Tuesday, March 27, 2018 1:23 AM Local Time
Blair Hinkle
One of the brightest stars in the history in the history of the World Series of Poker Circuit put his stamp on another event Monday evening. Blair Hinkle won the fifth Circuit ring of his illustrious career, tying him for 15th on the all-time rings list. His victory came in the $2,200 High Roller event at the Hard Rock Tulsa, and he earned $50,319 for his first-place finish.
Hinkle already has his name etched in the WSOP Circuit record books. He’s the only player in history to win back-to-back Main Events at the same venue (the Horseshoe Council Bluffs in 2013 and 2014), and the only player to win three Main Events at the same stop (Council Bluffs). Before today, his only other ring also came at that annual stop, in an $1,125 event last year.
Today’s victory marks another milestone for Hinkle – it’s his first WSOP Circuit victory that wasn’t at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs. “It feels amazing,” he said after securing the win. “Last year I won the $1K in Iowa, and maybe because it was Council Bluffs, I just thought, ‘Alright, it’s just another one.’ But winning one outside of Council Bluffs feels amazing.”
He walked a difficult road to this accomplishment. The tough field of 74 players included runner-up finisher Kurt Jewell (who has five Circuit rings of his own), third-place finisher Daniel Lowery (six rings), fifth-place finisher Robert Hankins (nine rings), just to name a few of his opponents. “It was a super-tough field when we got down to it,” Hinkle recalled. “And everyone was playing hard, but I just ran hot at the perfect time to where I started to be able to apply pressure. And then I started coolering people.”
The final hand, in particular was a bit of a cooler, as Hinkle held pocket aces against Jewell’s pocket kings. And when it happened, Hinkle could finally smell victory. “When the cards got turned up on the last hand, I was really rooting for it. And I’m not always in that type of mood. It was just excited, and it meant a lot to win. It felt really good to win this thing and feel like, ‘I might be back.’”
Monday, March 26, 2018 6:22 PM Local Time
Blair Hinkle
Blair Hinkle and Kurt Jewell are heads up with the board reading and Hinkle has checked.
Jewell bets 45,000 and Hinkle makes it 130,000. Jewell makes it 245,000 before Hinkle moves all in. Jewell calls his remaining 450,000 with and Hinkle turns over .
Kurt Jewell
The turn is the , giving Jewell more outs, but the river is the and Hinkle wins the hand, the tournament and the $50,319 first prize. He also wins his fifth WSOP circuit ring.
A full recap will be posted later.
Blair Hinkle - $2,200 High Roller Champion
Kurt Jewell - Eliminated in 2nd place ($31,135)
Monday, March 26, 2018 6:05 PM Local Time
Level: 21
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 2,000
Monday, March 26, 2018 6:05 PM Local Time
The flop is and Kurt Jewell checks. Blair Hinkle bets 20,000 and Jewell raises to 75,000.
Hinkle takes a moment and reraises to 130,000. Jewell is unmoved. He slides out a raise, making it 208,000 to go. Hinkle calls.
The turn is the and Jewell goes all in for 200,000. Hinkle takes a moment but folds.
Kurt Jewell - 770,000
Blair Hinkle - 1,080,000
Monday, March 26, 2018 6:02 PM Local Time
Kurt Jewell opens to 30,000 and Blair Hinkle raises to 65,000 and Jewell calls.
The flop comes and Hinkle bets 65,000. Jewell raises to 170,000 and Hinkle calls.
The turn is the and both players check. The river is the and Hinkle checks. Jewell bets 195,000 and Hinkle calls.
Hinkle wins the hand with against the of Jewell.
Blair Hinkle - 1,370,000
Kurt Jewell - 490,000
Monday, March 26, 2018 5:45 PM Local Time
Dan Lowery
Dan Lowery opens to 25,000 and Kurt Jewell reraises to 100,000. Lowery shoves all in and Jewell calls.
Lowery has against the of Jewell.
The board runs out and Jewell wins the hand with a better two pair.
