This page is the hub for information on the WSOP Circuit at IP Casino Resort & Spa. Check back here (wsop.com/n/76q) for updated information and links on this ongoing tournament series.
Biloxi, Miss. (September 18, 2017) -- Clay Henry has earned first World
Series of Poker gold ring on Monday.
The resident of Many, Louisiana defeated 68 entrants in the last ring
event of the IP Biloxi Circuit series. Event #12: $365 No-Limit Hold'em
took two days to complete and ended with Henry as the last man standing.
Kyle Cartwright came away with his third World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event title, after an extensive heads-up battle with fellow poker pro, TK Miles. The 29-year-old maneuvered 343 entrants in Event #10: $1,675 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event to win $118,332 and his seventh gold ring.
Cartwright's momentous victory marked the end of the IP Biloxi Circuit stop. The fourth stop of the 2017/18 Circuit season, Thunder Valley near Sacramento, began last Thursday. This coming Thursday kicks off the Seminole Hard Rock Circuit stop in Hollywood, Florida.
Completed Events
Event #1: $365 Double Stack No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #2: $365 Pot-Limit Omaha Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #3: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo (1 Re-Entry)
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #4: $365 No-Limit Hold'em
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #5: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Six Max Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #6: $365 Double Stack No-Limit Hold'em Turbo
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #7: $365 No-Limit Hold'em (30-Minute Levels)
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #8: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #9: $580 No-Limit Hold'em
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #10: $1,675 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #11: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #12: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Casino Champion Race
Adding 20 points to his total by cashing 7th in Event #12, Chris Lawson has secured the IP Biloxi Casino Championship. Lawson finished with 95 points coming from four different cashes.
Cody Stanford made a valiant run at the title, even overthrowing Lawson for a bit, with his 8th-place finish in the Main Event. Stanford was ahead by 2.5 points until Lawson cashed in the final ring event of the series to retake the lead in the end.
About the Winners
Dustin Stewart: Winner of Event #1
The multi-flight, re-entry event took four days to complete. In the end, it was Dustin Stewart who emerged victorious. The 31-year-old poker pro endured a 679-player field and many hours of tournament poker to earn his first World Series of Poker gold ring as well as $40,000 payday
Originally from Gulf Shores, Alabama, Stewart now lives in Biloxi. The hometown hero only recently began playing poker professionally, but there has been no lack of success for Stewart.
“Recently I just started, like two years ago, started playing like some of the regional ones. I made two final tables in New Orleans,” Stewart explained.
In 2017 alone, Stewart lays claim to two scores over $20,000. With this recent triumph he has doubled his personal best, and tripled his WSOP earnings. Stewart plans on continuing his run at the IP Biloxi Circuit stop in hopes of a Casino Championship.
Raymond "Trey" Walton: Winner of Event #2
Raymond "Trey" Walton has claimed yet another pot-limit omaha title, winning his third career gold ring after an up-and-down, heads-up battle with Kenneth Stacy. The 35-year-old defeated a field of 85 entrants in Event #2: $365 Pot-Limit Omaha Re-Entry to win $8,161 and earn 50 Casino Championship points.
“I like winning the PLO events because I play a ton of it and I’m trying to get as good as I can at it,” said Walton. “This summer I played every one I could afford; had a few decent, deep runs, but yeah I love it.”
PLO is Walton’s game of choice and his experience/expertise in the field certainly shows. His most recent Circuit victory was also a PLO endeavor. A mere 36 days ago, Walton won gold ring number two by taking down Event #2 at the Harrah’s Cherokee stop. The poker pro recorded his 29th WSOP cash and now has just over $270,000 in earnings.
Danny Griffith: Winner of Event #3
Danny Griffith took to the World Series of Poker Circuit at IP Biloxi and rushed to a victory in Event #3: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo (1 Re-Entry). Griffith bested an 84-entrant field to secure his second career gold ring.
It was almost a decade to the day since Griffith’s recorded his first Circuit title. “It’s been a long time. It’s been ten years, I think this month; ten years since I won the last one,” Griffith stated. His debut gold ring came in Event #3 at the Grand Casino Tunica stop in 2007.
The father of two from Little Rock, Arkansas has been casually playing tournament poker for around 20 years, but has been sighted on the Circuit radar more frequently in the recent years.
“I’m getting older now so I can get to where I can travel a little bit more,” said Girffith. “I’ve got two businesses I’ve got to run and my son’s getting older. He can kind of run one of them now.”
William "Cody" Stanford: Winner of Event #4
Cody Stanford, a poker pro from Mississippi, rose to the top of Event #4: $365 No-Limit Hold'em at the IP Biloxi Circuit stop in commanding fashion. The victory granted Stanford his first World Series of Poker gold ring and a $10,333 payday.
