WSOPC Event #11: $1,700 MAIN EVENT

David Hengen - Winner of the WSOPC Council Bluffs Main Event

After just under five hours of play, the final group of six was brought down to just one at the WSOPC Council Bluffs Main Event. Each one of the final six started the day with $21,097 guaranteed, with each one of them looking at the first-place prize of $116,846. 

After a lengthy and swingy heads-up battle, it was three-time WSOPC winner David Hengen who collected his fourth ring as well as his first Main Event title. “This is my biggest cash,” the new champion mentioned in comparison to the other cashes he has had on the circuit. “I probably felt the most confident and comfortable.” 

When three-handed play began, Hengen was by far and away the shortest stack. Mo Nuwwarah started the heads-up match with a massive lead, but through some timely double-ups, he was able to even the chips up. “As I’ve gotten more experienced with poker, being able to control my emotions is something I have improved tremendously. You have some bad runouts, but you just kind of have to go with the flow. That’s something that helps me do as I do.” 

Hengen finished in third place in an event earlier this series and managed to top that finish with his score here today. Tomorrow, Hengen is traveling on vacation. “My wife and I are going to be taking our kids to Savannah, Georgia; it is our 15th wedding anniversary, as well as our son’s 14th birthday. I’m sure we will do something extravagant for the celebration.” 

Hengen also wins a seat in the 2024 Tournament of Champions, a fact he is very excited for. 

Final Table Results

1. David Hengen - $116,846

2. Mo Nuwwarah - $72,216

3. Daniel Lowery - $51,838

4. Michael Henery - $37,801

5. Timothy Garles - $28,011

6. Matthew Dodd - $21,097

7. Max Havlish - $16,155

8. Daniel Thomas - $12,580

9. Banipal Simonovich - $9,966

Final Day Action

Timothy Garles came into the final day with the chip lead, but an early pot where he held tens against Michael Henery’s kings saw Henery take the chip lead, and Garles fall to the short stack. He was not the first to exit the final table though. Matthew Dodd would be the first player to exit after he defended his big blind with ten-eight suited, then moved all in when he flopped a flush draw, only to get called by Daniel Lowery’s queens. The flush did not come home for Dodd, and he finished in sixth place, collecting $21,097 for his efforts.

Garles would exit in fifth place shortly after that. He moved in his final chips with king-jack suited, and Lowery looked him up with ace-nine suited to eliminate him after no help came. Garles collected $28,011 for his best WSOPC finish ever. 

Despite taking an early lead at the final table, Henery would be unable to maintain the momentum as both Lowery and Mo Nuwwarah took sizable pots off of him. His final hand saw him making the bottom end of a straight, while Nuwwarah made the top end and held a flush draw to boot. Henery could not find the two outer chop on the river, and the 84-year-old exited the tournament in fourth place, collecting $37,801. 

Nuwwarah and Lowery held the vast majority of chips in play as Hengen was left on the short stack. Lowery held the lead for a bit, but the hand that put Nuwwarah into the lead saw Lowery move all in with ace-jack, only for Nuwwarah to wake up with pocket aces and hold to take the lead. Shortly after that, it was Lowery all in with the pocket aces while Nuwwarah held pocket nines. All seemed safe for Lowery to double up, but the river nine gave Nuwwarah a set and the 14-time WSOPC ring winner exited the tournament in third place for $51,838. 

Nuwwarah took a massive lead into heads up but seemed to be unable to avoid the runouts of the deck. Hengen doubled up a few times early into the match, and the chip lead shifted back and forth between the both of them. At one point, Hengen was all in with bottom pair and a gutter, while Nuwwarah had called him with top pair and the opposing gutter. Despite both players blocking the other’s straight draw, Hengen hit his and Nuwwarah could not improve to two pair, which gave Hengen the overall lead in the match. 

A few hands later, Nuwwarah had pulled back into the lead, but another confrontation saw it change hands once more. Nuwwarah had turned two pair, while Hengen had flopped a set of fives, and when both players got all their chips in, Nuwwarah was drawing very slim. Hengen won the pot to take over the lead to put Nuwwarah with the short stack. In the end, Nuwwarah got in his last chips with a pair of threes, and Hengen called him with ace-king, and the king high flop saw an end to Nuwwarah’s run as he took home a career-best $72,216 for his runner-up finish. 

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David Hengen 

Mo Nuwwarah called on the button and in the big blind, David Hengen checked his option. 

