For the past week, Harveys Lake Tahoe has played host to the World Series of Poker Circuit. Like all the other stops, this one features 12 ring events, culminating in a $1,600 Main Event that began Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011.
The stop has already completed 75 percent of its scheduled events, and it��s already proven quite the success, especially for Alexandru Masek, who took down Event #8 for $15,236. What��s special about that win is that it marked the San Diego Law School graduate��s fourth WSOP Circuit gold ring, putting him just one win behind the all-time leader, Mark ��Pegasus�� Smith.
��I don��t ever look at the payout when I��m playing,�� Masek said in his post victory interview. ��All I look at is the (gold) ring. The win meant everything to me in this tournament.�� He went on to add: ��I went to the WSOP the last two years. I would love to win a gold bracelet more than anything. But in the meantime, I would love to win another ring �� or two.��
This weekend, the PokerNewsLive Reporting Team will be providing coverage of the Main Event.
Here's a look at the WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe through the first nine events:
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #1 No-Limit Hold��em
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$300+$45
260
$75,660
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
David Clark
Dallas, TX
$18,208
2
Shawn Van Asdale
Reno, NV
$11,249
3
Prak Pich
Sacramento, CA
$8,127
4
Robert Nicholson
Castro Valley, CA
$5,981
5
Michael Rosenbach
Santa Rosa, CA
$4,481
6
Iris Kuzu
Kelseyville, CA
$3,415
7
Aryeh Cohen
Brooklyn, NY
$2,645
8
Frank Williams
Danville, CA
$2,083
9
Taylor Skeels
San Carlos, CA
$1,666
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #2 NLHE Re-Entry
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$300+$45 (Re-Entry)
521
$151,611
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Josh Roberts
Folsom, CA
$32,300
2
Drew Caseri
Merced, CA
$19,974
3
Jedidiah Hoffman
Reno, NV
$14,592
4
Andrew Barber
Sacramento, CA
$10,817
5
Bryan Borders
Santa Rosa, CA
$8,135
6
Matthew Weber
Sacramento, CA
$6,206
7
Samuel Lee
San Francisco, CA
$4,801
8
Adriano Wise
San Jose, CA
$3,767
9
Robert Gallina
Vero Beach, FL
$2,998
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #3 H.O.R.S.E.
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$300+$45
85
$24,735
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Mark Bonsack
Maple Valley, CA
$7,484
2
Joseph Mongkoluaaree
Minden, NV
$4,625
3
Jeffrey Cox
Reno, NV
$3,237
4
Jon Wallace
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$2,358
5
Ho Le
Sacramento, CA
$1,735
6
Robert Furia
Granada Hills, CA
$1,296
7
John Richardson
Sacramento, CA
$1,039
8
Isaac Crow
Downey, CA
$866
9
Clifford Paine
Sacramento, CA
$745
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #4 NLHE
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$500+$55
101
$48,985
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Michael Rosenbach
Santa Rosa, CA
$13,874
2
Ian Remmel
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$8,570
3
Vincent Remmel
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$6,188
4
Darren Williams
Martinez, CA
$4,545
5
Steve Johnson
Northridge, CA
$3,395
6
Anthony Winters
Patterson, CA
$2,555
7
Julius Estrada
Alameda, CA
$1,965
8
Joshua Pender
Rockhill, SC
$1,539
9
Donald McCormack
Perris, CA
$1,227
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #5 NLHE
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$300+$45
188
$54,708
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Daniel Aran
San Jose, CA
$13,874
2
Dan Natarelli
Simi Valley, CA
$8,570
3
Ziv Fromovich
Sunnyvale, CA
$6,188
4
Stephen Knapp
Rancho Cordova, CA
$4,545
5
Gregory Derov
Reno, NV
$3,395
6
Vincent Fucillo
Merced, CA
$2,580
7
Christopher Simone
