Tuesday, December 1, 2015 3:07 PM Local Time
Event #3
No-Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $500 (+$80)
Total Entries: 358
Prize Pool: $179,000
DJ Roonie G takes down the third event of the series to earn his first gold ring.
Cherokee, N.C. (December 1, 2015) -- Making it all the way through a tournament is an impressive feat, especially a tournament that is as large as the ones here in Cherokee. It takes not only luck and skill, but also patience and focus. A perfectly played tournament can be ruined with just one short lapse of concentration.
For Roongsak Griffeth that one little mistake is what has been holding him back. On Tuesday he broke through that barrier and avoided that one little mistake costing him in other tournaments to win the gold ring in Event #3 - $580 No-Limit Hold'em and secure him his largest career WSOP payday.
"It just takes one stupid mistake. I would play so good sometimes and just make one stupid mistake and that's all it takes," said Griffeth. "This time I told myself that I was not going to make that one stupid mistake. I just played my game, and didn't make that stupid mistake and I came through."
Griffeth entered the final table with the chip lead. He said that to keep focus he would just take an extra second to think about what he was doing. Taking a few extra seconds here and there paid off big dividends as he rode his chip lead to a gold ring victory.
Griffeth's heads up opponent was Kevin Sherrill. Sherrill already had a gold ring and was looking for number two. Sherrill's first gold ring came here in Cherokee in April of 2014. Sherrill ended up taking home $25,452 for his runner up finish. The $25k score pushed Sherrill's career WSOP tournament earnings over the $100k mark.
This marked Griffeths 12th career WSOP cash and was his first final table. He earned $41,169 for the top finish, which more than doubled his WSOP career earnings.
Born in Thailand, Griffeth is a well-known DJ and has made DJ Times Magazine's "Top 50 DJ's in the U.S." list for three consecutive years. He has worked as a DJ in the Vegas scene as well as doing corporate events. Griffeth has been the opening act for the likes of 3 Doors Down, Katy Perry, Snoop Dog and Pitbull. He has a new record coming out soon.
"When my music comes out they will be opening up for me," said Griffeth. "At that same time I am going to keep winning rings."
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Event #3 was the third of 12 gold ring events on the WSOP Circuit
schedule at Harrah's Cherokee. The $580 No-Limit Hold’em tournament
attracted 358 players generating a $179,000 prize pool. The top 36 players were paid.
Day 1 began Sunday at 4 p.m. and lasted 15 levels. Day 2
began Monday at 3 p.m. with 52 players remaining. The tournament
concluded at about 4 a.m. Tuesday near the end of Level 29.
Final table results:
1st: Roongsak Griffeth - $41,169 + Circuit gold ring
2nd: Kevin Sherrill - $25,452
3rd: Richard Tucker - $18,568
4th: Joy Westbrook - $13,772
5th: Louie Wainwright - $10,375
6th: Michael Cooper - $7,935
7th: Nikolay Gannev - $6,158
8th: Regina Hampton - $4,847
9th: William Wallace - $3,870
Complete results can be found above under the "Results" tab.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015 3:58 AM Local Time
Roongsak Griffeth (pictured) has just won the third event at the
World Series of Poker Harrah's Cherokee series. The DJ bested 358 players in the $580 No-Limit Hold'em event to pocket $41,169 and earn his first career WSOP Circuit gold
ring. He also earns 50 Casino Championship points for his victory.
Griffeth is one of the top DJ's in the world and is now looking to make a splash in the poker scene.
A full report on Griffeth's win will be made available tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a look at the final table results:
1st: Roongsak Griffeth - $41,169 + Circuit gold ring
2nd: Kevin Sherrill - $25,452
3rd: Richard Tucker - $18,568
4th: Joy Westbrook - $13,772
5th: Louie Wainwright - $10,375
6th: Michael Cooper - $7,935
7th: Nikolay Gannev - $6,158
8th: Regina Hampton - $4,847
9th: William Wallace - $3,870
Complete results can be found above under the "Results" tab.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015 12:21 AM Local Time
The tournament is down to the final five players. Richard Tucker has taken over the chip lead from Roongsak Griffeth, but Griffeth is not far behind. The most recent elimination was Scott Cooper in sixth place. He earned $7,935 for his sixth place finish. This marked Cooper's 10th cash at Harrah's Cherokee since the beginning of the 2014 November series.
Here is a look at the current chip stacks:
Seat 1: Louie Wainwright - 380,000 (12 BBs)
Seat 2: Roongsak Griffeth - 1,210,000 (40 BBs)
Seat 3: Kevin Sherrill - 725,000 (24 BBs)
Seat 4: Richard Tucker - 1,425,000 (47 BBs)
Seat 5: Joy Westbrook - 550,000 (18 BBs)
- 50 minutes remain in Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante
Monday, November 30, 2015 10:43 PM Local Time
It took just five minutes after the dinner break for the field to be reduced from 10 to nine players and the official final table has now been reached. The final nine players are guaranteed to go home with at least the ninth place money of $3,870. Tonight's eventual champion will earn $41,169, a WSOP Circuit gold ring and 50 Casino Championship points.