When asked how the accomplishment felt, Stanford responded with “It’s great; been looking forward to it. I’ve been playing poker for a living for seven years now.”
The 31-year-old took his Day 2 chip lead all the way to the end, knocking out players left and right along the way. Stanford scored two, double knockouts at the final table. The cards were undoubtedly in Stanford's favor because from there he finished off his last three opponents with in a matter of minutes.
Stanford’s wife was by his side during the aftermath of the triumph. They were married just two weeks earlier. The money and gold ring should be a satisfying wedding present.
Ed Bashuk: Winner of Event #5
Ed Bashuk claimed his first gold ring on Tuesday at the IP Biloxi Circuit. The Software Consultant defeated a field of 142 players in Event #5: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Six Max Re-Entry, also winning $12,141 in the process.
The tournament took two days to complete. After playing an extra level on Day 1, the heads-up competitors agreed they would sleep it off and finish the next afternoon. Bashuk seemed to be the primary advocate for the decision.
“Yeah, I was pretty tired. We played one extra round, and we had a lot of chips. We could have lasted another couple hours,” explained Bashuk. The extension was a pivot point that favored Bashuk in the end.
During the first level of Day 2, Bashuk delivered a final blow to Chris Edwards. Afterwards, Bashuk modestly explained how he managed the first-place accomplishment. “I guess just getting lucky, grinding it out. Just getting good cards at the right time,” said the resident of Atlanta, Georgia.
Before his recent gold-ring achievement, Bashuk had just one previous cash on the WSOP Circuit tour, a fifth-place finish at Caesars Indiana in 2007. Similarly, each of his two Circuit cashes were worth around $12,000.
Daniel Doucet: Winner of Event #6
Daniel Doucet was the proud victor of Event #6 at the IP Biloxi Ciruit. The Louisiana native outlasted 143 entrants in the $365 buy-in, turbo-style tournament to win $12,014 and his second World Series of Poker gold ring.
The event began Monday and was scheduled as a one-day endeavor, which held true, though it took a dip into the wee hours of the night. “It was hard to do. I took a 5 Hour Energy,” Doucet said with a laugh.
Doucet has frequented the WSOP throughout the recent years. “It’s just a hobby of mine,” claimed Doucet. “I’m kind of semi-retired. I like to play poker and golf.”
Though he claims to be a casual player, this was not Doucet's first time in the winner's circle. The 61-year-old's
previous Circuit title came in 2011 at the Harrah's New Orleans series. When comparing the two milestones, Doucet simply stated “It gets better every time.”
Hamid Izadi: Winner of Event #7
Hamid Izadi earned his first World Series of Poker gold ring Tuesday night. The native of Iran navigated through a field of 158 entrants in Event #7: $365 No-Limit Hold'em (30-Minute Levels). Izadi was overjoyed to achieve the Circuit title.
“It feels great. I’ve really been waiting for this for long time,” said Izadi. The 50-year-old disclosed that he has been playing for over 15 years. Adding his recent payout of nearly $13,00, Izadi’s WSOP earnings now sit just over $135,000, with cashes dating back to 2012.
Along the way, Izadi has become friends with fellow Circuit grinders. In fact, some comrades were present during the final stretch, cheering him on. However, rooting from the rail is not the only way Izadi’s pals have pushed him to claim a ring over the years.
“These, my buddies, they’ve won the ring, both of them, and they send me a picture every other day. They say ‘Hamid do you have one?’,” Izadi explained with laugh.
From now on, the poker enthusiast can respond with a confident "Yes!"
Richard Radford: Winner of Event #8
Richard Radford ultimately came away with his first World Series of Poker gold ring on Thursday. The retiree, born in Salem, New Jersey, took down Event #8: $365 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack at the IP Biloxi Circuit stop.
Radford endured nearly 24 hours of poker and a tough heads-up battle against four-time gold ring winner David Nicholson. Along the road to victory, Radford benefited from a solo railbird in his corner, his loving wife who provided support and the occasional coffee along the way.
Afterwards, the 80-year-old reminisced about his initial poker experience in 1952. “I worked as a Gandy Dancer on the railroad, 16-yearsold,” said Radford. “You got a half hour break and I would indeed, I’d play poker.”
Back then, the game of choice was 5 Card Draw. Now, 65 years later, Radford lays claim to a No-Limit Hold’em, WSOP Circuit title, another memory to add to his long list of achievements.
“Well, I’ve got a law degree. I went back to school after the Korean War. I was a commercial builder, realtor, developer, that sort of thing,” Radford said, touching on his background.
