This page is the hub for information on the WSOP Circuit at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. Check back here (wsop.com/n/834) for updated information and links on this ongoing tournament series.
Council Bluffs, Iowa (April 9, 2018) -- Bradley Sullivan struck gold the second time around. Following up his
2nd-place finish in Event #3, the 26-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska
returned to the spotlight and would not be denied again. Sullivan topped the final event of the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit series for
$11,930 and his first WSOP gold ring.
Day 2 of Event #10: $1,675 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event began with 47 players and by the end of ten, one hour levels the field stood at a final four. Gold-bracelet winner Jeff Tebben bagged with the largest stack and will begin Day 3 with at least a 2:1 chip lead over his three opponents.
The final day of the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Main Event commences at noon Monday. A Circuit gold ring, top prize of $97,754, and an automatic seat in the 2017/18 Global Casino Championship is on the line.
Here is a look at the scheduled for Monday:
Ring Events
12 pm - Event #10: $1,675 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
- Day 3 restart
- 4 players remain
- Play resumes with Level 26
- Jeff Tebben starts as chip leader
- Full chip counts
Completed Events
Event #1: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #2: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Bounty (1 Re-Entry)
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #3: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #4: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #5: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #6: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Six Max Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #7: $365 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo (1 Re-Entry)
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #8: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #9: $1,125 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #11: $365 No-Limit Hold'em (1 Re-Entry)
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Event #12: $365 No-Limit Hold'em 30-Minute Levels Re-Entry
Results | Official Report | Winner's Photo
Casino Champion Race
Henry Gingerich cashed the Main Event for 5 points. He then jumped in the final ring event of the series and cashed again for another 10 points. Gingerich finished with six cashes, equalin 100 points and is the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino Champion.
About the Winners
Jon Maras: Winner of Event #1
Jon Maras decisively captured his first World Series of Poker gold ring while competing at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit series. The 48-year-old from Hartford, South Dakota defeated a field of 144 entrants in Event #1: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry, a tournament that took two days to complete.
Maras' run of good cards and competitive nature could not be stopped. It was great time for Maras to prevail in a poker tournament. His opportunity to hit the felt is limited to the winter season, which is on the way out.
“I have my own construction company, so winter time is my slow time, so that’s when I play,” said Maras, who also spearheads a second career. “This is my last one because I coach baseball. I coach two teams… so pretty busy. We start playing games next week.”
Maras has a history with baseball, being a longtime player himself. The sport was even a stepping stone into the world of poker.
“I played baseball in college… I played amateur baseball till I was 38, so I’ve always had that competitive nature in me,” Maras mentioned. “It [poker] is just a way to compete… That’s the fun of it,” he continued. “I actually compare it to baseball a lot. It’s a game of failure. You fail a lot and that’s the way baseball is.”
A competitive drive boosted Maras to a momentous WSOP achievement. The husband and father of three will be returning home with $12,095, a Circuit gold ring, and good news to share with his family.
Clayton Vandiver: Winner of Event #2
The World Series of Poker Circuit deemed another champion Friday evening. It was Clayton Vandiver who claimed his first gold ring while playing at his local casino, Horseshoe Council Bluffs. The 83-year-old meandered through 120 entrants in Event #2: $365 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty (1 Re-Entry) to take home the golden hardware.
“Feels pretty good. I’ve been playing for years, 70 something years, so… nothing new,” Vandiver said with a cool demeanor. “Since 1939,” he continued. “My stepfather, when I was six years old, taught me how to play.”
Spanning seven decades, Vandiver has enjoyed the game of poker as a pastime. Since retiring from the Air Force, the Kentucky native settled in Omaha, Nebraska.
“I just play here at the Horseshoe. Me and my wife play every Friday and Saturday because relaxation, it’s a hobby is all,” Vandiver said.
Consistent play at a certain casino can harbor familiar faces, and that holds true for Vandiver who claimed, “It’s the usual competition. Most of us here, we all know each other.”
Vandiver was even acquainted with his decorated heads-up adversary, Duane Gerleman, owner of four gold rings. During the last hand of the tournament, Vandiver spiked a seven on the river to win it all, walking away with $7,202 and the Bounty honors.
