World Series of Poker Circuit Grand Casino-Resort – Tunica, Mississippi
January 19, 2008
Event #19
No-Limit Hold’em Championship
Buy-In: $7,500 + $200
Players: 180
Prize Pool: $1,350,000 (+ WSOP Main Event Package)

Table - Seat - Player - Hometown - Chips 3 3 Mark Garner Little Rock, AR 263,500 4 2 John Devia FL 250,500 1 1 Dale Morrow Horn Lake, MS 240,500 4 5 Jesse Dean 220,500 4 6 Charles Horvath MS 205,000 3 2 Vanessa Rousso Hobe Sound, FL 180,500 4 4 Spencer Hudson Austin, TX 177,500 2 2 Giovanni Maracci Brooksville, FL 166,500 2 7 Dustin Bailey Center, TX 165,000 4 7 Josh Arieh Atlanta, GA 152,000 3 4 Ben Sabrin 149,000 1 6 Jordan Rich Portland, OR 142,000 2 9 Frankie Havard Wade, MS 132,500 2 3 Tom Schneider Scottsdale, AZ 120,000 1 5 Tom Franklin Gulfport, MS 112,500 1 8 Bart Tichelman Atlanta, GA 111,500 4 3 Donald Nicholson Oak Ridge, TN 109,500 3 8 Larry Starkweather Fort Atkinson, WI 93,000 2 1 Ryan Young Torrance, CA 88,500 2 5 Jeremiah Vinsant Murfreesboro, TN 84,500 4 9 Billy Jackson Hico, TX 69,500 3 5 Jesse D. Maupin Rockwall, TX 66,500 1 2 Tim Frostad Regina, SK, Canada 66,000 1 4 Charles Cardin Madisonvile, TN 65,000 1 3 Kenny Milam La Place, LA 46,000 1 9 Harbaugh Atlanta, GA 43,000 3 9 Lee Markholt Eatonville, WA 37,000 2 4 Dean Schultz Akron, OH 32,000 3 7 Gene Baverlein St. Petersburg, FL 10,000

Mark Garner is Day 1 Chip Leader at
Grand Tunica Casino WSOP Circuit

With 29 players left at the end of Day 1, Mark Garner will start Day 2 of the WSOP Circuit championship event at Grand Casino Tunica leading with 263,5 00 chips. Garner (not to be confused with Markie Garner, who won the seniors event here earlier) is from Little Rock, Arkansas, and cashed 25th in the 2006 WSOP Championship event, earning $494,797.

Day 1 was scheduled to end after seven levels or when 27 players were left.

A total of 180 players turned out for this main event, generating a prize pool of $1,350,000. First place will pay $432,840 along with a gold trophy ring and a seat into this years's WSOP championship plus expense money. Players were eliminated fairly quickly in early action, but the pace slowed as the evening wore on, especially when it began to get close to the 27.

Players making the final table will get an extra day of rest because this event has been rescheduled for three days instead of four. They will play down to the final nine tomorrow, have Sunday free and then return on Monday.

A number of name players got the day off even earlier. Kathy Liebert and Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi were eliminated within the first four hours of play on day one, and Gavin Smith a couple of hours later. Players were eliminated fairly quickly in early action, but the pace slowed later that evening. As play progressed, Tony Cousineau, Bill Edler, John Phan, John Racener (who won the Circuit championship at Atlantic City last month) Bret "Gank" Jungblat, Allen Kessler and Chad Brown were among the better-known players to exit.

Down to four tables, and with 2 a.m. approaching, two of the few "name" players remaining tangled as Vanessa Rousso (the final woman left in the tournament) knocked out David "Devilfish" Ulliott. He was all in with A-7 suited, and she beat him with A-Q. Rousso finished the day in sixth place with 180,500 chips.

Players started with 20,000 chips, and average is 124,138.

Players will return at noon tomorrow.

-- by Max Shapiro

2007-08 W.S.O.P. Circuit Tunica, Mississippi