Kurt Jewell - 815,000
Dan Lowery - Eliminated
Monday, March 26, 2018 5:29 PM Local Time
Level: 20
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 1,000
Monday, March 26, 2018 5:28 PM Local Time
Ravi Raghavan
Ravi Ragahavan is eliminated by Blair Hinkle in fourth place.
The table went from seven-handed to three-handed in about three hands and Raghavan is the latest victim, being eliminated by chip leader Blair Hinkle.
Blair Hinkle - 1,030,000
Ravi Raghavan - Eliminated
Monday, March 26, 2018 5:24 PM Local Time
Robert Hankins
Robert Hankins is eliminated when he gets all in preflop against Dan Lowery.
Lowery has against the of Hankins.
Hankins can't catch up and quickly follows Will Berry to the rail.
Dan Lowery - 390,0000
Robert Hankins - Eliminated
Monday, March 26, 2018 5:19 PM Local Time
Will Berry
Will Berry was eliminated by Blair Hinkle in sixth place.
According to Hinkle, Berry got all in when he made a straight on the turn, but Hinkle won the hand with a flush on the river.
Blair Hinkle - 805,000
Will Berry - Eliminated
Monday, March 26, 2018 5:16 PM Local Time
Brian Green
Brian Green shoves all in for 81,000 and Dan Lowery shoves all in over the top for 200,000. Green shows and Lowery shows .
The board runs out and Green is eliminated.
Dan Lowery - 300,000
Brian Green - Eliminated
Monday, March 26, 2018 4:42 PM Local Time
Level: 19
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 1,000
Monday, March 26, 2018 4:28 PM Local Time
The players are on a 15-minute break.
Monday, March 26, 2018 4:06 PM Local Time
Blair Hinkle eliminated Mike Cordell in eighth place. Hinkle says he flopped a set of threes against the of Cordell who flopped top two pair.
They got all in on the river and Hinkle won the hand to eliminate Cordell. Cordell takes home $5,913 for his finish and Hinkle takes a commanding lead with 535,000 chips.
Blair Hinkle - 535,000
Mike Cordell - Eliminated in 8th place ($5,913)
Monday, March 26, 2018 4:03 PM Local Time
Dan Lowery opens to 15,000 under the gun and Kurt Jewell calls from the cutoff. Blair Hinkle defends the big blind and the flop comes . Hinkle checks.
Lowery bets 24,000 and Jewell calls before Hinkle raises to 80,000. Both Lowery and Jewell fold.
Blair Hinkle - 365,000
Kurt Jewell - 360,000
Dan Lowery - 161,000
Monday, March 26, 2018 3:47 PM Local Time
Level: 18
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 1,000
Monday, March 26, 2018 3:41 PM Local Time
Dan Lowery just eliminated Andrew Watson in ninth place. According to the table, Watson had an open-ended straight draw against the top pair of Lowery. Watson couldn't complete the straight and is eliminated on the money bubble.
Dan Lowery - 205,000
Andrew Watson - Eliminated
Monday, March 26, 2018 3:27 PM Local Time
Kurt Jewell opens to 12,000 preflop and Blair Hinkle defends the big blind.
The flop comes all hearts, , and Hinkle checks. Jewell bets 14,000 and Hinkle calls. The turn is the and pairs the board.
Hinkle check-calls another 30,500.
The river is the and Hinkle checks again. Jewell bets 103,000 and Hinkle folds.
Kurt Jewell - 410,000
Blair Hinkle - 225,000
Monday, March 26, 2018 3:08 PM Local Time
Level: 17
Blinds: 2,500/5,000
Ante: 500
Monday, March 26, 2018 3:02 PM Local Time
The eliminations were coming quickly during the first portion of the tournament, going from 27 to 9 players in a little over two hours.
However, now that there are nine players remaining, the play seems to have tightened up. The action has definitely slowed down, but the speed should increase again once the money bubble is broken.
Eighth place is worth $5,913.