Event #10A/B: $1,675 Main Event No-Limit Hold'em (Re-Entry)

Jesse Wilke earned his first World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring Monday night in the Harveys Lake Tahoe Main Event. The Seattle pro claimed his trophy at the hands of a 380-entry field and pocketed $125,401 and a National Championship berth for his efforts. Like many in the poker community, Wilke, previously an online pro, was forced to adapt his game to the live felt after the events of Black Friday. It was a hard transition and he watched as many of his online counterparts left the country to continue their virtual careers.

“It’s been too difficult to do what a lot of my friends have done where they’re moving out of the country,” Wilke said. “All of my friends and family are here. My husband’s career is in Seattle, so for me I’ve mostly been playing live cash games.”

Wilke added the title ‘live tournament pro’ to his repertoire recently and has enjoyed some success on the felt over the last couple years. Toward end of last season he final tabled the Caesars Palace Circuit Main Event and parlayed his confidence into a deep run in this past summer’s WSOP Main Event. He even held the chip lead in the money on Day 4 but sputtered and busted short of Day 5.

“The ring is a big deal,” Wilke said of his Harveys Lake Tahoe victory. “I’ve had kind of a rough year. I had the chip lead of the Main Event on Day 4 in the money and didn’t make Day 5. It means a lot to finally connect the dots between online and live play and show a little success on the live circuit, too. I have a symbol that my hard work actually paid off.”

The $1,675 Main Event began last Friday with the first of two starting flights. The opener drew 166 entries that paired with the 214 of Saturday’s flight to create a total field of 380 entries. The prize pool topped out at $570,000 and paid the top 45 finishers. Day 2 began Sunday at 12 p.m. with 72 players remaining and notables like three time ring winners La Sengphet and Dan Lowery, the Bike’s 2013 Casino Champion Nathan Bjerno and bracelet winner Sean Drake still in the hunt. Wilke began the day 28th in chips and watched as Bjerno hit the rail shy of the money.

Of the above notables, Sengphet carded the deepest run finishing 14th for $7,877. Lowery (35th, $2,839) and Drake (20th, $5,523) also joined her in the money.

Complete results from the tournament are available under the "Results" tab above.

Those unable to play their way to a cash included bracelet winners Loni Harwood, Phil Hui, Robert Cheung and Howard “Tahoe” Andrew, five-time ring winner Valentin Vornicu, five-time National Championship qualifier Charles “Woody” Moore, Casino Championship leader Steve Foutty and 44-time Circuit casher Rex Clinkscales.

By the time play sheared itself to the final nine, Wilke held the chip lead and set the pace over the likes of Dan Stir who was second in chips, Gerald Cohen and Richard Fitzgerald. In the end, the Day 3 short stack Barry Kay proved to be Wilke’s toughest opponent. Kay chipped up during the early stages of final table play and became a force to be reckoned with after his pocket tens doubled at the hands of Wilke’s   . The pot moved Kay over 1,000,000 chips and he rode his hot streak all the way to a heads-up berth. It wasn’t until Kay turned the bottom the end of a straight and Wilke the top end that the pair’s battle came to an end and Wilke emerged victorious.

“I know a lot of people think you can’t think about winning or picture that because it will affect how you play,” Wilke said. “I actually think it’s important to visualize the fact you could win. I think you have to let yourself enjoy that even if it sucks more when you bust out. I think it’s important to accept the fact that’s a possibility. That is still your goal, ultimately.”

Wilke is a 32-year-old professional poker player from Seattle, Wash. The Main Event victory marks his 10th WSOP-related cash and moves him over $240,000 in career earnings.

Final table results:

1st: Jesse Wilke - $125,401
2nd: Barry Kay - $77,492
3rd: Gerald Cohen - $56,624
4th: Jasthi Kumar - $42,043
5th: Dan Stir - $31,703
6th: Allen Hickman - $24,265
7th: Richard Fitzgerald - $18,844
8th: Yotam Shmuelov - $14,843
9th: Robert Donahue - $11,856

The Harveys Lake Tahoe series has concluded, but Circuit action starts up again this Thursday at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. More on that series is available on WSOP.com.

