WSOP Circuit Event #5: Atlantic City, NJ

WSOP Circuit Event #5Showboat CasinoAtlantic City, NJ.November 29th - December 9th , 2005  Only 96 entrants signed up for the WSOP Circuit Main Event hosted by the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City on December 8th, but despite the light turnout the quality of play at the final table proved exceptional.  Daniel Shak was holding in Hand #33. When Reslock raised to $7,000, Shak re-raised to $22,000. John Juanda re-raised to $40,000. Reslock folded and Shak called. When the flop came Juanda bet and Shak called all-in. Juandas pocket kings had flopped a set, and he filled up on the turn with an ace. Shak, a 46-year old hedge-fund manager from Bryn Mawr took home $27,395 for 9th place.  Longtime poker player Julian Studley went all-in pre-flop with pocket eights and was called by Reslock with Reslock hit a pair of aces on the flop, and the former Belgian philanthropist received $37,250 for eighth place.  Eric Panayiotou took his last stand with pocket eights. Once again, Reslock called with and Reslock hit a pair of aces on the flop. The 48 year old Panayiotou, formerly from the isle of Cyprus, received $46,560 for his 7th place finish.  Dan Tolly was holding when the flop came Tolly checked to John Juanda, who bet $15,000. Tolly raised to $45,000. When Juanda made it $100,000, Tolly called all-in with his pair of jacks. Juanda also held a jack, and his kicker a queen. The turn and river brought two kings and no help to Tolly, an Air Force officer turned airline pilot, who took sixth place finish and $55,870.  John Spadavecchia made his move with going all-in before the flop. Reslock called with The board came giving Reslock the win. Spadavecchia, winner of a 1990 WSOP event and a 2005 WSOP Circuit event, returned to his home in Florida with $65,185 for fifth place.  21- year-old Nick Schulman, fresh off his win in the main event at Foxwoods World Poker Finals, went all-in on a bluff holding with nothing but a gut-shot straight draw. Reslock, holding had flopped two pair. When the gut-shot failed to materialize, Schulman had to settle for fourth place and $74,495.  Chad Moore went all-in with pocket sevens and Reslock called with pocket jacks. Moore, a former poker dealer turned successful tournament pro, received $102,430 for third place.  Reslock and John Juanda had even chip stacks as they started a clash of the poker titans. The two finalists battled for an hour before Reslock slow-played his hand and allowed Juanda to catch trips on the river (sixes) and take down a $350,000 pot.  For the next three hours Reslock picked up several small pots until both players were even in chips. Then, in the space of one hand, Juanada was down by nearly 4-to-1, with Reslock with 754,500 and Juanda with 205,500.  The final hand dealt Juanda A-K, Reslock K-7 (suited diamonds). Juanda raised and Reslock called. The flop came 7=6=3, with two diamonds. Juanda moved "all in" with the two over-cards, and Reslock, with top pair and a flush draw, called. Two blanks fell and Reslock won the final hand after an astonishing six hours of heads-up play. John Juanda, the second-place finisher, collected $186,240 in prize money.  Chris Reslock, a 52-year-old former taxi driver turned poker pro from Atlantic City, went home to his wife and three kids with $335,235 in his wallet and a WSOP championship ring on his finger.