Monday, February 13, 2017 10:12 PM Local Time
Alex Aqel wins his second six-figure score in the past three months.
MILWAUKEE (February 13, 2017) – Ala Aqel, who goes by Alex Aqel, has won the 2017 Potawatomi Circuit Main Event for $208,184, his first career WSOP Circuit gold ring, and an automatic entry to the 2017 Global Casino Championship. He defeated a 677-player field in the $1,675 buy-in event to win Wisconsin’s largest first place prize ever. The Main Event was the first time a Wisconsin poker tournament’s prizepool exceeded $1 million dollars.
Aqel was no stranger to the Potawatomi big money stage. Just last November he won an MSPT $1,100 buy-in event for $138k here at Potawatomi. At the time, it was Wisconsin’s second largest first place prize ever awarded. Aqel now owns two of the three biggest scores in Wisconsin poker history. Despite having a six-figure score in the past, this $208k win more than doubled his career tournament earnings. READ MORE
Monday, February 13, 2017 7:35 PM Local Time
Ala Aqel
Chad Wiedenhoeft raises to 240,000 on the button and Ala Aqel defends his big blind. The flop is and Aqel checks. Wiedenhoeft bets 240,000 and Aqel calls.
The turn is the and both players check. The river is the and Aqel checks for a third time. Wiedenhoeft bets 300,000 and Aqel check-raises all in for effectively about 2,600,000. Wiedenhoeft tanks for about a minute and then calls.
Aqel shows , good for trip kings, and takes the pot against Wiedenhoeft's . Wiedenhoeft is eliminated in second place and takes home $128,816 for his runner-up finish. Aqel earns $208,184 for the win along with his first WSOP Circuit ring and an automatic seat into the season-ending Global Casino Championship.
Ala Aqel - WSOP Circuit Potawatomi Main Event Champion
Chad Wiedenhoeft - Eliminated
Chad Wiedenhoeft
Monday, February 13, 2017 7:24 PM Local Time
Level: 32
Blinds: 60,000/120,000
Ante: 10,000
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:40 PM Local Time
The final two players are taking a 30-minute dinner break. Cards are scheduled to get back in the air around 7 p.m., but if both players come back early, they will get started before the break is complete.
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:39 PM Local Time
Chad Wiedenhoeft raises to 200,000 on the button and Ala Aqel calls out of the big blind. The flop is and Aqel checks. Wiedenhoeft bets 175,000 and Aqel calls.
The turn is the and both players check. The river is the and Aqel checks again. Wiedenhoeft bets 175,000 and Aqel quickly calls. Wiedenhoeft tables and Aqel mucks his hand.
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 3,050,000 (30 bb)
Ala Aqel - 10,400,000 (104 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:35 PM Local Time
Players decided to shorten their dinner break to thirty minutes. They will return back to play around 7:05pm.
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:33 PM Local Time
Ala Aqel raises to 200,000 on the button, and Chad Widenhoeft reraises to 600,000. Aqel calls.
The flop comes , and both players check.
The turn is the , and both players check again.
The river is the . Wiedenhoeft bets 600,000, and Aqel shoves all in, having Widenhoeft covered.
Widenhoeft goes deep into the tank.
Over six full minutes pass before Widenhoeft shows the and says, "Alright, I fold."
Aqel mucks without showing.
Ala Aqel - 11,065,000 (110 bb)
Chad Widenhoeft - 2,475,000 (24 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:25 PM Local Time
Ala Aqel limps in on the button and Chad Wiedenhoeft checks his option in the big blind. The flop is and Wiedenhoeft checks. Aqel bets 200,000 and Wiedenhoeft calls.
The turn is the and both players check. The river is the and Wiedenhoeft bets 300,000. Aqel immediately reaches for chips before cutting out a raise to 1,100,000 and pushing it forward.
Wiedenhoeft quickly calls and Aqel shows . Wiedenhoeft mucks his hand and Aqel takes the pot and crossing the 10 million chip mark.
Ala Aqel - 10,000,000 (100 bb)
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 3,400,000 (34 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:22 PM Local Time
Chad Wiedenhoeft raises on the button and Ala Aqel calls out of the big blind. The flop is and Aqel checks. Wiedenhoeft bets 225,000 and Aqel calls.
The turn is the and Aqel checks again. Wiedenhoeft bets 500,000 and Aqel calls again. The river is the and Aqel checks for a third time. Wiedenhoeft moves all in for about 2,400,000, which sends Aqel into the tank.
"You're reppin' strength here," says Aqel while talking himself through the hand.
Eventually Aqel lets it go and Wiedenhoeft drags the pot.
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 4,100,000 (41 bb)
Ala Aqel - 9,400,000 (94 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:14 PM Local Time
Chad Wiedenhoeft limps on the button, and Ala Aqel makes it 350,000. Wiedenhoeft calls.
The flop comes . Aqel bets 250,000, and Wiedenhoeft calls.
The turn is the . Aqel bets 450,000, and Wiedenhoeft calls again.
The river is the . Aqel bets 1,050,000, and Wiedenhoeft announces that he is all in. Aqel snap-calls and turns over for quad sevens.
Wiedenhoeft moves his hand forward but the dealer says, "All hands must be shown," as she quickly turns over , and then places the cards back face down into the muck.
