WASICKA WINS WSOP CIRCUIT AT TUNICA

"It’s weird experiencing that much success that young in your career," he said. "It toys with you a bit, you lose motivation and question why you’re playing."

Wasicka looked to Sam Chauhan, a mindset coach who consults with players and mixed martial artists. "I want to give Sam credit, he’s done wonders for my game both on and off the felt."

Freshly signed on with newly-launched Victory Poker, a rejuvenated Wasicka hit the road and says he has been living out of his suitcase following various tournament circuits over the last few months.

Wasicka’s path led him to the mid-south for the Harrah’s Tunica WSOP Circuit Main Event.

He started the second day of the $5,150 buy-in event seventh in chips with 35 remaining players and had the chip lead going into the final table.

Ninth Place

The Championship Event final table began shortly after noon with blinds and antes at 2,500/5,000/500.

For the most of the first level, chips gravitated to the larger stacks and to those min-raising pre-and-post flop in position.

On a       flop, Jerry Saucier made a move for the pot. He moved his remaining 70,000 to the pot with A-J.

The 2009 EPT Barcelona Main Event champion, Carter Phillips snapped-called with pocket kings for the flopped set. A river ace was not enough for Saucier and he was the first elimination of the day.

Saucier is a 68-year-old retiree from Helena, Alabama. He pocketed $12,368 for ninth place.

Eighth Place

After Larry Gurney limped-in pre-flop from middle position, Robert Thornhill moved his short stack all-in. Gurney put in the all-in re-raise, causing the other limpers to fold. Thornhill turned over pocket eights, but saw that he was far behind after Gurney showed pocket kings. A king on the flop all-but ended it for Thornhill before a three and queen of clubs hit the turn and river. Eighth paid $14,617.

Seventh Place

Around 1:18 pm, blinds and antes crept up to 3,000/6,000/1,000 before Matt Stout got his few remaining chips all-in under the gun with    . Wasicka, Stout’s road partner to Tunica raised to isolate the all-in with A-K. A king on the board ended Stout’s ring bid. The online pro earned $17,990.

Sixth Place

Just before the first break of the day, Gurney and Dwyte Pilgrim saw a flop of      . Gurney got it all-in after flopping middle pair with   . Pilgrim made the call with    . Pilgrim was looking good after a   hit the turn, but the river came   and Gurney doubled up. The two-outer left Pilgrim at about 50,000 in chips.

The beat was upsetting to the usually jovial Pilgrim and he walked off somberly at the break. After the players returned, the 2009 Rincon Circuit Event Champion moved his remaining chips all-in with     and got a call from Richard Robb who showed pocket aces.

"I believe I can win this hand you all, I really do," said Dwyte half jokingly/half faithfully.

Pilgrim laughed with the rest of everyone at the final table when the flop came      . Drawing dead after Robb flopeed quads, Pilgrim’s tournament run came to a disappointing end. Sixth place paid $26,985.

Fifth Place

Carter Phillips got his remaining chips all-in with pocket sixes from the button pre-flop. Gurney made the call, turning over pocket jacks. The turn came       to give Phillips a few more outs but jacks held through the river, sending Phillips to the payout table to collect $35,980.

Fourth Place

Wasicka continued to chip up, losing very few hands after the flop. With a new level of blinds, Shane Zell moved all-in for his remaining 100,000 chips. After asking for a count, Wasicka made the call with two clubs. Both had suited A-10.

It was a freeroll for "Kwickfish" after the flop came      . The turn came   to give Wasicka the flush to end Zell’s run. The 35-year old supervisor from nearby Memphis earned $44,975.

Play was now down to three with half the nearly two million chips in play in Wasicka’s possession.

Third Place

Just a few hands after Zell’s elimination, Gurney raised from the button to 30,000 with    . Robb moved all-in afterward with    . The       flop gave Gurney middle pair but gave open straight possibilities to Robb. A heart on the turn put nine more outs there for Robb, but he missed them all when a   hit on the river. Third place paid $62,965.

Heads up play began four hours into the final table. With blinds and antes at 5,000/10,000/2,000.

Wasicka’s and Gurney’s comparable stacks set the stage for what could have been a long night, but after winning a 270,000 pot, the game started to go Wasicka’s way.

He eventually built up more than a 5-1 chip lead. Shortly after the next level, both players saw a flop of      . Gurney moved all-in for his remaining 300,000 with pocket fours. For the tournament win, Wasicka called with    .

It was still a bit suspenseful even after a benign   hit the turn but it was all over after a   on the river.

The 2006 Main Event runner-up had come to the mid-south and staked his claim as the new reigning WSOP Harrah’s Tunica Circuit Event Champion.

"Other than the heads-up championship, this was my first major tournament win," said Wasicka. "This is something that I’ve been searching for, for a very long time."

"This is just awesome, it was always about the money but now it was about just taking one down."

After his Circuit Event win, Wasicka said that he is heading back to the road.

"Its not going to stop for the next month, heading to LA now and then I’m going to hit the Circuits "

Event #19 concludes the WSOP Circuit stop at Harrah’s Tunica. The next WSOP Circuit Event begins February 18th at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa.

Visit http://wsop.com/schedule/wsopcircuit.asp to view the remaining 2009/2010 Circuit Event Schedule.