Event #10: No-Limit Hold'em Main Event

After two starting flights, 666 total entrants, and a roughly 11-hour final table, the 2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah's Tunica Main Event has officially crowned a champion. Ryan Stevenson had a roller coaster of a final day but ultimately emerged victorious when he bested Norman McKeldin heads up to take down the title, the seat to the WSOP National Championship, and the $204,795 in first-place prize money. On his road to the title, Stevenson asserted his dominance at the table by eliminating players in sixth through second place before finally grabbing hold of the championship.

Not only was this event a success for the players participating, but also for the circuit stop itself. Last year this event pulled in a grand total of 647 runners and it was able to surpass that with 666 players ponying up the entrance fee to participate. The prize pool was just $1,000 shy of one million as it came in at $999,000.

WSOPC Harrah's Tunica Main Event Final Table

Andrew Rothfolk began the final table as the chip leader but it was eventual champion Stevenson who came out firing. Stevenson's aggressive approach to the early stages of the final table proved to be remarkably successful as his stack kept growing and growing.

The first casualty of the final table was David Kruger. Kruger saw his tournament come to an end when he moved his short-stack all in holding   . He was called by Rothfolk's    and the flop came down    . Kruger failed to improve on the subsequent streets and he was forced to settle for ninth place and a $19,161 payday.

Jerry Barlow found his demise a few hands later when he open-shipped his last 550,000 all in from middle position with   . McKeldin looked him up with    and was able to hold as the best hand, making certain that Barlow was the eighth-place finisher.

Mark Maletic was the next player to go. Maletic entered play as the short stack and made a fair point of doubling his short stack within the first two orbits without ever seeing a flop. Eventually, however, Maletic shipped all in for his last 545,000 from under the gun. Action folded all of the way around to table to McKeldin who announced a call. The rest of the table folded and the hands were tabled.

Showdown

Maletic:   
McKeldin:   

Maletic was in great shape to find a double up and it looked even better after the flop brought    . Fourth street spelled disaster for Maletic, though, as it was the dreaded   which gave McKeldin two pair and the lead in the hand. The   finished the board, giving McKeldin a full house and sending Maletic to the rail in seventh place. Maletic took home $30,789 for his run.

The sixth-place finisher was James Watkins. His fall came when Stevenson opened with a raise from early position. Watkins three-bet out of his small blind and Stevenson replied by four-betting him all in. Watkins called for his tournament life with    and was racing against Stevenson's   . Stevenson found the lead with a pair of jacks on the flop and never looked back. Watkins, on the other hand, exited the tournament area and pocketed $39,790 in winnings.

Jonathan Cary also fell at the hands of Stevenson when he moved his short stack all in before the flop with   . Stevenson woke up with    and a run out of       ensured that Cary would finish in fifth place.

During four-handed play, Stevenson and Michael Sanders engaged in a series of pots with each other. Most notably, Stevenson took a huge chunk of Sanders' stack when both players hit trip nines. Stevenson ended up out-kicking Sanders to take down the pot. He put the nail in Sanders' coffin when Sanders open shipped all in with   . Stevenson called and tabled   . Neither player paired on the board and Stevenson's ace-high was enough to put Sanders on the rail with fourth-place money in his pocket.

Three-handed play then proceeded to last a grueling four and a half hours with all three players trading the chip lead back and forth. During this time Stevenson found himself at extreme disadvantage with only around 800,000 in chips. By the end of the level, however, he was commanding the table once more with over 6.6 million. After an insane series of hands, it was Day 3 starting chip leader Rothfolk who was the next to exit. Rothfolk raised all in from the button for his last 2 million in chips and Stevenson called out of the small blind.

Rothfolk showed    but was ultimately behind the    of Stevenson. The dealer flipped over a board of       and Rothfolk was eliminated in third place. He took home $92,947 in prize money.

After the behemoth of a three-handed session, heads up went by in a breeze. In fact, it only took one hand for Stevenson to clinch the title.

With the blinds at 70,000/140,000/20,000, McKeldin had the button and opened with a raise. Stevenson called out of the big blind and the flop brought    . Stevenson tapped the table and passed the action to McKeldin.

"All in," said McKeldin. His all in was for 4.545 million.