Right now Roongsak Griffeth is the chip leader. There are a few more big stacks behind him and then there are several short stacks. There are four players that currently have less than 10 big blinds.
Here is a look at the final table seating assignments and chip counts:
Seat 1: William Wallace - 180,000 (9 BBs)
Seat 2: Louie Wainwright - 140,000 (7 BBs)
Seat 3: Roongsak Griffeth - 1,144,000 (57 BBs)
Seat 4: Nikolay Gannev - 490,000 (24 BBs)
Seat 5: Kevin Sherrill - 689,000 (34 BBs)
Seat 6: Scott Cooper - 142,000 (7 BBs)
Seat 7: Richard Tucker - 915,000 (45 BBs)
Seat 8: Joy Westbrook - 309,000 (15 BBs)
Seat 9: Regina Hampton - 164,000 (8 BBs)
- 45 minutes remain in Level 24: 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante
Monday, November 30, 2015 9:43 PM Local Time
Players are now taking a one hour dinner break. The tournament has been reduced to 10 players. With just one more elimination the official final table will be reached. All 10 players have secured themselves a minimum payday of $3,131.
Monday, November 30, 2015 6:18 PM Local Time
The Day 2 field has been reduced from 52 players to the final 18. The two table redraw is taking place right now.
One of the remaining players is John Bowman (pictured). Bowman won the Cherokee Main Event in April of 2013. He defeated a field of 856 entries to earn $250,380. His Main Event victory earned him a seat in that year's National Championship, which took place just a few months after his victory. He would end up finishing in fifth place in the 2013 National Championship for another $84,544. Sine then, Bowman has cashed six WSOP Circuit events, including reaching two final tables.
Final table seating assignments and chip counts will be posted once it is reached.
Monday, November 30, 2015 2:55 PM Local Time
In just a few minutes cards will be in the air for Day 2 of Event #3 - $580No-Limit Hold'em. There are 52 players remaining with the top 36 earning a cash.
Jim Kier enters the day fourth in chips. Kier won a gold ring at this stop last November and is looking for a repeat performance in this event. The chip leader entering the day is Regina Hampton.
Complete start of Day 2 chip counts can be found above under the "Reports" tab.
Good luck, players.
Monday, November 30, 2015 1:46 AM Local Time
Monday, November 30, 2015 1:45 AM Local Time
Day 1 is done in Event #3 and there are 52 players remaining from the starting field of 358 players. Tomorrow the top 36 places will be paid with the eventual champion earning $41,169. Day 2 will get underway Monday at 3 p.m.
Here is a look at the top 10 chip counts heading into Day 2:
| Rank |
First Name |
Last Name |
Chip Count |
| 1 |
Regina |
Hampton |
247,500 |
| 2 |
William |
Wallace |
244,500 |
| 3 |
Mike |
Broughton |
213,500 |
| 4 |
Jim |
Kier |
198,500 |
| 5 |
John |
Bowman |
181,500 |
| 6 |
Louie |
Wainwright |
134,000 |
| 7 |
Nikolay |
Ganneu |
126,000 |
| 8 |
R. |
Griffeth |
111,500 |
| 9 |
Stephen |
Brown |
111,000 |
| 10 |
Michael |
Trivett |
104,000 |
Complete chip counts and seating assignments can be found above under the "Reports" tab.
Sunday, November 29, 2015 11:43 PM Local Time
The prizepool has been announced for the third event of the series and again the guaranteed prizepool has been easily surpassed. The tournament had a $100,000 guaranteed prizepool and it was almost doubled. Event #3 ended up drawing 358 entries creating a $179,000 prizepool. The winner will take home $41,169, a WSOP Circuit gold ring and 50 Casino Championship points. The top 36 spots will be paid with the 36th place finisher earning $925.
Here is a look at the final table payouts:
Complete payouts can be found above under the "Prizepool" tab.
There is just about 90 minutes remaining in Day 1. At the conclusion of Level 15 players will bag to end the night. Surviving players will return for Day 2 tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Sunday, November 29, 2015 12:58 PM Local Time
Event #3 - $580 No-Limit Hold'em begins at 4 p.m. This tournament has a $100,000 guaranteed prizepool. It is one of two gold ring events at the series at the higher $580 buy-in level. All others, excluding the Main Event, have buy-ins of $365. Here is a closer look at the tournament.
Event #3 - $580 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 1 - 4 p.m.
- Players begins with 12,000 chips
- Blinds begin at 25/50
- Registration remains open until the beginning of Level 9 (~8:30 p.m.)
- Re-entry is not allowed
- Levels 1-12 are 30 minutes long, levels 13-21 are 40 minutes long and levels 22+ are 50 minutes long
- There is no dinner break on Day 1
- Day 1 is scheduled to last 15 levels
- Day 2 begins Monday at 3 p.m.
- $100,000 guaranteed prizepool