Matt Hartigan: Winner of Event #3
Matt Hartigan bagged his first World Series of Poker gold ring and $31,928 late Sunday night at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit series. The 33-year-old conquered 495 entrants in Event #3: $365 No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry, a tournament that featured four separate starting flights and took three days to complete.
“There were quite a few moments of doubt at the final table. I got into some dicey spots, but somehow crawled out of them thanks to the dealer,” Hartigan mentioned.
A string of good luck put Hartigan in position to do some damage, and he eventually did. The biggest surge came during three-handed action when Christopher Parsley’s pocket nines ran into Hartigan’s pocket aces.Hartigan scooped the massive double up and held nearly 80% of the chips in play.
After knocking out Parsley in third place, Hartigan faced off against an Omaha-based acquaintance of his, Bradley Sullivan. Throughout the final table the two players consistently socialized in a drinking-buddy manner, so the heads-up battle was tension-free one.
“The guy directly to my right [Sullivan], really nice guy, I’ve played with him in cash quite a few times, so we had some fun,” expressed Hartigan.
In the end, Hartigan's monumental chip lead could not be thwarted and Sullivan had to settle for second place. As the re-entry Champion, Hartigan recorded his third WSOP cash and largest score to date, by far.
“I mean, I’m not like a big player. I haven’t played in that many World Series stuff. I play in a lot of like smaller tournaments… mainly here at the shoe,” said Hartigan, whose main occupation is in the Life Insurance industry. “I do this for fun… But yeah… it was a great tournament. Winning it doesn’t hurt,” he concluded with a smile.
David Gutfreund: Winner of Event #4
David Gutfreund let out a piercing roar of triumph late Sunday night at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. The moment of joy came at the end to Event #4: $365 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo Re-Enty, which left Gutfreund as the last man standing.
Altogether, Gutfreund defeated a field of 150 entrants in the one-day tournament, to win $12,596 and his first WSOP gold ring. The achievement took less than 12 hours for Gutfreund to realize, but it was a milestone that the 56-year-old has been working towards for a while.
“It’s good. I’ve played too many final tables on the Circuit without winning a ring, and it’s nice to finally get one,” Gutfreund expressed “This is the third straight year I’ve made a final table here… It’s about time I won a ring.”
The Chicago native, who has nearly $800,000 in live tournament earnings, placed second at Palm Beach Kennel Club last season and has multiple top-nine finishes on the WSOPC stage. Needless to say, the gold-ring victory was a significant milestone for Gutfreund, but it certainly is not his biggest score to date.
“It’s about $144,000 less… But, winning is winning, and winning feels great. There’s always a satisfaction in winning and right now I have that satisfaction,” Gutfreund said after his triumph. “The satisfaction, actually, is pretty much the same, the money is different, but the feeling of winning is very much the same.”
Bhaskar Setti: Winner of Event #5
Another World Series of Poker champion has been deemed at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit. Bhaskar Setti was the one scooping the final pot of Event #5: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry, securing $10,838 and his first WSOP gold ring. It was a moment of triumph that came earlier than expected.
Event though Event #5 was scheduled as a two-day tournament, Setti planted himself in the winner’s circle with six minutes left in the final level of Day 1. All in all, the 44-year-old, originally from India, conquered 129 entrants and a tough final table.
Setti was playing with a chip on his shoulder after placing sixth in Event #1. He would not be stopped this time around though. “I came back again. My wife didn’t know that I came here,” Setti mentioned. “I am really happy now. This is the first ring. She’ll be happy.”
Setti attributes his gold-ring victory to Yashveen Mudireddy, his friend and poker mentor. Mudireddy has one gold ring himself, a memento he captured back in 2105 at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit. After taking up poker around five years ago, Setti now boasts a ring of his own, but says he could not have done it without the help of Mudireddy.
“Yash… he’s the one that taught me the game and I owe this ring to him. Thank you very much Yash. I followed everything you said. This ring is literally for you,” Setti expressed after
Another attributing factor for Setti was his family. Setti lives in Omaha, Nebraska with his wife and two kids. The husband and father owns an IT consulting business. He loves to play poker as a hobby and does it for the fun, not for the money.