San Jose, CA
$1,993
8
Jeremy Davis
Tucson, AZ
$1,565
9
Sean Drake
Sacramento, CA
$1,249
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #6 NLHE
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$300+$45
221
$64,311
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Rudy Sisson
Sacramento, CA
$15,741
2
Reid Harris III
St. Simons, GA
$9,729
3
Aryeh Cohen
Brooklyn, NY
$7,081
4
Jimmy Rogers
Payson, AZ
$5,236
5
Paul Evans
Mount Shasta, CA
$3,933
6
Peter Sullivan
Roscoe, IL
$3,000
7
Jeffrey Surdez
Discovery Bay, CA
$2,323
8
Gary Isaacson
Brentwood, CA
$1,826
9
Jarrett Fenlon
Richmond, CA
$1,456
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #7 NLHE
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$300+$45
199
$57,909
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Nicholas Long
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$14,705
2
Steve Kujubu
Sacramento, CA
$9,084
3
Ivan Holmes
Berkeley, CA
$6,559
4
Merwick J. Black
Pollock Pines, CA
$4,817
5
Clay Richardson
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$3,599
6
Paul Kossluk
Ashland, OR
$2,735
7
Joshua Roberts
Garland, TX
$2,122
8
Neil Curran
Park City, UT
$1,659
9
Beverly Cheney
Grandbury, TX
$1,323
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #8 NLHE
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$300+$45
206
$59,946
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Alexandru Masek
San Diego, CA
$15,236
2
Scott Stewart
Lakewood, CA
$9,411
3
David Holder
Norman, OK
$6,795
4
Gregory Sayabalian
Gardnerville, NV
$4,991
5
Brett Schwertley
Omaha, NE
$3,728
6
Garilyn Nelson
Ogden, UT
$2,835
7
Shain Matthews
Marysville, CA
$2,189
8
Rex Clinkscales
Las Vegas, NV
$1,719
9
George Saca
Sacramento, CA
$1,371
WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Ring Event #9 NLHE
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
$300+$45
186
$54,126
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Troy Declue
Wildomar, CA
$13,724
2
Jeffrey Rowland
Fortville, IN
$8,476
3
Manuel Lozano
Santa Monica, CA
$6,120
4
Erie Mankin
Sacramento, CA
$4,495
5
David Williams
Palo Cedro
$3,358
6
David Brody
Las Vegas, NV
$2,552
7
Leonard Swisher
Modesto
$1,971
8
Travis Atkins
Placerville, CA
$1,548
9
Rip Fritzer
La Mesa, CA
$1,235
With three events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Hammond Casino Champion is wide open. Whoever captures that title, along with the eventual winner of the Main Event, will automatically qualify for the Second Annual $1 Million National Championship. That event is limited to 100 players, and so far only six have qualified:
National Championship Qualifiers
Player
Qualified
David Nicholson
Horseshoe Bossier City Main Event Winner
Chris Gamboa
Horseshoe Bossier City Casino Champion
Robert Castoire
Horseshoe Southern Indiana Main Event Winner
Mark ��Pegasus�� Smith
Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino Champion
Bob Chow
Horseshoe Hammond Main Event Winner
Drazen Ilich
Horseshoe Hammond Casino Champion
Gene Dudek
IP Biloxi Casino Champion
Jerry Monroe
IP Biloxi Main Event Winner
In addition to the qualifiers, players who earn enough points on the National Leaderboard will be able to buy-in to the National Championship:
WSOPC National Leaderboard Top Ten*
Player
Points
Rings
Cashed
Earnings
Felicia Johnico
107.5
1
4
$21,998
Beverly Cheney
105
0
5
$27,117
Russell Ivy
102.5
0
4
$65,035
Thomas Cronin
95
0
4
$21,396
Peter Mavro
87.5
0
5
$11,892
Benjamin Kramer
85
1
4
$28,848
John Evans
85
0
4
$11,921
Scott Schwalich
80
1
3
$34,846
Robert Newman
77.5
1
3
$29,930
David Clark
77.5
1
3
$21,143
*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe stop.
Don��t miss your chance to qualify for the National Championship. There are still plenty of opportunities to play, including any of the remaining stops on the WSOP Circuit schedule.
