The World Series of Poker Circuit tour is returning to its most beautiful annual stop at Lake Tahoe, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The 19-event tournament series will be hosted at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, and events No. 1 ($300 no-limit hold’em) and No. 2 ($200 casino employees no-limit hold’em) each began on Thursday, Nov. 5. Games spread at the tour stop include no-limit hold’em, pot-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, Omaha eight-or-better, and H.O.R.S.E. There will even be a $300 limit crazy pineapple eight-or-better event that takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 11. A $300 ladies no-limit hold’em event will be hosted on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The $5,000 no-limit hold’em championship event begins on Sunday, Nov. 15, and it will run for three days before crowning a champion at the final table on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Last year, the championship event attracted 132 players, and the champion was poker professional Michael Binger (pictured above right), who took home $181,379 and a WSOP Circuit championship ring for the victory. He was joined at the final table by fellow professionals Allen Kessler (sixth place) and Scott Clements (ninth place). Former world champion Chris Ferguson also cashed in last year’s championship event, busting in 11th place, just shy of the final table.
Here is a look at the full schedule for this WSOP Circuit stop:
Thursday, Nov. 5: Event No. 1 ($300 no-limit hold’em)
Thursday, Nov. 5: Event No. 2 ($200 casino employees no-limit hold’em)
Friday, Nov. 6: Event No. 3 ($300 no-limit hold’em)
Friday, Nov. 6: Event No. 4 ($300 pot-limit Omaha)
Saturday, Nov. 7: Event No. 5 ($500 no-limit hold’em)
Saturday, Nov. 7: Event No. 6 ($300 Omaha eight-or-better)
Sunday, Nov. 8: Event No. 7 ($300 no-limit hold’em)
Sunday, Nov. 8: Event No. 8 ($300 H.O.R.S.E.)
Monday, Nov. 9: Event No. 9 ($300 no-limit hold’em)
Monday, Nov. 9: Event No. 10 ($300 pot-limit hold’em/Omaha)
Tuesday, Nov. 10: Event No. 11 ($300 no-limit hold’em)
Tuesday, Nov. 10: Event No. 12 ($300 Omaha eight-or-better)
Wednesday, Nov. 11: Event No. 13 ($300 no-limit hold’em)
Wednesday, Nov. 11: Event No. 14 ($300 limit crazy pineapple eight-or-better)
Thursday, Nov. 12: Event No. 15 ($300 no-limit hold’em)
Thursday, Nov. 12: Event No. 16 ($300 pot-limit Omaha)
Friday, Nov. 13: Event No. 17 ($300 no-limit hold’em)
Saturday, Nov. 14: Event No. 18 ($300 ladies no-limit hold’em)
Sunday, Nov. 15: Event No. 19 ($5,000 no-limit hold’em championship)
2008 WSOP Circuit Harvey’s Lake Tahoe:
Buy-in: $5,000
Number of Entries: 132
Total Prize Pool: $640,200
First-Place Prize: $181,379
Places Paid: 18
Final-Table Results:
1: Michael Binger — $181,379
2: Ty Stewart — $112,675
3: Jake Solis — $77,464
4: Michael McClain — $53,777
5: Tay Nguyen — $40,653
6: Allen Kessler — $31,370
7: Travis Erdman — $24,968
8: Bill Bostick — $18,566
9: Scott Clements — $13,444
