WSOPC WESTERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINS IN SAN DIEGO
Valley Center, CA -- The third of four World Series of Poker Circuit Regional Championships began on Sunday, with the $10,000 (+300) buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament.
 
Registration for the four-day nationally-televised tournament at Harrah's Rincon remains open until Monday at 1 pm PST.
 
This means poker players may still come to beautiful San Diego and register to play for what is expected to be close to $1 million in prize money.  This tournament is particularly attractive to poker players hoping to qualify for a coveted seat in the $10,000 buy-in WSOP Circuit National Championship, coming up in May.  The top nine finishers from this Western Regional Championship at Harrah's Rincon will automatically earn pre-paid seats into the season-ending national championship, taking place at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.  That will be a WSOP gold bracelet event.
 
The Harrah's Rincon Resort-Casino is located about 45-minutes from Downtown San Diego.  It is surrounded by green hills and a climate many describe as paradise. 
 
The first day of the tournament ended with the following poker players still in contention:
 
Note:  Players are listed by NAME, HOMETOWN, CHIP COUNT, TABLE/SEAT (DAY TWO)
 
Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler    Las Vegas, NV    20,500    7    1
Joe Parker    Livonia, MI    32,775    7    2
Mike Heshmati    Morgan Hill, CA    21,350    7    3
Dana Kellstrom    Stevenson Ranch, CA    70,550    7    4
Conrad Monica    Hemet, CA    33,725    7    5
Sam Stein    Henderson, NV    56,050    7    6
Pejman Primo Niyati    Dallas, TX    28,500    7    7
Jesse Martin    Northboro, MA    11,525    7    8
Justin "Choctaw" Kruger    Denison, TX    18,550    7    9
David Peters    Rancho Sante Fe, CA    60,825    8    1
Victor Ramdin    Bronx, NY    28,275    8    2
Dwyte Pilgrim    Brooklyn, NY    34,000    8    3
Alex Rocha    Setauket, NY    10,600    8    4
Cary Katz    Las Vegas, NV    116,500    8    5
Edward Sabat    Los Angeles, CA    14,750    8    6
Ali Eslami    Los Angeles, CA    128,550    8    7
Romik Vartear    Los Angeles, CA    54,765    8    8
Pat Walsh    St. Charles, MO    35,075    8    9
Erhart Edquist    San Diego, CA    9,525    9    1
David Baker    Katy, TX    21,950    9    2
Joshua Field    Villa Park, CA    29,650    9    3
Grant T. Lang    Brookfield, CT    64,000    9    4
Scott Montgomery    Ottawa, ON (Canada)    54,550    9    5
Alexandru Masek    San Diego, CA    38,925    9    6
Mike Baxter    Pacific Palisades, CA    89,575    9    7
Todd Terry    Hoboken, NJ    31,500    9    8
Kyle Bowker    Walton, NY    121,500    9    9
Carlos Mortensen    Las Vegas, NV    87,600    10    1
Tim Murphy    Rancho Sante Fe, CA    114,375    10    2
Harold Wasson    Corona, CA    67,050    10    3
Jonathan Little    Pensacola, FL    41,925    10    4
Tim West    Los Altos, CA    83,725    10    5
Louis Werman    Agoura Hills, CA    29,375    10    6
Phil Hellmuth    Palo Alto, CA    23,575    10    7
D.J. Blanchard    Las Vegas, NV    29,650    10    8
Steve Sanders    Tulsa, OK    32,050    11    1
David Miscikawski    San Diego, CA    102,800    11    2
Saul Frank    Escondido, CA    31,450    11    3
Alejandro Javier Garcia    Mexicali, Mexico    28,400    11    4
Jordan Morgan    Tulsa, OK    18,025    11    5
David Williams    Las Vegas, NV    20,450    11    6
Denise Molloy    La Jolla, CA    41,200    11    7
Kevin Jonna    San Diego, CA    68,050    11    8
Kwinsee Khoa Tran    Orange County, CA    71,525    12    1
Gregory Brooks    Wycklett, NJ    45,125    12    2
Roland Israelashvili    New York, NY    17,000    12    3
Benjamin C. Hamnett    Pittsburgh, PA    21,325    12    4
Brian Green    Chico, TX    28,325    12    5
Dylan Wilkerson    San Francisco, CA    30,800    12    6
Travis Petty    San Diego, CA    19,450    12    7
Miller Dao    Maricopa, AZ    39,650    12    8
John Farrell    San Diego, CA    45,200    13    1
Richard Woodall    Orlando, FL    61,850    13    2
Steve Brecher    Reno, NV    44,375    13    3
Dmitriy Shilmikov    Katy, TX    43,025    13    4
Adam Geyer    Austin, TX    65,450    13    5
Shannon Shorr    Birmingham, AL    41,100    13    6
Stven Burkholder    Largo, FL    63,125    13    7
Adam Levy    Los Angeles, CA    43,875    13    8

Play resumes Monday at noon.  Blinds are 300-600 with a 75 ante.