Jesse Wilke raises 200,000 from the button and Barry Kay 3-bets to 320,000. Wilke then shoves all-in and Kay calls for his remaining stack of 1,280,000. The cards are flipped.

Kay:   
Wilke:   

The flop comes     which is no help to Wilke. The turn is the   and the river bricks out as well as the   comes. Kay narrows the margin with that double up.

Barry Kay - 3,200,000 (40 BBs)
Jesse Wilke - 4,400,000 (55 BBs)

In a limped pot, the flop is    . Jesse Wilke leads the flop and Barry Kay calls from the button.

The turn brings the  . Wilke leads for 175,000. Kay calls.

The board completes with the   and Wilke leads again, this time for 275,000. Kay calls.

"Deuce," Wilke says identifying his hand as a pair of twos.

Kay tables    and takes the pot.

Barry Kay - 2,575,000 (42 BBs)
Jesse Wilke - 5,025,000 (83 BBs)

Play is back underway after the unscheduled 15-minute break.

Gerald Cohen (pictured) calls from the small blind and Jesse Wilke checks his option from the big blind. They are heads up to the flop.

Cohen checks the     flop and Wilke bets 80,000. Cohen raises to 205,000. Wilke calls and they head to the turn.

Third street is the   and Cohen leads for 350,000. Wilke moves all in and Cohen calls.

Wilke:    for two pair
Cohen:    for top pair

The river   doesn't improve Cohen and he is eliminated in third place for $56,624. The hand moves Wilke over 5,000,000 chips and he takes a sizable chip lead to heads up play against Barry Kay.

Jesse Wilke - 5,530,000 (92 BBs)
Gerald Cohen - Eliminated in third place ($56,624)

Jesse Wilke opens the button for 110,000. Jasthi Kumar (pictured) defends from the big blind and they head to the flop.

Kumar checks the     board. Wilke bets 150,000. Kumar calls. They're off to the turn.

The turn comes the   and Kumar checks again. Wilke bets 275,000 and Kumar quickly moves all in. Wilke calls just as fast and the hands are tabled.

Wilke:    for a fullhouse
Kumar:    for ace high

Kumar is the shorter of the two stacks and finds himself drawing dead. The river card is unknown. Kumar is eliminated in fourth place. With his bustout, each of the remaining players locked up $56,624.

Jesse Wilke - 4,400,000 (88 BBs)
Jasthis Kumar - Eliminated in fourth place ($42,043)

Jesse Wilke opens the pot for 110,000 from the button. Barry Kay 3-bets to 200,000 from the small blind and then Jasthi Kumar 4-bets from the big blind to 600,000. Wilke folds and Kay announces he is all-in for 75,000 more. Kumar calls and the cards are turned over.

Kay:   
Kumar:   

The flop comes     giving Kay the lead in the hand. The turn is the   and the river is the  . Kay's pair of nines hold and he doubles up through Kumar.

Barry Kay - 1,480,000 (29 BBs)
Jasthi Kumar - 1,300,000 (26 BBs)

It folds to Allen Hickman (pictured) in the small blind and he calls. Gerald Cohen checks his option from the big blind and they go to the flop heads up.

The flop comes     and Hickman leads for 45,000. After verifying the bet, Cohen makes it 140,000. Hickman moves all in and Cohen snap calls.

Cohen:    for a jack-high straight
Hickman:    for a pair of nines

"Good game," Hickman, the at-risk player, concedes.

The turn brings a sweat for Cohen when it falls the   improving Hickman to a set. He heads to the river needing to the board to pair to take the pot.

The river is no help. It falls the   and Hickman is eliminated in sixth place for $24,265.

Gerald Cohen - 1,600,000
Allen Hickman - Eliminated in sixth place ($24,265)