Tim McReynolds: Winner of Event #6
Tim McReynolds has captured his second Circuit title of the season, adding another piece of World Series of Poker gold to his collection. The 73-year-old Attorney outlasted a field of 159 entrants in Event #6: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Six Max Re-Entry to earn $13,358 and add to his third gold ring.
“It’s really an affirmation of what I’ve learned from Bernard Lee, my teacher,” McReynolds said after his victory. “The unusual thing is, this is the fourth six-man tournament I’ve won in a row.”
Six-handed tournaments have been very fruitful for McReynolds lately. With some smaller nightly competitions and satellites, he has strung together a winning streak. The run also includes McReynolds’ largest score to date.
Back in February, at the Rio Las Vegas Circuit, McReynolds took down Event #3: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Six Max for $17,899 and his second gold ring.It did not take McReynolds long to return to the Circuit scene and scoop ring number three, and at his local casino, Horseshoe Council Bluffs, no less.
The Nebraska native picked up Texas Hold'em to keep his mind sharp after being diagnosed with a disease that alters brain function.
“I had, what they call, encephalopathy, which is like Alzheimer’s in a way. So, I picked up poker in 2006, or 07,” McReynolds explained. “I did poker and Sudoku just to keep my mind. Then, I wound up getting a liver transplant and that completely cured the encephalopathy, but I wound up keeping poker.”
Even after being cured, McReynolds continued playing the game he loved.
Sean Moore: Winner of Event #7
Sean Moore secured his first World Series of Poker Circuit title Tuesday evening. The 46-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska finished as the last man standing in Event #7 at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. The $365 Omaha Hi-Lo tournament left Moore with a payout of $8,640, his first WSOP gold ring, and most importantly, vindication.
“I’ve been working so hard. I’ve been to lots of these final tables. All I wanted to do was win a ring. And the money is fantastic, but… I feel vindicated, like I’ve arrived,” said Moore, following his victory. “I’m unbelievably ecstatic right now.”
Moore began playing poker for a living back in 2005, but the career path took a detour in 2009. That is when he reentered the workforce, joining the family-owned insurance agency that his father founded.
“This past November I left the business, went back to poker full time. I plan on playing a lot of events,” Moore detailed. “I plan on spending most of the summer in Vegas.”
After a long stint with the family business, Moore decided to get back into life as a professional poker player. His recent gold-ring triumph provides Moore with a sense of justification toward the decision and is also a ray of redemption.
Moore now lays claim to six WSOP cashes, majority of which stem from the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit series. Although it not a huge quantity, all six cashes are top-ten finishes, begging the fact that it was just a matter of time before Moore broke through to the winner's circle.
Joel Klipping: Winner of Event #8
Joel Klipping has just come away with his first World Series of Poker gold ring. The 47-year-old from Minnesota navigated through a field of 315 entrants in Event #8: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack Re-Entry. Along with his debut gold ring, Klipping takes home the top prize of $22,207 and 50 Casino Championship points.
The victory marks Klipping's second cash and second final table appearance of the Horseshoe Council Bluffs series. Earlier in the week he finished 8th in the multi-flight re-entry event.
Klipping now has a total of 67.5 points in the race for Casino Champion. Henry Gingerich placed 7th in the Monster Stack, which but him atop the leaderboard with 85 points. Kippling would need another cash of 8th or higher to overtake the lead. The Midwest business owner plans to stick around and play in the Main Event, which begins tomorrow at noon.
Erik Christensen: Winner of Event #9
Erik Christensen is the newest member of the World Series of Poker’s gold ring club. While participating in the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit series, the 39-year-old Poker Pro defeated a field of 83 entrants in Event #9: $1,125 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry to capture his first career gold ring and $26,559.
“Feels excellent,” Christensen expressed after his victory “I was heads up for a ring in… Florida and I came in second, so it feels good to win my first WSOP Circuit.”
Back in September at Seminole Hard Rock Circuit series, Christensen placed second in a tournament similar to Event #9. Falling one spot shy of a debut gold ring, left Christensen with a fire in his belly. This time around, the New York City native would not be stopped.
