This is the central page for information about the ongoing WSOP Circuit series at the IP Biloxi. Check back here daily (https://wsop.com/n/9g7) for updated schedule and results.
16 December 2019 (Biloxi) - The World Series of Poker Circuit stop at IP Biloxi for the 2019/2020 season came to an end on Monday evening. Over the course of 12 days, there was a total of 13 official WSOP rings events. All the events combined attracted 2,538 entrants creating a total prize pool of $1,178,239.
The highlight of the first weekend was the multi-flight event, Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (4 Flights). This event attracted 665 players creating a prize pool of $219,449. When all was said and done, and after a heads-up battle that lasted over six hours, it is Yousef Saleh who claimed the title, as well as his first Circuit ring and the top prize of $34,004. Saleh had set a goal for himself to improve his game and his multiple deep runs throughout the year were proof of his hard work. He also had already secured an eight-place finish this series in Event #1: 400 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack, so his two scores put him in the early lead of the Casino Champion race.
Some other players to join the winner circle for the first time were Charles Brady and Russell Boyette.
Brady took down Event#3: $250 No-Limit Hold’em (1 Day) in his first ever recorded tournament cash after outlasting 147 competitors. Brady was down to one chip left a couple of times during the tournament, but he managed to prove that the old poker adage of “a chip and a chair” is true, collecting $7,791 and his first gold ring.
As for Boyette, he claimed the title of Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (1 Day). Right after getting 14th in Event #2 for $2,826, his first ever WSOP cash, Boyette didn’t waste time and decided to take a shot at Event #4. A few hours later, he found himself going home with a title, a Circuit ring and an extra $8,815 for the day. A few days later, he made the final table of Event #7: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed and ended up getting third. He took over Yousef Saleh’s top spot in the Casino Champion race and remained at the top until the final two days of the series.
Bracelet winner Robert Cheung also achieved success in his first visit to Biloxi, adding a third Circuit ring to his already stacked resume. He emerged victorious in Event #5: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed (1 Day) after besting a field of 107 players for $9,921.
Another bracelet winner to infiltrate the limelight was Corey Harrison. After getting extremely close to grabbing his first Circuit ring at multiple occasions, Harrison finally got his breakthrough this series in Event #9: $600 No-Limit Hold’em, collecting his first Circuit ring and $20,027. He defeated newly crowned winner Charles Brady heads-up to win the title. Brady who had claimed his first ring in his first ever recorded cash after winning Event #3, was going for a second ring to mark his second recorded cash but fell one spot short.
Shawn Quillin and Melisa Singh also joined the circle of repeat winners. Quillin surpassed 332 opponents in Event #8: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack, collecting $24,264. Although the 55-year old full-time radiologist doesn’t often play, when he does, he gets memorable results.
Singh also managed to capture more gold at this stop. Just a few weeks after winning her first official Circuit ring at the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant, she took down the final event of the IP Biloxi series for $14,902 and more importantly, her second official ring. Singh, who had also won an unofficial ring in 2017 after winning the Ladies Event of the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Circuit stop, now has a total of three trophy rings.
As for $1,700 Main Event, both flights combined drew 281 entries creating a prize pool of $425,715 and surpassing the $400,000 guarantee. After three days of play, it is Boris Kasabov who emerged as the champion for $98,044 and his first ring.
Kasabov was in good shape to win a Circuit title many times prior to his victory. In fact, he had appeared at thirteen Circuit final tables, including a runner-up finish in Event #7: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed (1 Day) of this stop.
Heading into the final day, he was the only player out of the final five with no Circuit title, and although he started Day 3 as the shortest stack, he managed to bounce back and defeat WSOP Circuit champions to close it out, and claim a ring for himself. Kasabov also earned himself a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship with his Main Event Victory.
Concerning the second awarded seat, although Russell Boyette was leading the Casino Champion race for most of the stop, BJ McBrayer was closely trailing him all the way. McBrayer already had four cashes including three final tables, and on the last Sunday of the series, he added two deep runs to his resume, a 13th place finish in the Main Event and a 8th place finish in the last event of the series to surpass Boyette and win the Casino Champion title with a total of six cashes including four final tables worth 120 points.
Additionally, all players who cash in ring events earn points that apply toward the season-long race to claim one of the limited at-large bids. More information on the points system is available on WSOP.com. There isn’t much of a break on the Circuit schedule. In fact, cards are currently in the air at Harrah’s Las Vegas.
