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Council Bluffs, IA (April 2, 2012)—Patrick Kellogg had been there, but he had never done that.

The very first time he ever played a poker tournament he cashed, placing 69th. He followed that up with a few other small cashes and even recorded a runner-up finish in a $1,000 buy-in tournament in Aruba. He had been close, but he had never won. 

That all changed for Kellogg after WSOP Circuit Event #3 in Council Bluffs, IA.

The $350 No-Limit Hold’em tournament drew a 211-person field and had a prizepool of more than $60,000. Twenty-four finishers were awarded prize money culminating in the lion’s share first prize that would eventually find its way into Kellogg’s pocket.

Kellogg was the clear fan favorite, often the butt of the joke as the “overrated” cheer (led by Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon) echoed from the rail.

“That’s so funny that you have that ring,” Kellogg’s wife would say as he had his winner’s shot taken. “I can’t even stand it.” 

In the end, Kellogg was the last one laughing, and his rail, although harsh, really cared about him and was happy to see him win.

“He’s one of the greatest unsung heroes ever in Wisconsin,” Kroon said. “I’m proud of him.”

Day 1 saw the field sheared down to 15 remaining players. Kellogg was third in chips, joining Michael Duncan (12th) and Joseph Cappuccio (8th) as the only players with more than 200,000.

Unlike his adversaries, Kellogg was able to leverage his chip stack into an opportunity at gold. He soon found himself heads up with a chip lead, and all that was left to do was to size his ring finger.

More information on Kellogg's Event #3 final table can be found HERE. 

The final table started at 2:30 p.m. CT and lasted about seven hours. Going into the final stretch of play, the players stacked up as follows:

 Seat 1  Dale Beaudoin  Bar Harbor, MA  670,000
 Seat 2  Joe Cappuccio  Hammonton, NJ  291,000
 Seat 3  Jason Mayfield  Cabot, AK  129,000
 Seat 4  Bernard Morrow  Grand Island, NE  144,000
 Seat 5  Patrick Kellogg  Monona, WI  193,000
 Seat 6  Kevin McLaughlin  Omaha, NE  65,000
 Seat 7  Michael Holm  Naperville, IL  95,000
 Seat 8  Ryan Hartmann  Minneapolis, MN  161,000
 Seat 9  Long Boutchantharaj  Fort Worth, TX  227,000
 Seat 10  Roland Israelashvili  New York, NY  110,000

Tenth Place: Bernard Morrow is a government worker from Grand Island, NE. This finish marks his fourth WSOPC cash and second final table. He earned $1,149.

Ninth Place: Roland Israelashvili was born in the Republic of Georgia. He currently calls New York, NY home. He is a former racecar driver but now plays poker professionally. With two rings, a 37th-place finish in the Main Event and 43 career cashes in the WSOP, Israelashvili was the most accomplished player at the final table -- but a resumé can only get you so far. He earned $1,420 for ninth.

Eighth Place: Joe Cappuccio was awarded $1,781 for eighth place. He is a 26-year-old poker pro from Hammonton, NJ. This was his seventh WSOP cash, but first final table. 

Seventh Place: This was the first-ever WSOP cash for Kevin McLaughlin. He is a 47-year-old plumber from Omaha, NE. He was awarded $2,266.

Sixth Place: Michael Holm won $2,926 for sixth place. Holm has been a road warrior during the 2011/2012 Circuit season. Already with cashes in Hammond, Atlantic City and at Caesars Palace, he can now add a fourth stop to his list. He is a 57-year-old audio and video storeowner and says his poker passion is a six-figure score.

Fifth Place: Long Boutchantharaj was born in Laos and new resides in Fort Worth, TX. He is 35 years old and was awarded $3,836 for fifth.

Fourth Place: Ryan Hartmann took fourth and won $5,107. He is 34 and resides in Minneapolis, MN. 

Third Place: Dale Beaudoin won a ring earlier this year in the WSOP Circuit at Caesar’s Palace. He was awarded more than $25,000 for besting 349 entrants in that $350 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max tournament. Deaudoin is a 25-year-old bartender from Bar Harbor, MA. He says his superstitions include fifty-dollar bills. Hopefully the cage paid him his $6,905 in crisp hundreds. 

Second Place: Jason Mayfield resides in Cabot, AK and is married with two girls. He is a 36-year-old realtor who has now amassed 12 WSOP cashes. Second place was good for a $9,488 payday.

First Place: Kellogg is 47 years old and calls Monona, WI home. He works as a tool and die maker and won $15,348.

“The ring is awesome. I really wanted to win a ring here, but the money is very important, too,” Kellogg said.

WSOP Circuit events continue at Horseshoe Council Bluffs through April 10. The Main Event will take place April 7.

About Horseshoe Council Bluffs: Horseshoe Council Bluffs, located only a few miles from Omaha, NE, is Iowa’s largest casino. It opened in March 2006 after receiving an $86 million renovation and expansion. The property now features roughly 100,000 square feet of gaming space and boasts the title of Iowa’s only land-based, full-service casino. In addition to the most popular tables and slots, Horseshoe Casino features live greyhound racing and simulcast thoroughbred racing, giving it the broadest array of wagering options in the region. This is the sixth year the property has hosted a World Series of Poker Circuit event.

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