Monday, November 4, 2019 5:07 PM Local Time
Michael Pearson Wins the WSOP Circuit Harveys Tahoe $1,700 Main Event
Michael Pearson is now a two-time winner of the World Series of Poker Circuit Harveys Tahoe Main Event. Pearson took down the 2019 edition of the $1,700 buy-in tournament Monday, coming out on top of a field with 424 total entries and taking home the first-place prize of $133,285.
Pearson also takes home his second career WSOP Circuit ring, with the first coming in the 2016 Harveys Tahoe Main Event. The San Francisco resident outlasted a final table full of accomplished tournament players, and bested Jeremy Kottler in the heads-up battle to take down the championship.
Pearson, who was down to his last four big blinds at one point with 13 players left, came all the back and scored the second-biggest cash of his career at the Harveys Casino poker room in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
"You're going to win and lose some pots in a tournament," Pearson said. "But when you're all in, you've got to win those. So I just tried to do that. Every time I was all in, I won the hand."
Pearson was the short stack going into four-handed play, but rode a wave of big pots in the most important part of the tournament. Pearson doubled up through eventual fourth-place finisher Joe Brindle ($44,058), getting the best of a pocket nines versus ace-jack all-in showdown. Brindle exited on the next hand.
Minutes later, Pearson knocked out third-place finisher Charlie Coultas, and went into the heads-up battle against Kottler with the chip lead. Pearson never looked back after that, coming away with the win on a final day that took just four hours to conclude.
Place | Winner | Country | Prize (USD) |
1 | Michael Pearson | United States | $133,285 |
2 | Jeremy Kottler | United States | $82,379 |
3 | Charlie Coultas | United States | $59,824 |
4 | Joe Brindle | United Kingdom | $44,058 |
5 | Mitch Garshofsky | United States | $32,911 |
6 | Josh Burkhalter | United States | $24,942 |
7 | Nick Pupillo | United States | $19,182 |
8 | Lee Markholt | United States | $14,972 |
9 | Wes Nally | United States | $11,864 |
10 | Joe Burke | United States | $9,547 |
Final Table Action
Day 3 started with a 10-handed final table, with Nick Pupillo seated on Pearson's left. Other notable players at the table included Kottler (2nd, $82,379), Coultas (3rd, $59,824), Mitch Garshofsky (5th, $32,911) and Lee Markholt (8th, $14,972).
"It was tough. I did not like my seat draw at all," Pearson said. "Nick has already busted me twice this year. So I didn't like the positioning. But I just tried to be patient ."
Coultas came into the final day with a big chip lead, with 3,480,000 in chips, more than two million more than the next closest competitor, which was Wes Nally with 1,400,000.
The eliminations came fast and often on Day 3, as Joe Burke went out in 10th place just minutes into the day. Nally hit the rail next, and the tournament was eight-handed before the first level of the day, Level 26 (20000/40000/40000) was done.
Markholt, Pupillo and Josh Burkhalter all headed to the exit before the end of Level 27, and the Main Event was down to five players when the remaining field went on the first break of the day.
Brindle came back from the break as the chip leader, and went over the five million chip mark at one point. A couple of big pots devastated Brindle's stack in Level 28, however, with both Kottler and Pearson doubling through Brindle.
Brindle's exit in fourth place left Pearson, Kottler and Coultas as the final three, with Coultas on the short stack. Coultas lost the last of his 20 big blind stack to Pearson minutes into Level 29, with Coultas king-five suited getting the wrong end of an all-in preflop showdown against Pearson's ace-jack.
Coultas elimination left Pearson with 7,500,000 chips against Kottler's 5,000,000 in the heads-up battle, which was over before the end of the level as Pearson kept chipping away at Kottler's stack.
The final hand saw Pearson's ace-king get the best of Kottler's ace-queen, which sealed the second career Harveys Tahoe Main Event win for Pearson.