Christensen decided to make trip to Council Bluffs with two things on his agenda. Along with playing in a few WSOP events, Christensen is visiting with some of his extended family living in Omaha, Nebraska. In any case, the trip has turned out to be an great success so far. Christensen walks away with his first career gold ring and plans to enter the Main Event tomorrow, looking for another big score.
The achievement marked Christensen’s 13th WSOP cash and upped his earnings to just over $80,000. It has been around four years since Christensen has been a professional poker player.
“I was working at a law firm and just went on a sabbatical… I just wanted to sort of relax for a couple of months,” Christensen explained “Then, I did well enough at it [poker] that I realized I could make a living, and be my own boss, and have a little bit more freedom, and do something that I was enjoying.”
A career change for Christensen dropped him in the world of poker. He now spends his time playing a mix of cash and tournaments. Christensen mostly plays in his home state, but does embark on a trip when he can.
“I live in Florida, but my dad is originally from Omaha. So, I’m always looking for new places to play and I thought I’d meet up with some of my extended family,” said Christensen “So, I sort of combined a poker trip with visiting with family.
Edward "Dub" Dixon: Winner of Event #11
Edward "Dub" Dixon captured his first World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring and $10,163 late, Sunday afternoon at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit stop. The Detroit, Michigan native defeated 121 entrants in Event #11: $365 No-Limit Hold'em (1 Re- Entry), a tournament that took two days to reach a conclusion.
It was somewhat of a redemption victory for Dixon who was coming off an impressive showing at the recent Hard Rock Tulsa Circuit series. There, Dixon made two final tables, taking 5th place during the first, and then narrowly missing his debut Circuit ring with a runner-up finish in the second.
Dixon has been traveling the Circuit seriously, as a Poker Pro since 2016 after a peer of his encouraged him to do so.
“Maurice Hawkins is my friend, like my mentor… “We met in Chicago at the World Series,” explained Dixon “Back-to-back nights we won the nightlys; We’ve just been tight ever since.”
These days you can see, and hear, Dixon and Hawkins at various stops throughout the season. “We’re both really talkers. I’m the talker to kind of keep it a little bit lighter mood,” Dixon said, alluding to his character at the table.
The fun-loving poker player now has 12 cashes on the WSOP stage. He plans to continue playing during the remainder of the season. As the 2017/18 Circuit scheduled winds down, Dixon will be chasing points in an effort to qualify for the Global Casino Championship.
Bradley Sullivan: Winner of Event #12
Bradley Sullivan struck World Series of Poker gold during at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Circuit. The 26-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska took down 142 entrants in Even #12: $365 No-Limit Hold’em 30-Minute Levels Re-Entry to win $11,930 and his first WSOP gold ring.
After a runner-up finish in Event #3, Sullivan returned to the spotlight and would not be denied a second time. The two final table appearances Sullivan experienced were dissimilar, placing Sullivan in two different mentalities.
“I actually wasn’t frustrated when I got second because going into the final table I had 160,000 and everyone else had like over 400,000, so I just played really tight. I was just ecstatic to get second,” Sullivan recapped. “Today, I had a big chip lead going into the final table, so I expected to win. So, if I would have got second today I would have been pretty disappointed.”
During his first deep run of the series, Sullivan entered the final ten players at the bottom of the pack. However, during Event #12, Sullivan was at the other end of the spectrum when the unofficial final table was reached.
Sullivan and Hamid Izadi, owner of one gold ring, were the last two players in Event #12. Izadi began heads-up play with the chip lead, but it was far from being over quickly. What followed was a two-hour match full of swings back and forth.
Double ups were a common occurrence and it seemed like a champion would never be deemed. But then, near the end of Level 23, Sullivan dug out a big double up and scooped the final pot shortly after.
Sullivan, who works at TDAmeritrade and has his Series 7, did not play a live poker tournament for three to four years prior to the Council Bluffs Circuit. Nevertheless, he dove in at the “Shoe,” his local casino and capped of a great series with a triumph in the final ring event.
For the full schedule of events here at Horseshoe Council Bluffs and/or for more information on the WSOP Circuit, please use the links below.
