This is the central page for information about the ongoing WSOP Circuit series at Seminole Coconut Creek. Check back here (https://wsop.com/n/8ms) daily for updated schedule and results.
30 September 2019 (Coconut Creek) - The World Series of Poker Circuit stop at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek for the 2019/2020 season has reached its conclusion on Monday evening with the completion of Event #13. The 13 official WSOP ring events combined drew total of 3,621 entrants creating a prize pool of 2,184,750.
The first two events of the stop were taken down by novel winners. Alan Katsnelson, winner of Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (1 Day) and Harjinder Chawla winner of Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (4 flights) both captured their first ever tournament victory at this stop. Katsnelson who is a bartender and a server, only plays for fun, but he managed to outlast a field of 199 players in the kickoff event of the series to claim his first ever tournament win, his first Circuit ring, and $16,189.
Chawla took down the second event of the series which was the highlight of the first weekend and the first multi-flight event of the series. Event#2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (4 Flights) attracted a four-figure field of 1,189 competitors and after two days of play, it is Chawla who came out on top to win his first trophy ring, along with the first-place prize of $65,823. It was his second biggest cash to date but his first recorded victory.
Zachary Mullennix was the champion of Event #3: $1,125 No-Limit Hold’em. Mullennix wasn’t even sure about firing this event, but his decision to do so led him to his Second Circuit ring and the first-place prize of $26,412 after he bested a tough field of 89 players.
Mullennix wasn’t the only repeat winner of the stop as Scott Roberts, winner of Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold’em, Cord Garcia, winner of Event #8: $600 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo, Jeffrey Trudeau, winner of Event #9: $2,200 High Roller, and Hamid Izadi, winner of Event #12: $400 No-Limit Hold’em all added another ring to their collection as well. Garcia and Izadi each own three Circuit rings now.
As for Trudeau, just a couple of weeks after grabbing his 6th Circuit ring and appearing at the final tables of three events at the Ameristar St. Charles, his heater continued at the Seminole Coconut Creek and he battled through 73 entrants to collect his seventh Ring and $46,363.
Event #6: $400 Monster Stack drew 711 players making up a prize pool of $234,630. When all was said and done, it is J.P. Kolb who emerged victorious. Kolb decided to attend the Seminole Circuit stop at the very last minute and after making multiple WSOP Circuit final tables, he finally broke through to claim his first Circuit title and the top prize of $43,742.
Four-time bracelet winner Brian Hastings also shined this series. He won Event #7: $1,125 Pot-Limit Omaha for $16,248 after outmatching 45 players. This first-place finish added a Circuit ring to Hastings’ already stacked resume. He now has four WSOP bracelets, one Circuit ring, and over $2,700,000 in WSOP cashes.
As for the Main Event, the two starting legs combined drew 617 players. The field was packed with notables but after three days of play, Steven Sarmiento claimed the title and banked $188,158 along with his first Circuit ring. The 30-year old poker professional has been having an extraordinary year. His Main Event win marked his fourth six-figure cash of 2019, but his first tournament victory of the year. Sarmiento stayed near the top of the leaderboard throughout most of the tournament and never really dropped. Between all the experience and skills he gained from his recent final table appearances, Sarmiento ended up closing it out and Neal Corcoran was the runner-up for $116,291. Sarmiento also punched his seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship with his win.