Ala Aqel - 10,250,000 (102 bb)
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 3,290,000 (32 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:08 PM Local Time
Ala Aqel raises to 200,000 on the button and Chad Wiedenhoeft three-bets to 550,000 out of the big blind. Aqel takes a couple moments before four-betting to 1,050,000 and Wiedenhoeft calls.
They both check a flop of and the comes on the turn. Wiedenhoeft bets 750,000 and Aqel calls. The river is the and Wiedenhoeft doesn't waste much time before announcing "all in" for about 4,100,000.
Aqel quickly double checks his hand and hesitates for a few moments before putting it into the muck.
"Why didn't we just get it in preflop?" asks Aqel as he is folding. "The tournament would be over it would've been yours."
Wiedenhoeft doesn't respond and takes the chip lead back from Aqel.
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 7,600,000 (76 bb)
Ala Aqel - 5,800,000 (58 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 6:04 PM Local Time
Chad Wiedenhoeft limps in on the button and Ala Aqel checks his option out of the big blind. The flop is and Aqel checks. Wiedenhoeft bets 150,000 and Aqel calls.
The turn is the and Aqel checks again. Wiedenhoeft bets 400,000 and Aqel calls. The river is the and Aqel checks for a third time. Wiedenhoeft bets 800,000 and Aqel folds.
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 5,800,000 (58 bb)
Ala Aqel - 7,700,000 (77 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 5:57 PM Local Time
Chad Wiedenhoeft raises to 250,000, and Ala Aqel calls.
The flop comes . Aqel checks, Wiedenhoeft bets 275,000, and Aqel calls.
The turn is the , and both players check.
The river is the . Aqel bets 500,000, and Wiedenhoeft calls.
Aqel shows for two pair on the river, and Wiedenhoeft mucks without showing.
Ala Aqel - 7,775,000 (77 bb)
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 5,775,000 (57 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 5:51 PM Local Time
Ala Aqel limps in on the button and Chad Wiedenhoeft checks his option in the big blind. The flop is and Wiedenhoeft checks. Aqel bets 125,000 and Wiedenhoeft calls.
The turn is the and Wiedenhoeft checks again. Aqel bets 225,000 and Wiedenhoeft calls. The river is the and both players check. Wiedenhoeft tables , but Aqel has him outkicked with his .
Ala Aqel - 6,500,000 (65 bb)
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 6,900,000 (69 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 5:48 PM Local Time
James Gregg
Chad Wiedenhoeft raises to 225,000 on the button and James Gregg moves all in out of the big blind for 2,170,000. Wiedenhoeft thinks for less than a minute before pushing forward a call.
Gregg tables and has Wiedenhoeft's dominated. The flop is and Gregg keeps the lead, but the comes on the turn, leaving Gregg drawing thin to stay alive.
The river is the and Gregg is eliminated in third place. Gregg shakes hands and wishes the final two players good luck before heading off to collect his $94,482 third place money.
Wiedenhoeft collects the chips and takes a slight chip lead into heads-up play against Ala Aqel.
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 7,100,000 (71 bb)
James Gregg - Eliminated
Monday, February 13, 2017 5:41 PM Local Time
Chad Wiedenhoeft raises to 250,000 in the small blind, and Ala Aqel calls in the big blind.
The flop comes . Wiedenhoeft checks, Aqel bets 325,000, and Wiedenhoeft calls.
The turn is the . Wiedenhoeft checks, Aqel bets 575,000, and Wiedenhoeft calls.
The river is the , and both players check.
Wiedenhoeft turns over for a pair of kings, and Aqel mucks without showing.
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 4,900,000 (49 bb)
Ala Aqel - 6,800,000 (68 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 5:36 PM Local Time
Level: 31
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 10,000
Monday, February 13, 2017 5:36 PM Local Time
Ala Aqel completes the small blind and James Gregg checks his option in the big blind. The flop is and Aqel bets 125,000. Gregg calls and the turn is the .
Aqel bets again, this time 160,000, and Gregg raises to 470,000. Aqel quickly folds and Gregg takes the pot.
James Gregg - 2,600,000 (32 bb)
Ala Aqel - 8,150,000 (102 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 5:34 PM Local Time
Ala Aqel raises to 180,000 on the button and James Gregg calls from the small blind. Chad Wiedenhoeft defends his big blind and all three players go to a flop of . Action checks around and the comes on the turn.
Gregg leads out for 400,000 and Wiedenhoeft announces "all in." Everybody quickly folds and Wiedenhoeft takes the pot.
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 2,400,000 (30 bb)
James Gregg - 2,500,000 (31 bb)
Monday, February 13, 2017 5:30 PM Local Time
Chad Wiedenhoeft raises to 275,000 in the small blind, and Ala Aqel calls in the big blind.
The flop comes . Wiedenhoeft checks, Aqel bets 325,000, and Wiedenhoeft calls.
The turn is the . Wiedenhoeft checks again, Aqel bets 550,000, and this time Wiedenhoeft raises to 1,300,000. Aqel pauses for nearly a minute before calling.
The river is the . Wiedenhoeft bets 1,500,000 , and Aqel calls.
Wiedenhoeft turns over for two pair, but Aqel shows for a bigger two pair to win the pot.
Ala Aqel - 8,600,000 (107 bb)
Chad Wiedenhoeft - 1,850,000 (23 bb)