Council Bluffs, IA—Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, the 13th event at the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, had the fastest final table of any tournament thus far. Exactly zero hands were dealt because the nine finalists immediately agreed to a chip-count deal.
They reportedly made the deal out of sympathy for this writer, sparing him -- for one day, anyway -- of having to cover two or three final tables a day.
This event had 53 players and a prize pool of $10,282. Jeff Rudolph, by a good length in front with 141,500 chips, was declared the winner. First place officially paid $3,702.
Rudolph, a 53-year-old computer engineer and recreational player from Naperville, Illinois, has been playing poker a long time, but this was only his third tournament. His second was the night before, and the first was last year at Horseshoe Southern Indiana.
2nd place: With 79,000 chips, Jerry Olson was given second place. Olson is a retiree from Osakis, Minnesota. Second officially paid $2,056.
3rd place: Ed Tonnellier had 25,500 chips and got third place. From Alberta, Canada, Tonnellier, 54, had been a supervisor at Casino Windsor and is now retired. His biggest cash by far was $118,458 for coming in second in a WSOP half Omaha, half Stud Hi-Lo event in 2007.
Tonight’s official payout for third was $1,131.
4th place: With 21,500 chips, Jimmy Blevins, a 55-year-old telephone repairman from Oakland, Nebraska, was paid an official $823.
5th place: Fred Walker, a 73-year-old retiree from Omaha, got an official $720 for fifth. Walker has five WSOP and three prior Circuit cashes. At the WSOP, his finishes include seconds in Stud and Razz.
6th place: With 11,000 chips, Jeff Bryan was paid an official $617 for sixth. Bryan, 52, is a sales manager from Fort Collins, Nebraska. His poker highlight is a 27th in the WSOP Main Event in 2007.
7th place: Robert Curran took seventh place and an official $514 with his 8,800 chips. Curran, 56, is a farmer from Russell, Iowa.
8th place: Dave Rutledge’s 7,500 chips was good for eighth place and an official $411.
Rutledge is an insurance agency owner from North Mankato, Minnesota. Rutledge has a prior Circuit final table, finishing eighth in Pot Limit Omaha, along with a second in the Diamond Jo Border Battle.
9th place: Lowest-chipped with 6,500, Cory Koeppen was given an official $303 for ninth. Koeppen, 37, from Lincoln, Nebraska, was making his first final table here – “With many more to come.” – Max Shapiro