Rob Coventry Wins WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Main Event for $313,933
The 2014/2015 World Series of Poker Circuit recently wrapped its stop at the Horseshoe Hammond near Chicago. The 12-ring stop culminated with a $1,675 Main Event, a tournament that attracted 1,147 entrants and created a prize pool of $1,729,500. In the end, Rob Coventry topped a tough final table that included two-time bracelet winner Steve Billirakis and Mid-States Poker Tour champ Ken Baime to win $313,933 in prize money, the gold championship ring, and a seat into the season-ending National Championship.
��I just had a son two months ago,�� Coventry, a 31-year-old futures trader, told WSOP officials after the win. ��[The ring] is something I��ll be able to show him and say, ��This is for you.�� This money is going to go for his future college. It couldn��t come at a better time for my family. That��s what it means to me. I got no sleep last night coming home at 3 a.m. and being up with the baby. It��s been great being a father. I don��t get a chance to play many poker tournaments. This is the one I do every year.��
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Coventry | Chicago, IL | $313,993 |
| 2 | Viet Vo | Pearland, TX | $193,935 |
| 3 | Steve Billirakis | Las Vegas, NV | $144,109 |
| 4 | Michael Telker | Ballwin, MO | $108,392 |
| 5 | Robert Noe | Ingleside, IL | $82,532 |
| 6 | Shannon Mastin | Greenfield, IN | $63,590 |
| 7 | Darren Deuser | St. Louis, MO | $49,568 |
| 8 | Dennis Huberts | Chicago, IL | $39,073 |
| 9 | Ken Baime | Glenview, IL | $31,141 |
Notable finishes: Jeff Fielder (24th - $11,820), Aaron Steury (25th - $10,048), Allen Kessler (29th - $8,637), Dan Perper (46th - $5,196), Zal Irani (49th - $5,196)
According to WSOP coverage, 11 players returned to action on the final day of play, but after Bruce Knee (11th - $25,102) and John Holley (10th - $25,102) fell, the official final table was set.
In Level 30 (40,000/80,000/10,000), Baime, who won the MSPT Majestic Star Casino for $77,681 back in March, opened for 160,000 from early position only to have Michael Telker three-bet to 380,000 from the big blind. Baime responded by four-betting all in and discovered the bad news when Telker snap-called.
Telker: K?K?
Baime: 10?10?
The board ran out a clean J?8?7?6?4?, and Baime was eliminated in ninth place for $31,141. Before long, Dennis Huberts (8th - $39,073), Darren Deuser (7th - $49,568), and Shannon Mastin (6th - $63,590) would all join him on the rail.
Robert Noe would be the next to go when his A?Q? failed to hold against the A?J? of Coventry, and then Telker would exit in fourth when he ran his J?J? into the A?A? of Coventry.
Three-handed play lasted for over three hours, but eventually Billirakis bowed out in third place when he got his stack all in preflop holding the K?Q? and failed to outdraw the A?8? of Coventry. Billirakis took home $144,109 for his third-place finish while Coventry took a massive chip lead into heads-up play against Viet Vo.
��[Billirakis] really impresses me, his presence at the table,�� Coventry said of his opponent. ��I��ve known him from playing online back in the day. ��MrSmokey1�� was always someone I revered as a top-notch player. It doesn��t get much better than that. To be at the same table with him and see some of the plays he makes. I��m not going to lie, it was pretty intimidating to play against him because you knew he was capable at anytime of putting you in a really, really tough spot.��
In what would be the final hand of the tournament, which happened in Level 34 (100,000/200,000/30,000), Vo shoved his last 3 million from the button holding the A?3? and Coventry called with the 9?9?. The board ran out 8?8?7?4?3? and Vo had to settle for second place and a $193,935 consolation prize.
Congratulations to Rob Coventry on winning the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond for $313,933, winning his first gold ring and securing a spot in the National Championship.
It��s also worth noting that Ohio��s Sean Troha qualified for the National Championship after capturing the Horseshoe Hammond Casino Championship. That was due in no small part to winning two events �� $580 Pot-Limit Omaha and $1,125 No-Limit Hold��em. His 107.5 points was more than enough give the 26-year-old the coveted title.
The 2014/2015 WSOP Circuit will continue at Harveys Lake Tahoe from October 30-November 10.
*Photos and data courtesy of the WSOP.
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