Completed Events
Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Double Stack - Jonathan Honeycutt tops a field of 148 players to claim his first Circuit ring and $12,946.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold'em (4 Flights) - Yousef Saleh emerges victorious after navigating through a field of 665 players. He collects $34,004 and his first ring.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #3: $250 No-Limit Hold'em (1 Day) - Charles Brady claims his first Circuit ring in his first recorded tournament cash after defeating 147 players.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold'em (1 Day) - Russell Boyette wins his first Circuit ring and $8,815, his best live cash to date, after outlasting 90 players.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #5: $400 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed (1 Day) - Robert Cheung wins his third Circuit ring during his first visit to Biloxi.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #6: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha - William Pollard navigates through a field of 79 players to take home his first Circuit ring and $8,068.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #7: $400 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed (1 Day) - Trace Henderson scores his first Circuit gold ring after besting a field of 153 players.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #8: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack - Shawn Quillin defeats 332 players to win his second Circuit ring and $24,264.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #9: $600 No-Limit Hold'em - Bracelet winner Corey Harrison outlasts a field of 145 players to win his first Circuit ring.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #10: $1,700 No-Limit Hold'em - Boris Kasabov tops a field of 281 players to win the Main Event title along with his first Circuit ring and $98,044
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #11: $400 No-Limit Hold'em (1 Day) - Jason Tang earns his first WSOP Circuit title after outmatching 125 players
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #12: $400 No-Limit Hold'em (1 Day) - Gavin Munroe adds a second Circuit ring to his collection after outlasting 88 players.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #13: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Double Stack (1 Day) - Melisa Singh captured her second official ring after outmatching 178 players.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Casino Champion Update
BJ McBrayer wins the Casino Champion title with 120 points including six cashes and four final tables.
About the Winners
Event #1 - Jonathan Honeycutt
Jonathan Honeycutt just claimed his first Circuit ring after taking down the first event of the IP Biloxi Circuit series, Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack (1 Day). He topped a field of 148 players and collected $12,946 for his victory.
The stakes were high at the final table as multiple notables were still in contention and Honeycutt stayed humble when talking about his victory.
“I feel pretty good, it was a tough final table. When we were down to five, the players left were all very good players. It’s great to win. We were all short-stacked here at the final table so it could have been anybody’s ring. I ran really great, there were a lot of spots that I was all in behind and I managed to get there.”
Event #2 - Yousef Saleh
Yousef Saleh topped a field of 665 entries across four starting flights in Event #2: 400 No-Limit Hold’em (4 Flights), earning his first Circuit ring and $34,004.
“I feel good. I already made two final tables this series. It’s awesome.”
Indeed, Saleh has been having a great year with multiple deep runs on his resume. When asked if he’s been doing anything differently, Saleh responded:
“I believe in goals for myself. Last year, I wasn’t in poker that much. I played here at the IP the series and didn’t do anything. Then after that I wanted to take it seriously. There’s a guy who inspired me who said: “If you keep playing the way you’re playing and work on it a little bit, you will be a champion.” I just kind of took it seriously from this day. But it’s still a hobby, I don’t play for a living. I love the game, but it has ups and downs.”
Event #3 - Charles Brady
Charles Brady just claimed his first Circuit ring in his first recorded tournament cash after outlasting 147 competitors in Event #3: $250 No-Limit Hold’em (1 Day).
“I was down to one chip twice. I was down to 1,400 at Level 7 and I got down to about 2,000 at Level 11. At the final table, I was down to a big blind when there were seven of us left, and now I’m holding the ring.”
Event #4 - Russell Boyette
Right after getting 14th in Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (4 Flights) this afternoon, Boyette didn’t waste time and jumped straight in Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (1 Day). He managed to be the last man standing of this event, topping his day with a victory and his first Circuit ring.
“I feel good, I felt good all day. After the first event, I just decided last minute to get in this one, it ended up working out good. I’ve cashed fourteen out of the last eighteen tournaments I’ve played. It’s been a good run."
Event #5 - Robert Cheung
Robert Cheung’s first visit to Biloxi is off to a good start. He just defeated 107 players in Event #5: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed (1 Day) of the WSOP Circuit at IP Biloxi, collecting $9,921. This first-place finish adds another ring to his already stacked resume, and he now has three Circuit rings and one WSOP bracelet, with over $1,245,000 in WSOP cashes.
