Ring Event #7: $1,125 No-Limit Hold'em

Event #7
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,000 (+$125)
Total Entries: 142
Prize Pool: $142,000
October 21-22, 2015

Less than five months after record-setting victory, Garcia becomes a two-time ring winner.

Houston, Tex. pro prevails over Brandon Fish in back-and-forth battle; pockets $39,759.

Hammond, Ind. (October 23, 2015) — At only 25 years old, Cord Garcia has already experienced a career on that felt that would make most pros blush. The Houston, Tex. resident is in the midst of a 2015 that kicked off in the biggest way possible at this summer’s WSOP when he won the largest tournament in poker history, the Colossus. Garcia maneuvered through a minefield of more than 22,000 entries – better than double the previous attendance record – and stamped his name in the record books winning his first bracelet in the process.

Just a few months later and with that victory behind him, Garcia made his way to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind. and entered Event #7, a $1,125 no-limit hold’em tournament. As he did in the Colossus, Garcia bobbed and weaved through a much more intimate, 142-person field and ultimately left victorious again earning his second ring and $39,759.

“You don’t win first place often, so it feels good,” the humble champion said. “I think every tournament is special in its own way. This is my second ring and I was really motivated to try to chase points this year for the [WSOP Global Casino Championship].”

Garcia, who turns 26 next month, is experiencing an onslaught of deep runs as of late. Following his $638,880 score in the Colossus, he finished third in the CoCo Poker Open Main Event for $100,500 and sixth in a $570 at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker open for more than $60,000. Those three scores, combined with his win in Hammond, total more than $800,000 earned over the span of a few months.

“I’m just trying to ride the wave and appreciate everything that’s happening and see what I can turn it into now,” Garcia said. “Everything I play for the rest of the year, it’s just icing on the cake. I’m going to keep staying at it and try to do something else.”

The victory in Event #7 may not have come against a record-breaking field, but it was a tough test nonetheless. Joining Garcia in the money were Mike Mustafa (12th), Aaron Massey (11th), Javier Zarco (10th), Maxx Coleman (ninth), Kevin Andriamahefa (eighth) and Fadi Hamad (sixth). The most difficult leg of the journey came during three-handed play when Kyle Julius, Brandon Fish and Garcia dueled it out for nearly three hours. Julius lead the trio before he doubled Fish. Just a few hands later, Fish got the last of Julius’ stack and the Chicago pro hit the rail third earning $17,739. From there, Garcia and Fish battled back and forth for the better part of two hours. At one point or another, each player had all but won only to see the other get new life and eventually retake the chip lead. In the end, Garcia got the best Fish who busted second earning $24,575.

“I would say I am more motivated now than ever,” Garcia said. “I know I’m capable of playing any stack at any time in any field. That’s definitely very valuable to have that mentality going in. At the same time I try to stay balanced and try to realize that I’m not invincible. It’s a very fine line […] I love the game — just keeping getting more trophies, more bracelets. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Garcia’s victory came on the eve of the Horseshoe’s $1,675 Main Event. In addition to the finale, he plans to play the property’s $5,300 High Roller ring event which begins Sunday at 5 p.m.

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Event #7 was the seventh of 12 gold ring events on the WSOP Circuit schedule at the Horseshoe. The $1,125 no-limit hold’em tournament attracted 142 players. The total prize pool came to $142,000 and the top 15 finishers were paid.

The tournament began Wednesday, October 21 at 2 p.m. CT and Day 1 wrapped at the 10-handed final table. Day 2 resumed the following day at 2 p.m. and action concluded at about 10 p.m.

Final results:

1st: Cord Garcia - $39,759 + Circuit gold ring and $1,675 Main Event seat
2nd: Brandon Fish - $24,575
3rd: Kyle Julius - $17,739
4th: Philip Ariganello - $13,034
5th: James Kasputis - $9,744
6th: Fadi Hamad - $7,408
7th: Sasidhar Bobba - $5,727
8th: Kevin Andriamahefa - $4,499
9th: Maxx Coleman - $3,591
10th: Javier Zarco - $2,911
11th: Aaron Massey - $2,911
12th: Musa Mustafa - $2,911
13th: Kristopher Bradshaw - $2,397
14th: Robert Kuhn - $2,397
15th: Kenneth Detina - $2,397

Following roughly two-and-a-half hours of three-handed play, a short stacked Kyle Julius got the last of his chips in holding    versus the    of Brandon Fish. Fish's hand held and Julius, a Chicago-area pro, hit the rail third earning $17,739. With his elimination, Cord Garcia takes the chip lead into heads-up play against Fish.

Heads-up chip counts

Cord Garcia - 1,480,000 (60 bb)
Brandon Fish - 650,000 (27 bb)

Remaining payouts

1st - $39,759 + Circuit gold ring and $1,675 Main Event seat
2nd - $24,575

Day 2 of the $1,125 ring event begins at 2 p.m. CT with none other than Colossus bracelet winner Cord Garcia out in front. The tournament is down to the final 10 participants and Garcia holds a stack of 442,000 good for 88 big blinds. The Houston, Tex. pro already has a victory in a 22,000-player field under his belt, but today's test will be no walk in the park. Others still alive include Chicago pros Kyle Julius in second, Fadi Hamada and Kevin Andriamahefa as well as Javier Zarco.

Seating assignments and chip counts:

Seat 1: Fadi Hamad - 270,500 (54 bb)
Seat 2: Kevin Andriamahefa - 150,000 (30 bb)
Seat 3: Jim Kasputis, Jr. - 227,500 (45 bb)
Seat 4: Sasidhar Bobba - 104,000 (20 bb)
Seat 5: Cord Garcia - 442,000 (88 bb)
Seat 6: Kule Julius - 304,500 (60 bb)
Seat 7: Javier Zarco - 65,000 (13 bb)
Seat 8: Philip Ariganello - 115,500 (23 bb)
Seat 9: Brandon Fish - 272,500 (54 bb)
Seat 10: Maxx Coleman - 179,500 (35 bb)

All 10 players have locked up a score of $2,911, but the winner walks with $39,759, a Circuit gold ring, 50 points toward the Casino Championship and a $1,675 Main Event seat added courtesy of the Horseshoe.

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

The tournament clock sits at 41 players remaining toward the beginning of Level 13. Day 1 is set to wrap following Level 21 (at about 4 a.m. CT) or at the 10-handed final table, whichever comes first. Day 2 resumes tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Complete chip counts and partial results will be posted in the morning well prior to the restart.

Cards are freshly back in the air following the first break on Day 1 of Event #7, today's 2 p.m. $1,125 ring event. The clock currently reads 129 players entered with almost three full levels of late registration remaining. The final attendance figure and complete prize pool information will be provided shortly after the desk closes.