Event #3: $200,000 Guarantee No-Limit Hold'em (Re-Entry w/4 Starting Flights)

Stuart Pfeifer Takes Down Ring in Massive Re-Entry Field

Former Los Angeles Times reporter earns first major tournament win, scoring $55,110 and a Circuit ring in the $365 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry.  

Los Angeles, CA. (December 8, 2015) — Countless hours of studying and learning the game has paid off for Stuart Pfeifer. Pfeifer takes home his first World Series of Poker Circuit ring and $55,110 after topping 1,000 players in the $365 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry at the Bicycle Casino on Tuesday afternoon.

Pfeifer had some trouble controlling his emotions after the final card was dealt, admitting that he’s been working towards this moment for quite some time.

“The emotion that I’m feeling has to do with the amount of work that I’ve put into this game seriously for like the last five years,” he said after his win. “I fall asleep most nights watching training videos, I belong to a poker study group that includes some of the best players in Los Angeles, I’ve read virtually every poker book you can imagine, and I’ve spent countless hours going over hands with my best friends and all of that work culminating in this ring, it almost became too much for me to handle.”

The score couldn’t have come at a better time for the 51-year-old Southern California native. He had been a reporter in the business section of the Los Angeles Times for 15 years before recently accepting a buy-out.

“The newspaper business is struggling,” said Pfeifer. “I went ahead and took the buy-out. With the month of the December being off, I’ve decided to devote this whole month to playing the whole series at the Bike. It’s worked out unbelievably.”

Pfeifer has found a job in public relations, so he won’t be turning to poker full-time, but he does have a big expense coming up that this money will help out with – a wedding. He is currently engaged and set to be married on Decmeber 19^th.

“I’m so happy at this time of my life,” said Pfeifer. “Starting a new career, getting married and winning my first significant poker tournament. I just couldn’t ask for more.”

While Pfeifer admits to have put in the work to improve his game, he knows he didn’t get here alone. He credits some of his success to having the right players around him.

Nipun Java, who finished third in this very event was a mentor to him and eight-time ring winner Alex Masek coached him.

“I’d like to thank all of my friends who have patiently listened to my hand histories through the years and helped me develop into the player I am today.”

Day 2 ended with just three players left and Pfeifer came into the final day with a massive chip lead for the start of three-handed play over David Rich and his aforementioned Mentor, Java.

Java busted in third place to Rich and the chips were almost even at the start of the heads-up battle between Pfeifer and Rich. Pfeifer was able to slowly extend his chip lead and eventually finish the job when his pocket kings held up against Rich’s king-jack.

Play was scheduled to end at the completion of level 29, but there were five players remaining and they agreed to play one more level. Jarod Einsohn was eliminated in fifth place and Tara Dunn hit the rail in fourth place before the end of the level happened. Stuart Pfeifer, Nipun Java, and David Rich decided to bag up the chips and come back on Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. to play down to a winner.

Here are a look at the chip counts:

Stuart Pfeifer - 5,910,000
Nipun Java - 2,055,000
David Rich - 2,005,000

The $365 No Limit Hold'em Re-Entry event is down to its final two tables and there are 16 players remaining. With the final table on everybody's mind, it is Nipun Java (pictured above) and David Rich (pictured below) at the top of the counts, each sitting with around 1,200,000.

Dinner break chip leader Tara Dunn is still in the hunt with 800,000 and Alan Myerson is looking to make his second consecutive final table and has 525,000 at this point. Circuit regular Neil Scott is also still alive with 270,000. With 16 left, all of the players are guaranteed a payday of at least $2,960.

Blinds are 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante and there are still four more levels left before wrapping up for the night.

During the middle stages of level 16, Barbara Enright was eliminated in 109th place to officially burst the bubble. There was no official hand-for-hand play because Enright was eliminated as the staff was having dealers hold up to being the process of hand-for-hand.

The remaining 108 players are guaranteed a payday of at least $550. Among those remaining is Alan Myerson (pictured above), who is fresh off of his first ring in the $365 Bounty No Limit Hold'em event, which gave him a tie atop the Casino Championship standings. A cash in this event officially gives him the lead in the race and separates him from Dave Banerjee, who is in second with 50 points for winning the $365 Monster Stack No Limit Hold'em.

With all four starting flights in the books, Rafi Azam bagged a massive chip lead in the $365 No Limit Hold'em after bagging 278,600 at the end of Day 1D.

His closest competitor is Baruch Thaler, who bagged 183,200 at the conclusion of Day 1B.

The four starting flights brought out a total of 1,000 players, generating a prizepool of $300,000 and shattering the $200,000 guarantee. By the end of all of the Day 1's, the field was trimmed to the final 155 players, with the top 108 players earning a payday.

When the money bubble pops on Day 2, everybody will be guaranteed at least a min-cash of $550, but everybody has their sights set on the $55,510 first place prize along with a Circuit ring.

Day 2 gets cards in the air at noon on Monday and will play 15 levels before wrapping up for the night.

Here's a detailed breakdown of today's structure: