EVENT UPDATES
view updates for day:
Sunday, April 22, 2018 11:31 PM Local Time
Rick Joyner, a 57-year-old broadcast professional from Atlanta, GA, has won $25,404 and his first WSOP Circuit ring in the special "Seniors II" event at Circuit Harrah's Cherokee. This second of two Seniors events on the Cherokee slate awards a ring, which Joyner claimed in his first-ever Circuit tournament, but as a closed event (open only to ages 50 and up), it does not qualify for Global Casino Championship points.
Joyner entered the final table with one of the shorter stacks, but overtook the early leaders to win, finally closing out Circuit regular and early final-table chip leader Charles Vecchio for the title.
Vecchio, from Big Canoe, GA, pocketed $15,717 for the second-place showing. Third place and $11,483 went to Ellenton, FL's Eric Wert.
Joyner had never played a Circuit event before, but was a veteran of bar-poker leagues and home games in the Atlanta area. His friends convince him to give it a go at Harrah's Cherokee, and he did, but went broke on his first buy-in on Sunday. Joyner thought it over, and re-bought just before late registration closed, and then went on to win the entire event.
"This is just so surreal for me, " said Joyner, "because I've been a lover of the game for so long. I've played some cash in Tunica and New Orleans and Vegas, but I've never played a WSOP event. My buddies convince me that I should probably do well if I played in the Seniors tournament.
"I busted out during the eighth level, so during the break, I thought about not re-buying, but I did. I thought about just playing some sit-and-gos, but I though, "Naww, I'm going to get back in and do my best." Joyner's best was the best, this day in the Seniors II event.
Joyner is a self-employed broadcast professional, creating radio content (R&B and gospel shows) in addition to commercial voiceover work, all from his basement studio. And while that might be his full-time occupation, he's promised that there's more big-event poker in his future.
Sunday, April 22, 2018 8:27 PM Local Time
Players in today's Seniors II event have reached an unofficial final table of ten players. Here are those players, with seat assignments and chip counts:
- Seat 1: Fredrick McLam - 156,000
- Seat 2: Charles Vecchio - 1,144,000
- Seat 3: Steve Wallace - 410,000
- Seat 4: Mitchell Smith - 785,000
- Seat 5: Joe Doherty - 844,000
- Seat 6: Lisa Roberts - 551,000
- Seat 7: Eric Wert - 622,000
- Seat 8: Rick Joyner - 275,000
- Seat 9: Kevin Morrison - 390,000
- Seat 10: Andrew Edlin - 865,000
Sunday, April 22, 2018 4:12 PM Local Time
With late registration having closed in the Seniors II event, the numbers have been crunched and the payout information posted. This event drew 605 entrants, building a total prize pool of $121,000. 63 players will make the money, with a min-cash being worth $396 and first place awarding $25,404.Sunday, April 22, 2018 4:37 AM Local Time
Sunday, April 22, 2018 4:36 AM Local Time
It's a bright and early start in Cherokee for the last of three special but unofficial ring events at Circuit Harrah's Cherokee, the $250 "Seniors II" No-Limit Hold'em event.
Play begins at 9 AM in this one-day event, with these highlights:
- One-day event;
- Unofficial ring event (no Global Casino Championship points awarded);
- 10,000 in starting chips;
- 30-minute levels;
- Unlimited re-entry;
- Late registration or re-entry available until the start of Level 9.