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When the eighth event of the Harrah's WSOP Circuit tour at Caesars Indiana got heads-up, Robert Mead led with 405,000 chips to 181,000 for Steven Jarrells. They didn't feel like playing it out, so instead made a deal and then played two showdown hands for the title. Jarrells won both showdowns, the second time with pocket aces, thus winning the $500 no-limit event.

Jarrells, 35, owns a heavy equipment rental business. He is from Turtle Creek, West Virginia, has been playing in home games for 15 years, and this is only the second tournament he has ever entered. In cash games, he likes $5-$10 or no-limit hold'em. On day one he was down to 2,800 with 60 players left before moving up. The key hand for him at the final table came with four players left when he made two pair to win a big pot from poker pro Ronnie Yarbrough, leaving  him very short-chipped. First place for Jarrells paid an official $45,473.  

Mead, at age 77, is by far the most senior player to make a final table here to date. His years didn't seem to be a factor for the genial Mead, who is a retired math science teacher, but lack of sleep did. The night before he was unable to secure a room and had to sleep on the floor of a friend's room, making do with two pillows and a head roll, and later was prevented from dozing in the lobby. "Do you think they'll sell me a room tonight?" he cracked as he cashed in for an official $25,010.

We started the final table with blinds of 1,500-3,000 and 400 antes, 29 minutes left. Leading the pack was Jeffrey Hargis with 170,800.

Here were the seat positions and chip counts:

SEAT 1 Jeremy Thompson    13,300 
SEAT 2 Benjie Durham          13,200
SEAT 3 Miguel Rodriguez      37,700 
SEAT 4 Robert Mead           122,200
SEAT 5 Chad Stoyell              43,400
SEAT 6 Ronnie Yarbrough   110,700
SEAT 7 Steven Jarrells           65,400
SEAT 8 George Lusby              9,400
SEAT 9 Jeffrey Hargis          170,800

First out on the sixth deal was Benjie Durham, a 39-year-old turf installer from Chatsworth, Georgia. He button-raised all in for 11,800 more with K-Q. Mead called from the big blind with pocket 5s and blew him away by making a full house. Durham placed second in the $1,000 Circuit event at Tunica. Ninth place tonight paid $2,842.

Next out was George Lusby, 40, from Georgetown, Kentucy. Lusby is a firefighter with the fire-breathing nickname of "Kamodadragon." Short-chipped, he was all in twice in a row. The first time he got by with pocket 10s. The second, he had Q-6 in the cut-off seat and was called by Hargis, holding 7h-5h on the button. A queen flopped, but so did two hearts, and Hargis put the dragon's fire out when a Kh on the river gave him a flush. Lusby, "a hard-working family man" with three children, learned poker on the Internet a year ago. Eighth paid $4,363.

After the first break, blinds went to 2,000-4,000, Hargis by now had increased his lead slightly, to about 180,000. Then, after beating Ronnie Yarbrough with a better A-high and knocking out Chad Stoyell, he climbed to about 250,000.

On the knockout hand, Stoyell, a homebuilder, moved in from the cutoff seat for 19,000 with pocket 10s. With plenty of chips, Hargis had an automatic call from the big blind with A-J. The board came A-6-6-6-2 and six were left. Stoyell, 33, is from Louisville. He's been playing poker four years, learning here and in home games. Tonight he collected $5,684.

Miguel Rodriguez was the next player to leave. Down to 8,000, he committed his chips with K-9 and was called by Yarbrough and Steve Jarrells. A board of A-Q-7-3-5 missed everybody, but Jarrells, with K-10, edged Rodriguez, who is originally from the Dominican Republic and now lives in Lexington, Kentucky. Rodriguez, nicknamed "Rod," has been playing poker for three years. He earned $7,105.

Next we went from Rod to hot rods, which is what Jeremy Thompson builds. On the 27th hand, Hargis raised with K-J, and Thompson pushed in for 20,500 with A-10. A king flopped and Thompson, who owns his own company, was out in fifth place. Thompson, 36, learned the game from his dad 20 years ago, and this is his first significant cash. The Louisville resident picked up $8,526 for fifth place.

The next hand was interesting. The board showed a scary 10-9-7-7-8. Robert Mead decided to try a bluff with 8-4, and bet 20,000. It wasn't enough, and after long thought, Hargis made a good call with 8-3, sufficient for a split. "If you had moved in, I'd be gone," Hargis advised him. When the level ended on hand 40, Hargis, slowly but steadily building his chips, had an even-bigger lead of 265,000, followed by Mead with close to 150,000 

Blinds now were now 3,000-6,000 with 500 antes. Four hands into the new level, Yarbrough was crippled. With the board showing 10-8-3-5, he confidently moved in for 94,500 with K-10. Jarrells, who held 10-3 in the big blind, now had two pair. He called for 80,500, and when his hand held up, Yarbrough was suddenly down to 14,000. Three hands later, he lost his remaining chips when he moved in with A-J. He was a big favorite when Jarrells called with As-3s. Then a trey hit the flop, and Yarbrough, making his third final table here in this tournament series, finished fourth.    

Yarbrough, a 57-year-old pro, won a circuit event in Tunica last month and also cashed in the 2006 WSOP main event this year. As of today he was  number 161 in Card Player's all-around rankings. He's from Memphis, and earned $9,947 for his fourth-place finish.

Hand 53 changed everything. With the board showing 10-7-5-K-3, Hargis, with 5s and treys, bet 16,500. Mead moved in for 81,500 with  6-4 for a straight, and after Hargis called, the man who was chip leader all the way until now was suddenly in third place with a bit under 140,000. Four hands later, Hargis was suddenly out after pushing his A-8 to no avail. He bet 20,500 pre-flop and 37,500 on a flop of 9-7-5, and Mead called both bets. He then went all in when a 10 turned, and Mead picked him off with K-9. Hargis, 53,  is a postal  worker from Cincinnati who has played poker for two years. His other hobbies include thoroughbred racing, fishing and movies. Understandably disappointed at only finishing third after leading the pack for so long, he settled for $12,789.

The two finalists now entered into a protracted deal discussion over the money and the coveted trophy gold ring, before deciding on their showdown arrangement.

Mead, who is now single, but has seven children, is from Bloomington, Indiana. His nickname is Rocky and he's been playing poker 10 years, and hold'em for only 12 months, learning to play in home games. The highlight in this event for him came when he beat aces full by flopping four queens.

-- Max Shapiro