Event #10A/B: $1,675 Main Event No-Limit Hold'em

After three days of poker, the Main Event of the World Series of Poker Circuit at the Horseshoe Southern Indiana is complete. It was the largest Circuit Main Event in the history of the venue, and when it was over, the winner was Gregory Johnson, a pediatric dentist from Carmel, Ind. This is the first Circuit victory of his poker career. It earns him his first ring and $124,200 in prize money.

The 63-year old father of seven was understandably excited when he collected the last of his opponents’ chips. “This is kind of like one of the most exciting things that’s ever happened to me, really,” he said after the tournament. “Seriously, it is. This is a lot more exciting than graduating from dental school. Mom and dad wouldn’t want to hear that, but it really is. It’s something [...] I’ve always wanted to do. The ring is the most exciting part to me. Actually winning and getting the validation.”

Johnson was running hot for the last few levels of Day 2. He won two big pots against Jean “Prince” Gaspard which saw Gaspard, a former chip leader, exit the tournament in 30th place. Then with 18 players left, Johnson flopped quads, and one of the other big stacks, Kenny Smith, ended up pushing all in. That hand gave Johnson over 2,000,000 in chips out of 7,200,000 in play. No one else would eclipse the 2,000,000-mark until midway through the final table.

For Johnson, the ring represents confirmation of his hard work. He takes poker very seriously, and clearly enjoys seeing the fruits of his labor. “I’ve had some good runs [in WSOP events], but never been able to actually completely win the whole thing,” he said. “That’s been a frustration to me so I would study harder and harder like I did when I was in dental school. I couldn’t seem to get it done. I want the money, but it’s more important to me to actually win the ring and get validation from other poker players.”

His accomplishment is even more impressive considering his competition. Some of the WSOP Circuit’s most familiar faces graced this final table. Doug “Rico” Carli holds the record for most cashes in Circuit history. He finished in 8th place today ($14,623), the 88th Circuit cash of his career. He’s 39 ahead of the 2nd place. And in fact, the player right behind him on that list was also at the table. Charles “Woody” Moore finished in 6th place ($23,928) for his 49th career Circuit cash.

Moore extended a record of his own today. He is the only person to qualify for the WSOP National Championship all four years. He earned Casino Champion honors here at the Horseshoe Southern Indiana, finishing the series with 95 points from three cashes, including two final tables and a ring. It was the second Circuit ring of Moore’s career—the first also came at this venue when he won the Main Event in 2010. If he had won the Main Event again today, he would become only the second person in Circuit history to win the same Main Event more than once. (Blair Hinkle accomplished the feat at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs, having won at that stop three times.)

A number of other highly reputable players were in the field as well, but fell short of the final table. They include Peter Jetten (22nd place - $4,633), Aaron Steury (27th place - $4,007), Gaspard (30th place - $3,510), and Circuit regular Austin Buchanan (32nd place - $3,110). Others who were eliminated before the final table include bracelet winners Keven “Stammdogg” Stammen and Robert Cheung, as well as five-time ring winners Mark “Pegasus” Smith and Kurt Jewell.

This is the largest Main Event field in the history of this Circuit stop, which has been part of the schedule since the Circuit’s inception. There were 360 entries (167 on Day 1A, 191 on Day 1B, and 2 who entered before the start of play on Day 2). A total of 118 started play on Day 2. It took about five hours before the money bubble burst, and it was about 1:30 a.m. when Jeffrey Traynor was eliminated in 10th place, leaving nine players for the official final table.

Day 3 then got off to a fast and furious start when play resumed at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The first double up occurred on just the second hand of the day, and the first elimination occurred after about an hour. Then there was a wave of bustouts, and by 3:30 p.m. only three players remained: Brian Powell (3rd place - $56,014), Russ Head (2nd place - $76,783), and Johnson. Three-handed play lasted about three hours, and then it was only about 30 minutes before Johnson’s three-of-a-kind beat Head’s two pair for all the chips.

Here are the final table results from the Main Event. Full Results are available in the "Results" tab, above.

1st: Gregory Johnson
2nd: Russ Head - $76,783
3rd: Brian Powell - $56,014
4th: Eric Wirthwein - $41,548
5th: Everett Lawrence - $31,298
6th: Charles Moore - $23,938
7th: Ryan Dersch - $18,576
8th: Douglas Carli - $14,623
9th: John Denman - $11,675

Greg Johnson raises to 255,000 from the button, and Russ Head calls from the big blind.

The flop is    , and both players check. The turn is the  , and Head leads out for 300,000. Johnson puts in a raise to 600,000, and Head calls. The river is the  , and Head checks. Johnson carefully counts out a bet of 400,000 and pushes it forward. Head calls. Johnson turns over    for a set, and a frustrated Head mucks his cards.

Greg Johnson - 4,220,000
Russ Head - 2,980,000

Greg Johnson limps from the button, and Russ Head raises to 160,000 from the big blind. Johnson then reraises to 360,000, and Head calls.

The flop is    , and Head checks. Johnson continues for 500,000. Head thinks for a minute, then flashes    before folding.

Russ Head - 4,550,000
Greg Johnson - 2,650,000

After nearly three hours of three-handed play, Brian Powell (pictured) opens for his last 665,000 from the small blind. Action is on Russ Head in the big blind and he calls.

Head:   
Powell:   

The board runs out      , no help to Powell and Head's ace-high takes the pot.

Powell's World Series of Poker resume includes $411,431 in earnings. His career highlights include an eighth-place finish in the 2010 WSOP Europe Main Event and a 13th-place finish in the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

With his elimination, Head takes a roughly a three-to-one chip lead into heads-up play.

Brian Powell - Eliminated in 3rd place ($56,014)

Brian Powell raises to 100,000 from the button, and Greg Johnson calls from the big blind. The flop is    , and both players check. They check again on the   turn. The river is the  , putting a full house on board. Johnson checks again, and Powell bets 250,000. Johnson thinks for a few moments, then folds.

Gregory Johnson - 3,050,000 (61 BBs)
Russ Head - 2,215,000 (44 BBs)
Brian Powell - 1,935,000 (38 BBs)

Russ Head raises to 90,000 from the button, and Brian Powell calls from the big blind. The flop is    , and Powell checks. Head continues for 140,000, and Powell calls.

Both players check the   on the turn, and the river is the  . Powell checks again, and Head bets 210,000. Powell quickly calls, and Head announces, "Queen high." Powell turns over    for a winning two pair.

Brian Powell - 2,050,000
Russ Head - 1,850,000

Russ Head raises to 120,000 from the button, and Brian Powell three-bets to 310,000 from the big blind. Head calls, and then both players check the     flop. The turn is the  , and Powell checks again. Head bets 515,000.

Powell thinks for a minute, then says, "Before the flop, I thought I was gonna stack you." Then he folds and turns over   , saying, "but I can't beat two queens." As the dealer pushes the pot to Head, Head replies, "I don't have two queens, but I do have two of those." He then turns over only one of his cards, a King.

Russ Head - 3,200,000
Brian Powell - 2,460,000

On the next hand after the double elimination of Woody Moore and Everett Lawrence, Brian Powell raises to 60,000 from under the gun, and Eric Wirthwein moves all in for about 300,000. Powell calls and turns over   . Wirthwein turns over   .

The board comes      . Powell pairs his ace and wins the pot, eliminating Wirthwein in 4th place for $41,548.

Brian Powell - 2,800,000
Eric Wirthwein - Eliminated