Adeeb Al Nazer Claims Gold In Event #9: $600 NLH
While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the Main Event, we��d be remiss if we didn��t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant.
In Event #9: $600 NLH, 328 runners created a $168,920 prize pool that was paid out to the top 51 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Asaf Ben Shushan (10th- $2,580), Braxton Dunaway (12th - $2,580), Simon Webster (14th - $2,132), Melissa Bryne (20th - $1,541) and Jonathan Tamayo (23rd - $1,349).
In the end, it was Illinois native Adeeb Al Nazer who collected every chip in play to win his first gold ring along with a $36,423 payday.
��I love the fact that it was fast-paced. I wish we had like a lot more tournaments that are like that,�� stated Al-nazer.
Although it encompassed a sizable field and granted slightly above-average starting stacks, whittled all the way down to a final table on Day 1. Al-nazer bagged as the outright chip leader, closely followed by KC McKeown.
Day 2 was set as a final-table finale with nine players still in the hunt. What could have been a drawn-out battle, turned out to be the exact opposite.
Beginning at 2:00 p.m., the second day quickly began as a constant stream of action and bust outs. It seemed as though the players were in all-out sprint to the finish line. And just like that, in an absolute flash, Al-nazer had vacuumed up every chip in play.
��I cannot believe that the final table like got done within an hour and I love it. I love fast poker,�� Al-nazer expressed. ��It��s been a great journey and I loved every bit of it.��
The 33-year-old narrowly missed out on a Circuit title when he went on an incredible run in the multi-flight re-entry in 2017 at Choctaw Durant. There, he finished as the runner-up among 5,280 entries for $146,789.
��That one was a lot more work. I mean, I was exhausted by the fourth day�� and we played for hours on the fourth day. I think I played 14 hours on the very last day,�� Al-nazer mentioned, touching on the stark difference to his recent tournament experience.
Although the payout was significantly less, a first-place, gold-ring triumph with the WSOP is a milestone Al-nazer will never forget.
��It means a whole lot, actually. I have a lot of cashes and stuff like that, but I don��t have any rings or bracelets or anything,�� said Al-nazer. ��I��m so happy that I finally got one�� This will definitely be a memory that I��ll have forever. There is no price I could sell on this ring.��
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adeeb Al Nazer | Mansfield, TX | $36,423 |
| 2 | Steve Belland | Bagley, MN | $22,509 |
| 3 | KC McKeown | Dallas, TX | $16,179 |
| 4 | Steven McCartney | Columbia, SC | $11,822 |
| 5 | Dave Tobin | Lubbock, TX | $8,783 |
| 6 | Cody Coffman | Tulsa, OK | $6,637 |
| 7 | Daniel Watkinsl | Waco, TX | $5,103 |
| 8 | Jesus Gonzalez | Eagle Pass, TX | $3,993 |
| 9 | Jason Hill | New Braunfels, TX | $3,180 |