"Why so much?" asked Stevenson before ultimately deciding to call.

McKeldin:   
Stevenson:   

Stevenson was ahead for now with his pair but any diamond, ace, or king would catapult McKeldin into the lead. The turn brought exactly that. The   dropped down and the rail let out a collective gasp. Suddenly the tables were turned and it looked as if McKeldin would double up and heads up play would go on. The dealer tapped the table and dealt the river.

The  !

McKeldin was eliminated in second place in a flash at the hands of Stevenson's two pair. He took home $126,723 for his efforts.

WSOPC Harrah's Tunica Final Table Payouts

The team here at PokerNews extends its most sincere congratulations to Ryan Stevenson for conquering the field of 666 players to take down the title. That does it from Tunica, Mississippi. Make sure to stay tuned as we continue to provide the latest updates from the WSOP Circuit. Next stop: Las Vegas. Until then!

Andrew Rothfolk open shipped his last 2 million all in from the button. Ryan Stevenson called from the small blind and the big folded.

Rothfolk:   
Stevenson:   

The board dropped down       and Rothfolk was unable to catch up, securing his third-place elimination. He will collect $92,947 for his efforts in this week's Main Event.

Andrew Rothfolk

0

-3,200,000

Andrew Rothfolk opened to 300,000 from the button. Both Ryan Stevenson and Norman McKeldin called from small and big blinds respectively.

The flop brought     and all three players checked. The turn was the   and Stevenson checked. McKeldin bet 400,00 and just like that two hands hit the muck and he took down the pot.

Players are currently on another 8-minute break.

Andrew Rothfolk had the button. He opened to 250,000 and was called by Ryan Stevenson from the small blind.

The flop was     and both players tapped the table to see the turn. Fourth street brought the   and Stevenson checked once more. Rothfolk fired 260,000 and Stevenson decided to stick around.

The river was the   and Stevenson checked for a third time. Rothfolk slid out 725,000 and Stevenson snapped him off. Rothfolk tabled    and Stevenson shook his head and shot his hand to the muck. Rothfolk now has about half of the chips in play with 6.7 million to Stevenson's 2.775 million.

Andrew Rothfolk	6,700,000	1,125,000
Ryan Stevenson	2,775,000	-725,000

Picking up with the action on a flop of     , Norman McKeldin checked and Ryan Stevenson bet 325,000. McKeldin called and the river was the  . McKeldin led for 1 million even and Stevenson called.

McKeldin rolled over the    for queens full of eights and Stevenson mucked.

Soon after, Stevenson opened to 250,000 from the button and McKeldin open-shipped all in from the small blind. Stevenson tanked for well over two minutes before finally laying down    face up. McKeldin showed    and dragged in the pot.

Norman McKeldin	3,825,000	1,325,000
Ryan Stevenson	3,500,000	-1,425,000

Players are now on an 8-minute break.

After being a severe short stack, Ryan Stevenson has now regained the chip lead. We caught the tail end of this hand, but we do know that Norman McKeldin limped from the button and all three players saw a flop with action checked from Stevenson's big blind.

The flop read     and all three players saw a turn of  . After an unknown bet, Andrew Rothfolk got out of the way and the river brought the  . Stevenson checked and McKeldin bet 1 million.

Stevenson tank-called and showed    for the win. McKeldin mucked and Stevenson raked a large pot.

Ryan Stevenson	5,200,000	2,550,000
Norman McKeldin	2,600,000	-2,100,000

A short-stacked Ryan Stevenson was all in preflop for his tournament life against Andrew Rothfolk.

Rothfolk:   
Stevenson:   

The flop brought nothing for Stevenson as it fell    . He paired up when the   hit the turn and sealed the double up when the   finished off the board. He's now sitting on about 2 million to Rothfolk's 4.95 million.

Andrew Rothfolk	4,950,000	-1,050,000
Ryan Stevenson	2,000,000	1,300,000

Norman McKeldin opened to 225,000 from the button. Action folded to Ryan Stevenson who called from the big blind.

The flop brought     and Stevenson checked. McKeldin continued for 380,000 and Stevenson quickly announced that he was all in. McKeldin mucked and Stevenson took the pot.