“I feel good. I love it here. The people and the players here are nice and friendly and the casino is very nice. I’m very impressed with the tournament area. Everyone was laughing, making jokes…having fun is more important than winning a tournament.”
Event #6 - William Pollard
William Pollard has just joined the circle of World Series of Poker Circuit winners after navigating through a field of 79 players in Event #6: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha.
Pollard overcame a tough lineup to take home the $8,068 first-place prize. The final table was reached on Day 1 and it included multiple WSOP Circuit champions and experienced PLO players. However, Pollard was leading throughout most of it and he kept playing his best game, eventually making it to the final four and returning for the final day.
“They were all very good players. I’m not a huge PLO player, I play mostly Hold’em.”
Event #7 - Trace Henderson
Trace Henderson earned his first World Series of Poker title on Tuesday evening at the IP Biloxi Circuit series. He defeated 153 opponents in Event #7: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed (1 Day), winning 13,382 and his first WSOP gold ring.
The poker professional got close to winning a Circuit ring at multiple occasions during his career, including once this series. Just last week, he made it to the final table of Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack (1 Day) but he ended up getting 9th for $1,029.
“I’ve been close before multiple times, it’s good to get one finally. I got hot early, and never looked back. It was a fun run,” Henderson said following his win.
Event #8 - Shawn Quillin
Shawn Quillin just added a second Circuit ring to his collection after surpassing 332 opponents in Event#8: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack.
“I’m ecstatic. I do not get to play that often, and when I do, I’m very fortunate. I’ve had some good runs, but nothing like this. To win a tournament, on the Circuit, against all the best players…” Quillin said after his victory.
Quillin started the final day third in chips, and although it wasn’t all smooth for him at the beginning of the day, he implemented patience for a while, then turned the heat back on.
“I had lot of chips early. It kind of slowed down late yesterday, and then I came in third today. It was very slow for me early, but I got a couple of double ups late when we were four-handed and that repelled me to my position.”
Event #9 - Corey Harrison
Bracelet winner Corey Harrison just won his first Circuit ring and $20,027 in Event #9: $600 No-Limit Hold’em of the WSOP Circuit at IP Biloxi after navigating through a field of 145 competitors.
Harrison has multiple WSOP Circuit final tables on his resume and he got extremely close to winning a ring at multiple occasions before finally breaking through today. In fact, he made the final table of this event last season but ended up getting ninth.
“It feels great, I’ve actually been to a few final tables but the cards actually fell my way today, so I was able to make it through. It feels good to finally make it over the top,” Harrison said following his win.
Event #10 - Boris Kasabov
Boris Kasabov just became the latest Main Event Champion of the 2019/2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Season after topping a field of 281 players in the IP Biloxi Main Event. He claims his first WSOP Circuit ring along with $98,044 and a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship.
"It feels surreal. It is very important, because I knew I wasn't going to stop playing until it happened. Just like everyone says, it's a big accomplishment," Kasabov said following his victory.
Event #11 - Jason Tang
Jason Tang earned his first World Series of Poker Circuit title on Saturday at the IP Biloxi after outmatching 125 players in Event #11: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (1 Day).
Tang is no stranger at the WSOP Circuit. In fact, he has a track record of multiple final tables, and today, he finally managed to close one out to take home his first Circuit ring, the title, and the top prize of $11,241.
“First ring, it feels amazing, finally. I have five bubbles, but it finally happened. I checked one off my bucket list, now I need a bracelet.”
Event #12 - Gavin Munroe
Event #12: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (1 Day) just wrapped up after 25 levels of play, leaving Gavin Munroe as the last player standing. Munroe earned $8,615 for his victory, but more importantly, he won his second World Series of Poker Circuit ring.
“It feels good, just busted the Main so had to jump into this. I’m glad to win it,” Munroe said following his win.
Event #13 - Melisa Singh
Just a few weeks ago, Melisa Singh collected her first official Circuit ring after winning Event #8: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed at the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant. Today, she already adds another ring to her collection after outmatching 178 players in the final event of the IP Biloxi Circuit series, Event #13: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack. She collects the five-figure top prize of $14,902 for her victory.