On the     flop, Hengen checked over to Nuwwarah who bet 200,000 and Hengen called. 

The turn of   saw Hengen check over to Nuwwarah who bet 550,000. Hengen moved all in for 5,000,000 total and Nuwwarah called. 

David Hengen:   
Mo Nuwwarah:   

Nuwwarah had turned two pair, but he was drawing slim against the set of Hengen. The river   did not improve Nuwwarah's hand and Hengen took a massive lead in the heads up battle. 

David Hengen - 11,080,000
Mo Nuwwarah - 3,000,000

The players have gone on a 15-minute break. 

Here are the chip counts. A few hands went Nuwwarah's way before break to give him the lead. 

Mo Nuwwarah - 9,300,000
David Hengen - 4,780,000

 
Mo Nuwwarah

Mo Nuwwarah raised to 375,000 from the button and David Hengen defend in the big blind. 

The flop came out     and Hengen checked to Nuwwarah who bet 250,000 and Hengen raised to 650,000 which Nuwwarah called. 

On the   turn, Hengen bet 750,000 which Nuwwarah called. 

Hengen sized down on the   river to 575,000 and Nuwwarah called. 

"If you got a diamond you're good," said Hengen as he tabled    for kings and queens. Nuwwarah showed    for a flush and he took down the pot to open up a significant lead. 

Mo Nuwwarah - 10,530,000
David Hengen - 3,550,000

Mo Nuwwarah

Action was picked up in a limped pot where action checked all the way to the river. 

The board read       and Nuwwarah checked to Hengen who bet 600,000. Nuwwarah raised to 2,500,000 and Hengen moved all in for 3,550,000 effective and Nuwwarah called. 

Mo Nuwwarah:   
David Hengen:   

Nuwwarah had turned a flush to beat Hengen's rivered two pair and once more Nuwwarah pulled into the chip lead. 

Mo Nuwwarah - 7,460,000
David Hengen - 6,620,000

 
Mo Nuwwarah

Mo Nuwwarah had lost the chip lead for a bit, but took it back in this hand. 

Nuwwarah raised to 255,000 on the button and in the big blind, David Hengen three bet to 720,000 which Nuwwarah called. 

On the flop of    , Hengen bet 450,000 which Nuwwarah called. 

Action checked through on the   turn to the   river where Nuwwarah bet 800,000 which checked to, which Hengen responded to by folding. 

Mo Nuwwarah - 8,500,000
David Hengen - 5,900,000

 
Daniel Lowery - third place finisher

Mo Nuwwarah raised to 275,000 on the button and in the small blind, Daniel Lowery three bet to 600,000 which Nuwwarah responded to by moving all in for 4,300,000 total and Lowery called. 

Daniel Lowery:   
Mo Nuwwarah:   

The flop and turn came safe for the aces as the board peeled off     , but the river   gave Nuwwarah a set of nines to take a massive chip lead into heads up while 14-time WSOPC ring winner Daniel Lowery exited the tournament in third place. 

Mo Nuwwarah - 12,100,000
Daniel Lowery - Eliminated in third place for $51,838

 
Mo Nuwwarah

Daniel Lowery raised to 200,000 on the button and David Hengen called in the small blind. In the big blind, Mo Nuwwarah three bet to 625,000 which saw Lowery move all in and Nuwwarah called for 3,820,000 total. 

Mo Nuwwarah:   
Daniel Lowery:   

The board ran out       and the aces held up for Nuwwarah to take over the chip lead. 

Mo Nuwwarah - 7,790,000
Daniel Lowery - 4,400,000

Daniel Lowery

Daniel Lowery raised to 250,000 from the button and in the big blind, Michael Henery three bet to 450,000 and Lowery called. 

The flop came out     and action checked through to the   where Henery checked over to Lowery who bet 350,000, which Henery called. 

On the   river, Henery checked once more to Lowery who bet 750,000 and Henery quickly folded his hand, ceding the pot to the new chip leader. 

Daniel Lowery - 8,100,000
Michael Henery - 2,100,000

 

Matthew Dodd - sixth place finisher

Daniel Lowery raised to 250,000 from the hijack and in the big blind, Matthew Dodd defended. 

The flop came out     and Dodd moved all in for 710,000 total and Lowery called. 

Matthew Dodd:   
Daniel Lowery:   

The board ran out    and no help was brought to the flush draw of Dodd and the Minnesota player ended his run in sixth place. 

Daniel Lowery - 4,400,000
Matthew Dodd - Eliminated in 6th place for $21,097