Banghart Ahead at the Bluff

With more than half the field gone, 30 finalists in the $5,150 main event of the WSOP Circuit at Horseshoe Council Bluffs will return tomorrow to the Whiskey Roadhouse tournament room to play down to the final nine. Leading with 121,400 chips is Jeff Banghart, winner of the second event here, $300 no-limit hold'em. Close behind with 108,200 was Jeff Bryan, who has two cashes in this series, including a third in $300 no-limit.  

Here are the seat assignments and chip counts:

Table   Seat             Name                Chip Count

19        1          Scott Rosenquist          32,800
19        2          Drazen Ilich                 49,300
19        4          Wilbur Futhey              53,600
19        6          Tom Galusha               65,100
19        7          Evan Panesis                34,100
19        8          Alan Engel                   49,500
19        9          Craig Rice                    9,700 
 
20        1          Jesse Hale                    78,300
20        3          Ben Hock                    31,300
20        4          Kevin Culjat                11,300
20        5          Tony Hartmann              72,400
20        6          Joaquin Sosa               72,000
20        7          Mark Eddleman             66,400
20        8          Phil Mader                   84,700
20        9          Jeffrey Daubs              37,400
 
28        2          Larry Loose                 13,800
28        3          Greg Poor                    28,000
28        4          Jeff Bryan                   108,200
28        5          Scott Erickson              59,500
28        6          John McDonald             31,700
28        7          Zack Taylor                 6,400
28        8          Eric Stiglets                  14,700
 
29        I           David Hiers                 26,700
29        2          Harold Kruger              63,000
29        3          Dennis Meierotto         50,400
29        4          Jeff Banghart               121,400
29        5          Va Shon Watkins         23,400
29        6          Rich Tomman              27,800
29        8          Lee Adams                  12,200
29        9          Jeff Elseman                7,200

With the $10,000 main event at Commerce Casino in full swing right now, there were not too many marquee names who came down for this tournament. Among the well-known players in the field was Bob Slezak, with a bracelet in Omaha hi-lo, a $131,000 win at the Orleans Open and a $439,000 cash for 15th in the 2007 WSOP main event. Another was Bernard Lee, who writes for ESPN and has a poker column in the Boston Herald. His cashes include $400,000 for a 15th in the 2005 WSOP main event and $239,143 for winning the World Poker Open main event in Mashantucket. One of the Circuit ring-holders in attendance was William Burdick, whose key to a win at an earlier $300 event here came on the first deal when he made a runner-runner straight to outdraw pocket aces and a set of kings. Only two ladies, Donna Bryan and Michelle Hiers, graced the room, with their husbands also playing. However, neither Slezak, Lee, Burdick or either of the two ladies was able to survive day one.