The Casino champion was decided at the final table of the very last event of the series, Event #13: $250 No-Limit Hold’em. It was a close battle between Scott Roberts and bracelet winner Howard Mash throughout most of the series and they were both tied for the win with 90 points going into the final event but Mash had more cashes. Zach Mullennix was sitting in third with 72.5 points and had a chance to catch up. Eventually, the three of them found themselves at the final table of the final event battling for the second seat into the Global Casino Championship and Roberts managed to outlast both Mash and Mullennix. He was the runner-up of Event #13 and he earned the Casino Champion title, securing a seat into the Global Casino Championship. Roberts accumulated four cashes throughout the stop including one victory and two runner-up finishes. 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
Completed Events
Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold'em - Alan Katsnelson defeats 199 players to win his first Circuit ring in his first WSOP Circuit cash.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hol'dem (4 Flights) - Harjinder Chawla claims his first Circuit ring in his first tournament victory after topping a field of 1,189 players.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #3: $1,125 No-Limit Hold'em - Zachary Mullennix collected his second Circuit ring and $26,412 after outlasting 89 competitors.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold'em - Scott Roberts wins second Circuit ring and $6,994 after defeating 65 players.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #5: $400 Double Stack Turbo - Wanlop Phonphornwithoon navigated through a field of 209 players to win his first Circuit event.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #6: $400 Monster Stack - J.P. Kolb bested a field of 711 players to grab his first Circuit ring and $43,742.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #7: $1,125 Pot-Limit Omaha - Brian Hastings claims his first Circuit ring to match his four WSOP bracelets after defeating 45 players.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #8: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo - Cord Garcia picked up his third Circuit ring and $13,098.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #9: $2,200 High Roller - Jeffrey Trudeau bested a field of 73 players to earn his seventh Circuit ring.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #10: $1,700 Main Event - Steven Sarmiento battled through a field of 617 players to win the Main Event for $188,158.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #11: $250 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo - Christopher Buggs outmatched 123 players to win his first ring in his first Circuit cash.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #12: $400 No-Limit Hold'em - Hamid Izadi topped a field of 80 players to win his third Circuit ring and $8,170.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Event #13: $250 No-Limit Hold'em - Rafay Asrar wins his first Circuit ring after defeating 137 players in the final event of the series.
Official Report | Winner Photo | Results
Casino Champion Update
Scott Roberts is the winner of the Casino Champion title with 127.5 points. He secured four cashes this stop including one victory and two runner-up finishes.
About the Winners
Event #1 - Alan Katsnelson
Alan Katsnelson just claimed hist first Circuit ring in his first WSOP Circuit cash after taking down the first event of the Seminole Coconut Creek Circuit series, Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em. It is Katsnelson’s first recorded victory and it is worth $16,189.
“It means a lot. I had my family members put up for me so I’m just happy to do it for them. I won it for my family.”
Event #2 - Harjinder Chawla
Harjinder Chawla just won his first Circuit ring after defeating a four-figure field of 1,189 players in Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (4 Flights). He collects $65,823, his second biggest cash to date.
Although Chawla has multiple final tables on his poker resume, it is his first recorded victory.
“It was long due, I played a long time. I’m glad I was able to get it through today for the first time,” Chawla said after his win.
Event #3: Zachary Mullennix
After two days of play, Event #3: $1,125 No-Limit Hold’em is in the books and it is Zachary Mullennix who was the last man standing out of a field of 89 players. Mullennix takes home his second Circuit ring and $26,412 for his first-place finish.
“It’s really cool. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to play this event and I decided it to fire it. I’m really lucky to get the win,” Mullennix said after his victory.
Event #4: Scott Roberts
Scott Roberts just joined the circle of repeat winners after taking down Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold’em at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. He defeated 65 players to take home the first place prize of $6,994 and his second Circuit ring.
Although Roberts only plays poker semi-professionally, his poker talent is unquestionable. He won his first ring during the 2017/18 WSOP Circuit series after topping a field of 227 competitors in the $250 Seniors Event at Harrah’s New Orleans and today, he managed to claim another title.
“It feels unbelievable. I hit some hands, made some good moves, and got the chip lead.”
Event #5: Wanlop Phonphornwithoon
Wanlop Phonphornwithoon was crowned the champion of Event #5: $400 Double Stack Turbo on Monday evening at the World Series of Poker Circuit series at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. He took home $16,720 and his first trophy ring after defeating 209 players.
Phonphornwithoon felt some relief winning his first Circuit event.
“I feel really good. I tried many times and I finally got it.”
Event #6: J.P. Kolb
J.P. Kolb just grabbed his first Circuit ring after besting a field of 711 players in Event #6: $400 Monster Stack. With multiple final tables on his resume, Kolb got extremely close to winning a ring multiple times, and today, he finally breaks through to claim the title.