Chris Lawson: Winner of Event #9
Chris Lawson, a dealer for the World Series of Poker, showed up at the IP Biloxi Circuit stop to play, and took down a title. The 43-year-old meandered through a field of 113 players in Event #9: $580: No-Limit Hold’em to win $16,951 and a gold ring of his own, after dealing the WSOPC for so many years.
“I don’t play a lot because I deal the Circuit… I probably play 15 Circuit events a year,” said Lawson. Between working the Circuit tour and occasionally playing, the Texas native travels to many of the stops. When asked what his favorite stop is, Lawson replied with “I guess this one now.”
Lawson spoke on how poker dealing helps grow his own game. “It lets you kind of get your reads when not playing. You get experience at the table,” said Lawson. His experience took him all the way to the end of Event #9.
Also granting Lawson 50 points along with his first gold ring, the victory put him as the front runner in the race for Casino Champion.
Kyle Cartwright: Winner of Event #10 (Main Event)
Kyle Cartwright came away with his third World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event title on Monday. The 29-year-old maneuvered 343 entrants in Event #10: $1,675 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event to win $118,332 and his seventh gold ring. It was his second Main Event title at the IP Biloxi Circuit stop.
The tournament took four days to complete, including two separate starting flights. Cartwright made it through Flight B, bagging a top-15 stack going into Day 2.
From there, Cartwright went on to have a dominant Day 2. He entered the unofficial table with just over one million in tournament chips. Then, ended the day as outright chip leader, holding a stack worth 2,750,000. This set up a Day 3 strategy for Cartwright.
“I was going to play aggressive because I heard so many guys saying ‘I want a pay jump’ and stuff like that,” Cartwright explained. “So, I was playing a lot of hands; I mean I had no playback at me. If they played back at me they had it.”
When it was down to the final four players, Cartwright was in position to crush his three remaining opponents. However, a fateful hand was won by fellow poker pro, TK Miles. The all-in hand put a dent in Cartwright’s chip lead and gave Miles new life, ultimately leading the two competitors to a faceoff for the title.
“I mean, he is by far the best player I have ever faced heads up. That’s not even a question. He was tough, but I kind of figured him out after a while,” said Cartwright.
All in all, the heads-up battle took just over four hours. Miles did take over the chip lead for a time; but, in the end, it was Cartwright who finally scooped all the chips in play.
Cartwright now has a total of 63 cashes and WSOP earnings just over $1,250,000, not to mention a gold bracelet to his name. The New Orleans native, now living in Arlington, Tennessee, slowed down when it comes to the Circuit grind though.
“Tournaments, I don’t play too many anymore, but when I do I’m kind of successful. I should probably play more, but the cash at home is so good to where I don’t even want to travel anymore,” Cartwright explained. “I just stay close to home.”
Event with less frequency on the WSOPC, Cartwright still found a way to improve his already stellar career, adding a seventh gold ring to his résumé.
Varada "Don" Iyengar: Winner of Event #11
Don Iyengar, in his first World Series of Poker Circuit event ever, topped the final turbo of the IP Biloxi series. The native of India cruised through a field of 90 players in Event #11: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo to win $8,640 and his first gold ring.
“Oh, it’s awesome,” responded Iyengar when asked how the achievement felt. “This is beginners luck I guess,” he said with a laugh.Although Iyengar has been playing poker for a good amount of years, the 47-year-old is quite new to the live, tournament stage.
“It was about 2004, I started playing online. Then, they shut down online poker and it took me a while to transition to live poker,” Iyengar explained. “I usually play in cash games, Limit Hold’em… But I have been studying up quite a bit.”
Whether it was his preparation, a day full of luck, or a combination of the two, Iyengar stamped a memorable triumph for his poker record book. The full-time worker plays poker as more of a hobby, but took to the WSOPC and came away with the ultimate prize.
Clay Henry: Winner of Event #12
Clay Henry earned his first World Series of Poker gold ring in the last ring event of the IP Biloxi Circuit series. The resident of Many, Louisiana defeated 68 entrants in Event #12: $365 No-Limit Hold'em. The tournament took two days to complete and ended with Henry as the last man standing.
The 45-year-old has been playing poker for a while now, but only recently made it a full-time gig. “I used to be a contractor, but I pretty well play full time now,” said Henry.
When asked if he will continue playing professionally, Henry responded “Oh yeah! As long as we can. People ask me how it’s going. I say ‘Well I ain’t broke yet, so that’s good’,” Henry claimed with a laugh.
Since he began cashing on the WSOP Circuit, Henry has made five final table appearances. His recent victory marked number six. “I final closed one out, so I’m pretty proud of that,” Henry stated.
Along with the gold ring, Henry also banked 50 points to the Casino Championship and $7,140. The payday brings Henry’s WSOP earnings to over $60,000.
