Many poker enthusiasts eagerly waited for last Monday's World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit in Isle Casino Pompano Park, Florida. Brian Altman shocked many people when he took down the 13th event, called the $1,700 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event. He received the $204,935 first-place prize, which was the player's third Circuit ring.
Altman won on the Isle Casino Pompano Park Circuit's last day. It comprised 15 events that lasted for two weeks. They had buy-ins of $400 to $2,200 and $3.4 million prize money.
Altman Brings Down the Main Event
725 runners took part in the three-day Main Event. It had a $1.1 million prize pool, thus being the only prize pool with seven figures on a Circuit stop. Altman is a tournament professional from Longmeadow, Massachusetts.
He has live tournament earnings of about $5.6 million and won the 2019-2021 World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year award. Altman had a great chip lead as he entered the third day compared to his six opponents. He cracked Michael Graffeo's pocket kings and sent him out of the tournament being in the seventh position and earning $31,139.
The live poker tournament pro had several chips when the final table diminished. Yet, he lost the chip lead and a big pot in a heads-up play against Athanasios Polychronopoulos, the runners-up who received $126,653 and has won two bracelets in the past.
Still, he managed to double through Polychronopoulos using a straight against a second pair. The double helped Altman win the tournament.
The WSOP Circuit Isle Casino Pompano Park Main Event's Results
This was Altman's second Circuit Main Event title and largest live WSOP cash prize. His first title was in the 9th event in 2016, which was a $1,675 buy-in MAIN EVENT No-Limit Hold'em at the International Circuit, Casino de Montreal. He won $167,000 in that event.
Altman finished third in the 2018 Event #10A/B: $1,675 MAIN EVENT at the WSOP Circuit Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Florida, and won $110,107. Also, he finished 10th on last year's 10th event, the No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT at the WSOP Circuit Harrah's Cherokee and received $28,577.
The Main Event featured other players like Loni Hardwood, who received $2,576 for the 94th position, Maurice Hawkins, who got $2,636 for the 98th position, Yuva Bronsthtein received $2,884 for the 70th position; Chad Eveslage got $3,081 for the 53rd position, Stephen Song who received $4,083 for being in the 35th position and Jesse Jones who got $15,423 for the 10th position.
Hebert's WSOP Jewelry
A few days earlier, Joseph Hebert won $18,159 in the $400 No-Limit Hold'em 10th event. He had a larger score after winning the $1.6 million 2020 WSOP Main Event's U.S. portion. Unfortunately, Damian Salas defeated him and got the precious bracelet.
Hebert stated after winning the Circuit that it was fun and a distinct poker stage. He hadn't won jewelry before it and was elated after earning the ring after beating Polychronopoulos, who was the runners-up in the Main Event. Polychronopoulos received $8,021.
Hebert inspired other players when he documented playing for Linda, his late mother, using #ForLinda in the 2020 Main Event. She succumbed to pulmonary embolism a few months to the event.
A 2020 report from PokerNews stated that Hebert discussed winning the bracelet with his mother shortly before her demise. Even so, he narrowly missed it, but he got a ring.
Trudeau Jr. Wins $93,116 in the 10th Ring High Roller
Jeffrey Trudeau Jr. from Winter Garden, Florida, thrilled his fans when he won the $2,200 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller in the Circuit's 11th event. Besides, it was the player's tenth Circuit ring.
Trudeau Jr. competed with 186 other players and beat Jake Schwartz, his heads-up opponent. His total tournament earnings stand at $2.7 million. Schwartz performed well in the 2021 WSOP and was 11th on the Player of the Year leaderboard.
Schwartz got $57,547 for being the runners-up. Trudeau Jr. now ties with Ari Engel on the fourth position in the Circuit ring list. He is behind Joshua Reichard (12), Valentin Vornicu (12), and Maurice Hawkins (14).
Chad Eveslage ($12,085), IanO'hara (6th position-$15,756), and Kammar Andries (5th position ($21,120) also advanced to the High Roller final table. PokerNews claimed in one report that the circuit organizers had denied Phillip Hui a fifth title and Hawkins the 15th ring.
