Ring Event #8: $365 Omaha Hi-Lo Eight-or-Better

Event #8
Omaha Eight-or-Better
Buy-In: $300 (+$65)
Total Entries: 168
Prize Pool: $50,400
October 22-23, 2015

Chicago amateur and Cubs season ticket holder makes the most of his free time, wins O8 event and $13,609.

HORSE winner Juvancic records second top-two finish in three days, takes Casino Championship lead through eight events.

Hammond, Ind. (October 23, 2015) — Jeff Shea bested Hammond HORSE winner Jim Juvancic in Event #8 of the World Series of Poker Circuit, a $365 Omaha eight-or-better tournament, Friday night. Shea earned $13,609 along with his first gold ring while Juvancic was sent home with a consolation prize of the Casino Championship points lead through eight events.

“Clearly he’s a better player than me and I know that,” Shea, an amateur, said of Juvancic. “I know this is what he does […] I don’t have a lot of heads-up experience. Anytime I play shorthanded in the cash room here I don’t do very well. I feel very fortunate. I have a lot more to learn and I want to keep learning and build off it if I can.”

Shea was afforded the luxury of a two-to-one chip lead when heads-up play began. Juvancic made some noise and even took over the lead during the tough battle, but eventually met his demise finishing second and earning a 20-point cushion in the Casino Championship race.

“It’s a dream come true,” Shea said of the win. “Every time I’m in a tournament that’s World Series [of Poker] related, I have trouble sleeping because I imagine winning. It keeps me up. Last night I probably only got three or four hours of sleep even though I only had 30,000 chips coming into Day 2. I was down to nothing a few times, but it just shows that anyone’s got a shot. I realize if I was heads up against [Juvancic] seven times, he’d probably win.”

Shea is a 42-year-old IT consultant from Chicago. A season ticket holder and avid Cubs fan, he attended each of the National League Division Series games at Wrigley Field. Had the Cubs not been swept by the Mets, he would have been back to Wrigley for Game 5 of the NLCS and unable to play Event #8. In the end, his team came up short and he was granted some spare time to take to the tournament felt.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to play in any of the World Series [of Poker events] because of the Cubs,” Shea said. “I’m not missing maybe a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see them win the World Series. They would have played last night, but I wouldn’t have played the [O8 event that started at noon] in case I did well. As it turns out, maybe the Cubs were doing me a favor.”

As Shea basked in the glory of what he described as a dream come true, he couldn’t help but give a nod to his best supporter and number one fan, his wife.

“Even though she doesn’t really understand poker, she believes in me,” Shea said of his wife. “She has faith in me and she’s going to be so happy for me — maybe even happier than I am — that I won. She’s the love of my life and I’m so thankful to be with her and to have support like that. I know not everyone does.

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Event #8 was the eighth of 12 gold ring events on the WSOP Circuit schedule at the Horseshoe. The $365 Omaha eight-or-better tournament attracted 168 players. The total prize pool came to $50,400 and the top 18 finishers were paid.

The tournament began Thursday, October 22 at 12 p.m. CT and Day 1 wrapped following Level 16. Day 2 resumed the following day at 2 p.m. with 33 players remaining and action concluded at about 11 p.m.

Final results:

1st: Jeff Shea - $13,609 + Circuit gold ring and $1,675 Main Event seat
2nd: Jim Juvancic - $8,410
3rd: Josh Reichard - $6,054
4th: Alan Cutler - $4,437
5th: Sean Troha - $3,309
6th: Kyung Han - $2,511
7th: Antwoine Dixon - $1,938
8th: Dean Jackson - $1,521
9th: John Ma - $1,213
10th: Jay Siegel - $982
11th: Aaron Steury - $982
12th: Terry Harden - $982
13th: David Mirshak - $808
14th: Robert Williams - $808
15th: Joshua Pender - $808
16th: Kevin Olsta - $676
17th: Mark Ostrosa - $676
18th: Sara Hall - $676

HORSE winner Jim Juvancic is heads up for another ring at the Horseshoe Casino. He currently trails Jeff Shea by a margin of roughly two-to-one. Regardless the outcome, Juvancic will take the Casino Championship lead with just four points-eligible events remaining.

Omaha 8 final table update:

Heads-up chip counts

Jeff Shea - 1,118,000
Jim Juvancic - 510,000

Remaining payouts

1st - $13,609 + Circuit gold ring and $1,675 Main Event seat
2nd - $8,410

Updated results

3rd: Josh Reichard - $6,054
4th: Alan Cutler - $4,437
5th: Sean Troha - $3,309
6th: Kyung Han - $2,511
7th: Antwoine Dixon - $1,938
8th: Dean Jackson - $1,521
9th: John Ma - $1,213
10th: Jay Siegel - $982
11th: Aaron Steury - $982
12th: Terry Harden - $982
13th: David Mirshak - $808
14th: Robert Williams - $808
15th: Joshua Pender - $808
16th: Kevin Olsta - $676
17th: Mark Ostrosa - $676
18th: Sara Hall - $676

Event #5 winner and Casino Championship contender Jim Juvancic tops the counts along with bracelet winner Aaron Steury (pictured) as 33 players remain in Event #7, a $365 Omaha 8 tournament. Only the top 18 finish in the money with a min-cash worth $676. Payouts escalate from there and top out in the form of a $13,609 first prize.

Top 10 Day 2 chip counts:

1. Jim Juvancic - 138,000
2. Aaron Steury - 135,500
3. Josh Pender - 97,500
4. Dean Jackson - 96,500
5. Terry Harden - 94,500
6. Josh Reichard - 93,500
7. Antwoine Dixon - 92,500
8. Shock Moy - 77,5000
9. Kevin Olsta - 60,000
10. David Mirshak - 57,000

Complete chip counts and chip counts arranged by table/seat are available on WSOP.com.

Cards are in the air for Day 2 now with blinds of 2,000/4,000. Updated seating assignments and chip counts will be provided when play consolidates to the unofficial final table.

The 168-player starting field in Event #8, a $365 Omaha 8 tournament, played to 33 remaining following 16 levels of action. Play resumes Friday at 2 p.m. with just the top 18 finishing in the money.

Chip counts and chip counts arranged by table/seat are available under the "Reports" tab above.

Registration in today's 12 p.m. $365 Omaha 8 tournament is closed. The event drew a total field of 168 players generating a prize pool of $50,400. The top 18 finishers earn prize money with a min-cash worth $676. In addition to $13,609, the event's champion heads home with a Circuit gold ring, 50 points toward the Casino Championship and a $1,675 Main Event seat added courtesy of the Horseshoe.

Full prize structure:

The field has narrowed slightly since cards went in the air roughly five hours ago. The clock reads 126 players remaining just minutes before the day's third break. Those still alive include Chicago's Mike Younan, gold bracelet winner Nick Jivkov, Hammond HORSE winner Jim Juvancic and ring winners Michael Sanders and Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler.

Day 1 is set to wrap following 16 (at about 9 p.m. CT).

Players are in the midst of their first break of the day and the clock reads 138 entrants. Late registration remains open until 4:30 p.m. CT. The final attendance figure and official prize pool information will be posted shortly thereafter.