for his first gold ring and a career-best score of more than $50,000. It took more than two years to find another win, but the frequency of victory has been increasing a bit, of late. Fish went on to add a third ring early in 2016, then two more to start 2017 to bring him to five total and into some elite company on the Circuit’s all-time leaderboard.

This win may have been the toughest yet for Fish, though. At the end of a 16-hour day of poker, he found himself heads-up against three-time Circuit winner Marshall White, who’s running as hot as anyone on tour right now. White was fresh off a win in the $580 event just one night prior, and it looked like he was well on his way to another ring as he began the duel with about a 4:1 lead over Fish.

Fish battled valiantly, though, won a flip or two and a 60/40 from the wrong end, and he was soon the one with a hammerlock on the title.

On the final hand of the match, White committed his last couple big blinds with a middling queen-three suited, and Fish woke up with pocket kings to earn himself a new set of winners’ photos.

The blinds are 40,000/80,000 when Brandon Fish gets himself all in for 1,765,000 on the button, with Marshall White putting him at risk in the big blind.

Fish:   
White:   

The     flop is a good sweat for both, giving Fish top pair and White the nut flush draw. The   turn and   river complete the board with blanks, and Fish doubles up to take control of this heads-up match.

Brandon Fish - 3,550,000 (44 bb)
Marshall White - 150,000 (2 bb)

In the 20,000/40,000 level, Todd Grovijohn moves all in for close to 1,000,000 on the button, and Marshall White puts him at risk in the small blind.

Grovijohn:   
White:   

The board runs out      , and White wins the flip with fives full. Grovijohn is eliminated in third place, leaving White heads-up with a huge chip lead over Brandon Fish. Fish is already a four-time ring winner, White has three of his own, and one of them will add to their collection tonight.

Marshall White - 3,000,000 (75 bb)
Brandon Fish - 700,000 (18 bb)

Marshall White moves all in from the button, putting the pressure on his two short-stacked opponents in the blinds. Brandon Fish folds his small, but Todd Grovijohn calls all in for 415,000 in the big, putting himself at risk.

White:   
Grovijohn:   

The board runs out      , and Grovijohn flops trip sixes to double up. White has given out a couple doubles at this final table, but he's still the overwhelming chip leader.

Todd Grovijohn - 865,000 (29 bb)
Marshall White - 2,325,000 (78 bb)

At the 12,000/24,000 level, Garrett Riley moves all in for 231,000 in middle position, and John Wilder re-shoves for about 260,000 from the small blind, putting Riley at risk.

Riley:   
Wilder:   

The board runs out      , and Wilder's queens hold to earn him the pot. Riley, appearing at his second final table of this series, is eliminated in sixth place.

John Wilder - 540,000 (23 bb)
Garrett Riley - Eliminated

Terry Moore puts the last of his very short stack into the middle from early position, and Scotty Smith calls in the big blind to put Moore at risk.

Moore:   
Smith:   

The board runs out      , and Smith turns a pair of sevens to win the pot. Moore is eliminated in eighth place.

Scotty Smith - 440,000 (22 bb)
Terry Moore - Eliminated

During the middle of Level 21, the field is reduced to 18 players, and they've just taken their seats around the final two tables.

Marshall White, who won his third gold ring just last night, is still among the remaining field, and he's got about twice the chip average stacked in front of him. His fellow four-timer, Brandon Fish, is also still in the mix, as is recent ring winner John Wilder.

Blinds are 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante in the current level, putting the average stack just over 20 big blinds. Play will continue tonight until a winner is determined.

The field is about halfway through Level 8 at the moment, and this level represents the last chance for late registration and re-entires. There will be a break following this level, after which registration will be closed for Event #7. There are almost 350 entries already.

Event #7 is under way.