Monday, November 4, 2019 4:13 PM Local Time
Jeremy Kottler Eliminated in 2nd Place ($82,379)
Jeremy Kottler and Michael Pearson got all of the chips is preflop, with Pearson holding a 3-to-1 chip lead going to the showdown.
Jeremy Kottler:
Michael Pearson:
Board:
Pearson's ace-king held up against the ace-queen of Kottler, and Kottler finishes second and adds a $82,379 payday to his more than $1.5 million in career earnings.
Michael Pearson | 12,720,000 | 3,000,000 |
Jeremy Kottler | 0 | -3,000,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 3:58 PM Local Time
Pearson Keeps Climbing
Jeremy Kottler opened to 200,000, and Michael Pearson called.
Pearson checked the flop, Kottler bet 200,000, Pearson raised to 700,000, and Kottler folded.
Michael Pearson | 9,720,000 | 720,000 |
Jeremy Kottler | 3,000,000 | -600,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 3:42 PM Local Time
Pearson Takes Another One
Michael Pearson limped, and Jeremy Kottler checked back.
Kottler led out for 80,000 on the flop, and Pearson called. Both players then checked the turn.
Pearson called a 300,000 bet from Kottler on the river, and showed down , besting Kottler's as both players hit two pair on the river.
Michael Pearson | 9,000,000 | 700,000 |
Jeremy Kottler | 3,600,000 | -700,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 3:37 PM Local Time
Pearson Increases the Lead
Jeremy Kottler opened to 200,000, and Michael Pearson called.
Both players checked through the flop, as well as the turn. Pearson bet 300,000 on the river, and Kottler called.
Perason showed down , and Kottler mucked.
Michael Pearson | 8,300,000 | 800,000 |
Jeremy Kottler | 4,300,000 | -1,570,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 3:27 PM Local Time
Charlie Coultas Eliminated in 3rd Place ($59,824)
Michael Pearson opened to 200,000 from the button, Charlie Coultas three-bet all in for 1,500,000, and Pearson called.
Charlie Coultas:
Michael Pearson:
Board:
Pearson's ace-high held up, and the Main Event is now heads up between Pearson and Jeremy Kottler.
Michael Pearson | 7,500,000 | 2,880,000 |
Charlie Coultas | 0 | -2,200,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 3:14 PM Local Time
Level 29 started
Level: 29
Blinds: 40,000/80,000
Ante: 80,000
Monday, November 4, 2019 3:14 PM Local Time
Joe Brindle Eliminated in 4th Place ($44,058)
Charlie Coultas opened to 130,000 from the button, and Joe Brindle raised to 320,000, the last of his chips from the big blind. Coultas called.
Joe Brindle:
Charlie Coultas:
Board:
Brindle, after a couple of losses on big pots in the last hour, is out in fourth place.
Charlie Coultas | 2,200,000 | 270,000 |
Joe Brindle | 0 | -320,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 3:11 PM Local Time
Pearson Leaves Brindle Hanging by a Thread
Joe Brindle open raised from the cutoff, Michael Pearson three-bet to 420,000 from the big blind, and Brindle four-bet all in for 2,600,000. Pearson made the call.
Michael Pearson:
Joe Brindle:
Board:
Pearson won the flip, and Brindle is down to his last six big blinds.
Michael Pearson | 4,620,000 | 2,360,000 |
Joe Brindle | 320,000 | -1,680,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 3:02 PM Local Time
Chip Counts
Jeremy Kottler | 5,870,000 | -380,000 |
Michael Pearson | 2,260,000 | -590,000 |
Joe Brindle | 2,000,000 | 300,000 |
Charlie Coultas | 1,930,000 | -270,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 2:59 PM Local Time
Another Big Pot for Kottler
With on the board, Jeremy Kottler bet 525,000, about a pot-sized bet, from the small blind. Charlie Coultas, in the big blind, went into the tank.
Coultas eventually called, but mucked when Kottler showed . The pot puts Kottler at over six million chips.
