2005/2006 WSOP Circuit Event #4: Las Vegas

2005/2006 WSOP Circuit Event #4Paris/Ballys Las VegasNovember 22nd, 2005  34 entrants made the ten thousand dollar buy-in for the 2005/2006 WSOP Circuit main event, held November 22 nd at Paris/Ballys in Las Vegas.  John Smith took out Doug Lee, a former WSOP Circuit champion, in early action at the final table, when Smith held J-10 and flopped a straight against Lees top pair. Canadian Lee took home $50,384 for his eighth place finish.  Steve Hudak was the next to be eliminated when pocket Queens failed to hold up against Joe Hachems A-8, on a flop of A-9-2, all spades. Hudak had outs, but the Turn and River failed to help him. The Las Vegas native received $62,980 for seventh place.  John Smith got knocked out when he went all-in on a short stack with A-6 and ran up against Thang Kido Phams A-K. Smith was awarded $75,576 for his sixth place finish.  Although he did not win, reigning WSOP champion Joe Hachem proved he was no flash in the pan with his play at the event. Hachem moved all-in with K-8 in the small blind and was caught by Lee Watkinson, who called with pocket nines in the big blind and flopped a set. The Australian Hachem received $88,172 for fifth place.  Pham took the lead with $650,000 chips, more than twice than his opponents. A short-stacked Scotty Nguyen eventually went all-in with A-J off suit and was called by Pham with pocket Kings in the big blind. The board brought no help for Nguyen, who took home $100,768 for fourth place.  Lee Watkinson of Vancouver, Washington raised with K-Q and was called by Pham, who had J-9 of clubs. Watkinson went all-in on a flop of K-K-5 with two clubs. In a major upset, Pham succeeded in making a flush on the turn to take the pot. Watkinsons third place finish earned him $138,556.  The heads-up play between Pham and J.C. Tran of Sacramento lasted only 20 minutes and ended when Pham, who had Tran out-chipped 2:1, took the final pot of the night with A-8 to Trans K-Q and flopped A-K-6. With Jacks on both the Turn and the River, Pham won Aces up. As the second place finisher, Tran collected $251,920.  Thang Kido Pham came to the table with two money finishes in major tournaments earlier in the year. Although he now calls Dallas, Texas his home, Pham was originally born in Viet Nam and came to this country as a small child as one of the Boat People who fled their homeland following the fall of Saigon. With this first place finish, he took $453,456 and a gold championship ring home to his wife and two small children.