Congratulations to Jim Anderson, Winner of WSOP-C Hammond Regional Championship ($525,449)!
A former bartender before he peeled back cards and stacked chips, Jim Anderson was just another unknown face in the field of 226 a few days ago. Now, he's the champion of the first-ever World Series of Poker Circuit Regional Championship here in Hammond, Indiana!
This event represents the Midwest region on the WSOP Circuit and Anderson was able to conquer quite the stacked field of players that came out for this $10,000 buy-in event. Anderson claims over $525,000 for his win, a WSOP Circuit gold championship ring and the right to be called a champion. By making this final table, he already had earned a seat in the National Championship at the end of the season where he will have the opportunity to go for a lot more cash and even a WSOP gold bracelet.
The key turning point for Anderson was when runner-up Gabe Patgorski had a minor blow up during three-handed play. Anderson called Patgorski's all-in, five-bet shove with pocket jacks and held against the 
offsuit for Patgorski. That pot catapulted Anderson to the chip lead and he never looked back from there.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Anderson | $525,449 |
| 2 | Gabe Patgorski | $324,770 |
| 3 | Bernard Lee | $236,368 |
| 4 | Curt Kohlberg | $174,807 |
| 5 | Dave Sands | $131,299 |
| 6 | Shannon Shorr | $100,151 |
| 7 | Brandon Adams | $77,556 |
| 8 | Tony Hartmann | $60,952 |
| 9 | Mark Owens | $48,615 |
That wraps up PokerNews' coverage from here in Hammond, but you can surely find us at the next stop when the WSOP Circuit tour hits Biloxi, Mississippi and the IP Casino Resort and Spa. Congratulations to all the winners and especially to the winner, Jim Anderson!