Tommy Vedes Triumphs at WPT Seminole; Tripp Kirk Claims WSOP-C St. Louis
Both of yesterday's champions were repeat performers. Tommy Vedes won his second WPT title, having won before at WPT Festa al Lago in 2009, while Tripp Kirk picked up his second WSOP-C ring after winning at Tunica last year.
Two tourneys on the professional poker tour crowned champions on Monday, with Tommy Vedes winning the World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Showdown to earn a $779,520 payday and Tripp Kirk earning the ring and $190,961 first prize at the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at Harrah's St. Louis.
The WPT Seminole event at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida attracted a field of 290 entrants for the $10,000 event, creating a total prize pool of $2,784,000. Lots of familiar names were among those participating, including a number making it to the final 27 and the cash such as Daryl Jace (26th, $25,056), Jason Koon (21st, $25,056), Ravi Raghavan (11th, $38,976), David Paredes (9th, $50,112), and Fred Goldberg (8th, $69,600).
The final six-handed table also featured a number of players with significant scores, including third-place finisher Joe Serock and 2010 November Niner John Dolan who finished runner-up. Vedes had to come back from sixth of six to start the final table to win.
In the dramatic final hand, Dolan pushed all in with Kd-6d and Vedes quickly called him with Ad-10d. The flop came Kh-Jc-6h to give Dolan two pair, but the Qs fell on the turn to fill a straight for Vedes. The river was the 4c, and Vedes had won his second WPT title. Vedes' first came in 2009 at the WPT Festa al Lago at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
2012 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown final table payouts:
1st: Tommy Vedes -- $779,520
2nd: John Dolan -- $459,360
3rd: Joe Serock -- $306,240
4th: Craig Bergeron -- $212,976
5th: Sharon Levin -- $158,688
6th: Kyle Bowker -- $122,496
Meanwhile over in St. Louis it was Tripp Kirk besting a big field of 625 players to win the WSOP-C Harrah's St. Louis title. Like Vedes, Kirk's victory represented a second win on that tour, as he already had earned one Circuit gold ring at Harrah's Tunica last year.
The $1,620 buy-in tourney featured a $909,375 prize pool divided up by the top 63 finishers, including Seneca Easley (37th, $3,547), Scott Clements (36th, $3,547), and Alexandru Masek (20th, $8,021).
In the last hand, Kirk's heads-up opponent Tim Killday pushed all in on the turn with the board showing 7s-4d-Ac-2s and Kirk quickly called, tabling Ah-2c for two pair. Killday had been caught bluffing with Qh-10s, meaning no river card could save him and Kirk had won.
The win also gets Kirk a seat in the 2012 WSOP National Championship this summer.
2012 WSOP-C Harrah's St. Louis final table payouts:
1st: Tripp Kirk -- $190,961
2nd: Tim Killday -- $118,119
3rd: Chris Conrad -- $86,372
4th: Charles Moore -- $64,093
5th: Gannesh Letchumanan -- $48,224
6th: Bradley Lipsey -- $36,784
7th: Jeff Fitzgerald -- $28,445
8th: James Russell -- $22,298
9th: Jerry Milanos -- $17,715
Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.
