WSOPC Event #11: $1,700 MAIN EVENT

Event #7
Omaha Hi/Lo 8+
Buy-In: $300 (+$65)
Total Entries: 120
Prize Pool: $40,200

Andrew Heckman Wins First Circuit Ring in Omaha Hi/Lo Event Hours After Learning the Game

Mashantucket, Connecticut (August 24, 2016) – In the summer of 2015 Christian Phan won his first World Series of Poker bracelet after accidentally registering for the Deuce to Seven Lowball Draw event, and then learning the game as he went along in the event . Today, Andrew Heckman had a somewhat similar experience. Feeling bored with Hold'em he decided to give the Omaha Hi/Lo tourney a shot "just for fun", never having played the game before, online or live. At 2:30am the night before the tournament began, his friend and mentor Jason Bolton introduced him to the game, giving him pointers, starting hand ranges, and other tips. 

"In the beginning of this tournament I was kidding around a lot, playing a lot of hands I probably shouldn't have, but I mean, towards the end I was dead serious. A ring on the line...I think I learned the game faster than anyone ever has with a ring in front of me.  That ring was my motivator.  Especially having come in second a week ago.  Knowing what it feels like to come in second, I wasn't doing it again. Not happening...," he trailed off. 

Heckman said that there was never a point in this tournament where he wasn't having fun, "Everything was just so new, and the strategy was just so different (from Hold'em)."

Heckman grew up watching his father Bob play poker, and learned the game from him. He also said that he used to sneak onto his dad's online poker account and play with free money when he was younger. This WSOP series was the first time he has ever been able to play at Foxwoods having just recently turned 21 years old. 

He credits both of his parents for being incredibly supportive of his poker playing. His mother Shannon is his biggest supporter, always encouraging him and telling him that he is going to win. His father is also his boss (at a moving company) and has been very supportive of him taking time away to play this series.   

My mom Shannon is one of my biggest supporters. She always says, 'I know you're gonna win, I know you're gonna win, no matter what happens. Even if I am short stacked she tells me I'm gonna win it anyways. And my dad basically taught me the game. And my poker coach J. Bolton is the best O8 player I know. I had a lot of people behind me," Heckman concluded.

Below are the results of the final table. Full results from this event are available by clicking the Results tab above. 

1 – Andrew Heckman – $11,256
2 – Zachary Deneen – $6,959
3 – Gabriel Ramos – $5,021
4 – Steven Brackesy – $3,690
5 – Brian Smith – $2,758
6 – Ignazio Friscia – $2,099
7 – Eric Rivkin – $1,620
8 – Raymond Jamison – $1,274
9 – Kalvin Martin – $1,014

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Chris Leong is still leading the Foxwoods Casino Champion race. Leong placed 5th in Event #1 - $365 NLH ($4,369), he won Event #4 -$580 NLH Six Max ($19,665), and took 2nd Place in Event #5 - $365 NLH Monster Stack ($18,279) giving him a total of 112.5 points.

After today's win, Andrew Heckman jumps into second place with 110 points total.  Heckman took 2nd place in Event #1 - $365 No-Limit Hold'em ($10,800), 6th place in Event #4 - $580 NLH Six Max ($3,366), and Won Event #7 today, putting him within three points of taking the lead from Leong.

Andrew Lauer has now slipped to third place with 102.5 points.  Lauer won Event #1 ($365 No-Limit Hold'em) on Friday,  took down Event #3 ($365 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo) on Saturday, and then cashed 142nd in the Re-Entry event on Sunday.

The player who accumulates the most overall points in the twelve gold ring tournaments at Foxwoods Casino earns the title of Casino Champion, and receives an automatic entry into the $1 million 2017 WSOP Global Casino Championship. The winner of the Foxwoods Main Event earns an automatic entry to the Global Casino Championship as well. All players who cash in ring events will receive points that apply to both the Casino Champion race and the season-long race to claim one of the 50 at-large Global Casino Championship bids awarded to the top point earners throughout the season. More information on the points system is available on WSOP.com.