Derek Sein-Lwin is the latest World Series of Poker Circuit main event champion. The Atlanta resident outlasted a field of 1,190 entries in the $1,700 no-limit hold’em tournament at WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee on Dec. 8, earning $281,514 and his first gold ring for the win.
“It’s surreal,” he told Poker.Org reporters on the scene. “When I woke up today, I was just telling myself to take good spots and not do anything dumb in front of my friends. They’re watching every hand. It was very, very cool, especially because I felt like I was the only one with anybody there.”
Sein-Lwin also earned 960 Card Player Player of the Year points after coming out on top. This is the first POY-qualified score of his career. Prior to this win, his top payday was the $11,072 he secured with a 21st-place finish in the summer version of this same event back in August.
The strong turnout for this tournament saw the $1.5 million guarantee easily surpassed, with $1,802,850 ultimately paid out amongst the top 131 finishers. Notables that ran deep included Preston McEwen (46th), Dave Alfa (42nd), Ryan Eriquezzo (28th), William Berry (25th), Ricardo Eyzaguirre (9th), Eric Yanovsky (8th), and Jacob Ferro (5th).
Sein-Lwin was the chip leader among the 10 contenders who made the final day. He navigated his way to the final three, and then cracked pocket kings with A♥Q♥ to send Vladyslav Shovkovyi packing in third place ($131,070).
That gave him a healthy lead heading into heads-up play with Patrick Plott. The final hand saw the chips go in with K♦8♣ for Plott and Q♠10♣ for Sein-Lwin. The board came down Q♣4♥2♣J♦4♦ to give Sein-Lwin queens up and the pot. Plott earned $187,676 as the runner-up.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Derek Sein Lwin | $281,514 | 960 |
| 2 | Patrick Plott | $187,676 | 800 |
| 3 | Vladyslav Shovkovyi | $131,070 | 640 |
| 4 | Rohit Kwatra | $93,884 | 480 |
| 5 | Jacob Ferro | $68,001 | 400 |
| 6 | Sanjay Gehi | $50,059 | 320 |
| 7 | Chico Pho | $37,463 | 240 |
| 8 | Eric Yanovsky | $28,510 | 160 |
| 9 | Ricardo Eyzaguirre | $22,069 | 80 |
Photo credit: WSOP / Poker.Org.
