Event #4: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry

Louisiana pro scores another one for the home team at Harrah’s New Orleans

Caufman Talley is the most recent player to add his name to the list of five-time winners on the WSOP Circuit. Talley took down the $365 re-entry at Harrah’s New Orleans, winning his fifth gold ring and the top prize of $53,928. The victory also earned him 50 points in the season-long race for seats in the Global Casino Championship, bringing his total to 120 and putting him in contention for qualification with a few events left to get over the hump.

Talley is a 27-year-old professional poker player from right here in New Orleans. He’s among the upper echelon of those who’ve had success on the WSOP Circuit; only 11 players have won more times than he has. This most recent result moves him across the $300,000 mark in Circuit earnings and past $700,000 in earnings across all live events.

The rise to Circuit stardom for Talley began back in late 2011 when he arrived on the scene with a win in the six-max event at IP Biloxi. He added another ring to his collection one year later at the same venue, then another later that season at Horseshoe Bossier City in his home state. The next season, another one, this time at Horseshoe Cincinnati to earn him a fourth ring and put him in some elite company on the Circuit’s all-time list.

Talley has been traveling less over the past few years, but he’s still posting some significant results here and there. This most recent score is the largest of his Circuit career and second-largest across all events. The only one bigger came courtesy of a deep run in last year’s WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas. Talley finished in 67th place in that $10,000-buy-in event, finishing as one of the one percent out of the field of more than 6,700 entries.

This run to this ring began with a successful attempt to advance through Day 1A, the first of three starting flights available. Talley did so with 91,500 chips, returning for Day 2 with an average stack and 110 players remaining. He proceeded to dominate the middle stages of Day 2 before trailing off a little later in the evening, but he was still second in chips by the time the final nine players combined around the final table.

The elimination of Kevin Jenkins in third place at the hands of Talley gave the eventual champ a significant chip lead entering the heads-up match against Simon Philip. About a half hour into the duel, Philip took his stand with pocket nines against Talley and his middling ace-six suited. The first four community cards were safe for Philip, but a timely ace on the river gave Talley the pot and the title in the wee hours of Monday morning.

Caufman Talley opens the button with a min-raise to 160,000, Simon Philip calls in the small blind, and Kevin Jenkins defends his big blind to create three-way action.

The flop is    . It checks to Talley, who continues for 200,000. Jenkins check-raises to 425,000, Philip folds, and Talley calls the remainder. The turn is the  , and Jenkins moves all in for about a pot-sized bet. Talley calls to put him at risk.

Talley:   
Jenkins:   

Talley's kicker has him poised for the knockout, and he gets it as the   completes the board with a blank. Jenkins is eliminated in third place, leaving Talley heads-up against Philip for the title.

Caufman Talley - 5,770,000 (72 bb)
Simon Philip - 3,685,000 (46 bb)
Kevin Jenkins - Eliminated

Level 23 concludes, and the 14 remaining players have been sent on a one-hour dinner break. They'll be back in action just before 7:30 with the blinds at 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 and and an average stack around 35 big blinds.

The first two levels of Day 2 are complete, and the players are off for their first break of the day.

The bubble burst after about one full level of action, and the field has been further whittled down to just 50 remaining as the level concludes. John Richards (99th place), Jeter Brock (91st), Doug Carli (73rd), John Holley (64th), and Ben Keeline (56th) are among the early casualties.

Blinds are about to move to 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante, and the average stack is around 190,000 chips.

It's noon in New Orleans, and the Day 2 restart is under way in Event #4.

Day 1C has bagged up for the night, and that signals the conclusion of the Day 1 flights. From a starting field of 946 entries, just 110 will return for the combined Day 2 to play for their shares of the $283,800 prizepool.

Here's the overnight top five:

1: Brandon Johnson - 244,500
2: Dee Patel - 210,500
3: Michael Phizicky - 210,500 
4: Renee Gibbon - 198,500
5: John Lauve - 190,000

Others who advanced include Event #1 winner Curtis Terry (164,500), Sean Small (143,500), John Holley (132,500), Juan Mendoza (121,500), John Richards (95,500), Caufman Talley (91,500), Jason Rivkin (80,500), Jonathan Hilton (67,000), Jeter Brock (48,500), Doug Carli (46,000), Ben Keeline (42,500), and Josh Mammon (26,000).

Use the links below to see the full list of survivors and their Day 2 seating assignments.

Chip Counts  |  Seat Draw

Only 99 of the returning players will finish in the money, so bursting the bubble will be the day's first order of business. Blinds will be 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante when Day 2 begins, putting the average stack just under 30 big blinds.

Cards go in the air at 12 p.m.

Registration is now fully closed for this event, and the numbers are in.

With the addition of another 332 entries for Day 1C, the total field grew to 946 across all three flights. That attendance generates a prizepool worth $238,800 which will be shared by the final 99 players. A min-cash is worth $582 this weekend, while the winner will collect the series' fourth gold ring and $53,928 in cash.

Here's what the final table payouts look like:

1st: $53,928
2nd: $33,352
3rd: $24,617
4th: $18,419
5th: $13,954
6th: $10,705
7th: $8,313
8th: $6,536
9th: $5,199

The full breakdown of the payouts can be found in the Prizepool tab above.