“I feel pretty good. I’ve had a lot of seconds and thirds. Everything except for the win so it felt really good to get the win. All my friends tell me that I’m the best player they know without jewelry. Now I finally have jewelry so I don’t have to listen to that anymore."
Event #7: Brian Hastings
Brian Hastings just took down Event #7: $1,125 Pot-Limit Omaha of the Seminole Coconut Creek Circuit stop for $16,248 after navigating through a field of 45 players.
This first-place finish adds a WSOP ring to Hastings’ already stacked resume. He now has four WSOP bracelets, and one Circuit ring, with over $2,700,000 in WSOP cashes.
“It feels good. I don’t go out of my way too much to grind the Circuit but it’s nice to be here. I live nearby,” Hastings said after his victory.
Event #8: Cord Garcia
Cord Garcia just picked up his third Circuit ring by taking down Event #8: $600 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo for $13,098. Garcia now has one WSOP bracelet and three Circuit rings in his collection.
The tournament brought in 84 entries and took 25 levels to complete. Garcia started the final table as the chip leader but he lost the lead the very first hand.
“I doubled somebody up the first hand of the final table so I went back into top four. But then a couple of shorties busted and I got lucky once. It went pretty smooth,” Garcia said after his win.
Event #9: Jeffrey Trudeau
Just a couple of weeks ago, Jeffrey Trudeau grabbed his 6th Circuit ring and final tabled three events at WSOP Circuit stop at the Ameristar St. Charles. Today, his heater continues at the Seminole Coconut Creek as he collects his seventh Circuit ring through his victory in Event #9: $2,200 High Roller.
Trudeau bested a field of 73 players to become the newest High Roller Champion of the World Series of Poker Circuit. Along with the title, he collects the top-prize $46,363 and he now has a total $886,228 in WSOP cashes.
“I feel pretty good. I just played and ran really well during the final table. I had some very fortunate spots,” Trudeau said after his victory.
Event #10: Steven Sarmiento
Steven Sarmiento just snatched his first gold ring after topping a field of 617 players in the Seminole Coconut Creek Main Event for $188,158.The 30-year old poker pro has been having an incredible year. His main event victory marks his fourth six-figure cash of 2019, but his first victory of the year.
“I really feel like I found an adjusted strategy which is working very well. I’ve been having a lot of success but this is the first stranglehold win. I came in third, fourth, second…this is super satisfying,” Sarmiento said after his win.
Event #11: Christopher Buggs
Christopher Buggs outmatched 123 opponents in Event #11: $250 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo to earn his first Circuit ring and the top prize of $6,702.
Buggs started the final table with a healthy stack and he stood his ground as one of the big stacks during most of the final table.
“I was just patient. I gradually worked my way up. I stayed very patient and waited for hands. I even threw away some quality hands but I wasn’t feeling the cards coming my way, so I just waited around till I was able to hit.”
Event #12: Hamid Izadi
Hamid Izadi secured his third Circuit ring on Monday afternoon after winning Event #12: $400 No-Limit Hold’em, which took two days to reach to reach a conclusion. He topped a field of 80 entrants and banked $8,170.
Izadi is no stranger at the WSOP Circuit. He has an impressive resume with multiple deep runs, a couple of victories, and over $430,000 in total cashes.
“The feeling is great. As you know, I’ve had a bunch of runner-up finishes and a bunch of final tables. I should really have more. A ring is a symbol of your hard work, so I really value the ring.”
Event #13: Rafay Asrar
Rafay Asrar took down the final event of the series after defeating 137 competitors in Event #13: $250 No-Limit Hold’em. Asrar got his first WSOP Circuit cash yesterday after getting 18th in the Main Event and he decided to take another shot at glory after his deep run.
“It was a long grind specially after the Main Event yesterday but I’m glad I came out and I’m glad it all worked out. A lot of people congratulated me for my finish in the Main but obviously when you get that far you kind of want to win the whole thing specially when you get down to the final two tables. I thought I’ve been playing well, and I knew this is the last event here so I just thought I’d give it another go.”