Jeremy Kottler | 6,250,000 | 1,390,000 |
Charlie Coultas | 2,200,000 | -800,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 2:57 PM Local Time
Kottler Takes the Chip Lead
The details of the action leading up to the showdown are unknown, but Jeremy Kottler doubled up through Joe Brindle and now has the chip lead.
The final board and hole cards looked like this:
Jeremy Kottler:
Joe Brindle:
Board:
Brindle hit two pair on the flop, but the river brought in a set for Kottler, shipping the massive pot his way.
Jeremy Kottler | 4,860,000 | 1,860,000 |
Joe Brindle | 1,700,000 | -2,600,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 2:54 PM Local Time
Coultas Doubles Through Brindle
Charlie Coultas, from the button, and Joe Brindle, from the big blind, got all of the chips in preflop, with Brindle having Coultas covered.
Charlie Coultas:
Joe Brindle:
Board:
Coultas won the coin flip, and he's back up to three million aftert taking a chunk out of Brindle's big stack.
Joe Brindle | 4,300,000 | -800,000 |
Charlie Coultas | 3,000,000 | 1,350,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 2:44 PM Local Time
Pearson Doubles Through Coultas
Charlie Coultas and Michael Pearson got all in preflop from the blinds, with Perason have the small stack on the big blind.
Michael Pearson:
Charlie Coultas:
Board:
Pearson's ace-jack was well ahead when the cards turned over, and Coultas found no improvement on the runout.
Michael Pearson | 2,850,000 | 1,450,000 |
Charlie Coultas | 1,650,000 | -1,650,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 2:42 PM Local Time
Kottler's Turn Bet Takes It Down
Jeremy Kottler opened to 120,000 on the button, and Michael Pearson made the call in the big blind.
Pearson check-called an 80,000 bet from Kottler on the flop. Pearson then check-folded to a 250,000 bet from Kottler on the turn.
Joe Brindle | 5,100,000 | -150,000 |
Charlie Coultas | 3,300,000 | 700,000 |
Jeremy Kottler | 3,000,000 | 250,000 |
Michael Pearson | 1,400,000 | -850,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 2:20 PM Local Time
Mitch Garshofsky Eliminated in 5th Place ($32,911)
Joe Brindle opened to 125,000 from the button, and Mitch Garshofsky made the call in the big blind.
Garshofsky checked the flop, Brindle bet 100,000, Garshofsky check-raised all in for 870,000, and Brindle called.
Mitch Garshofsky:
Joe Brindle:
Garshofsky's top pair was ahead at the time, but Brindle had plenty of outs with a flush draw and middle pair. One of those outs came in on the river, as after a turn, the on fifth street brought in two pair for Brindle.
Joe Brindle | 5,250,000 | 900,000 |
Mitch Garshofsky | 0 | -900,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 2:12 PM Local Time
Chip Counts
Joe Brindle | 4,350,000 | 500,000 |
Jeremy Kottler | 2,750,000 | -780,000 |
Charlie Coultas | 2,600,000 | 250,000 |
Michael Pearson | 2,250,000 | 150,000 |
Mitch Garshofsky | 900,000 | 350,000 |
Monday, November 4, 2019 2:12 PM Local Time
Level 28 started
Level: 28
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 60,000
Monday, November 4, 2019 1:58 PM Local Time
Break Time
Players are on a 15-minute break.
Monday, November 4, 2019 1:56 PM Local Time
Perason Doubles Through Garshofsky
Mitch Garshofsky opened to 125,000 from the cutoff, Michael Pearson three-bet all in for 1,000,000, and Garshofsky called, having Perason covered.
Michael Pearson:
Mitch Garshofsky:
Garshofky winced when he saw the bad news, with Pearson's pocket queens having him dominated. Nothing changed on the runout, and Pearson is back up to the two million chip mark.
Michael Pearson | 2,100,000 | 900,000 |
Mitch Garshofsky | 550,000 | -1,450,000 |