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Monday, September 28, 2015 4:29 PM Local Time
Event #11
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $300 (+$65)
Total Entries: 83
Prize Pool: $24,900
September 27-28, 2015
Elgin, Texas poker pro breaks through in $365 no-limit hold’em event, pockets $7,968.
John Vale records fourth top-nine finish of the series, leads Casino Championship.
West Palm Beach, Fla. (September 28, 2015) — Josh Vizcarra won the 11th of 12 gold ring events on the Palm Beach Kennel Club’s WSOP Circuit schedule Monday afternoon. Vizcarra, a professional poker player from Elgin, Texas, broke through in a $365 no-limit hold’em tournament to the tune of $7,968 and his first gold ring.
Vizcarra’s triumphant performance was a long time coming. The 28-year-old began following the Circuit in 2013 and racked up six cashes totaling nearly $24,000 in that time. The Event #11 victory at PBKC marks his seventh in-the-money finish, second final table appearance and pushes him over $30,000 in career Circuit earnings.
Adding some prestige to the title is the caliber of player it came against. Joining Vizcarra on Day 2 were three-time ring winner John Holley, ring winner Russ Head and Fadi Massaad. Additionally, the re-entry runner-up Raymond Ruszkowski, ring winner Brandon Newsome and Casino Championship points leader John Vale graced the finale before bowing out late on Day 1.
Vale finished ninth marking his fourth top-nine finish of the 12-day series, earning him an additional 15 points and putting him at the top of the leaderboard with 110 through 11 events. Just one points-eligible tournament remains and it’s underway now. If Vale is able to fade a deep run from just a handful of PBKC standouts, he’ll earn the title Casino Champion and punch his ticket to the WSOP Global Casino Championship.
“[Vale] is pretty sick,” Vizcarra said of the points leader. “He’s deep in everything this series.”
While the victory didn’t earn Vizcarra a berth in any season-ending championships or send him home with a six-figure payday, the fledgling pro hopes it has bigger implications for his game.
“I’ve been working pretty hard playing and traveling around. It feels good to get a ring,” he said of his crowning Circuit achievement.
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Event #11 was the 11th of 12 gold ring events on the WSOP Circuit schedule at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. The $365 no-limit hold’em event attracted 83 players. The total prize pool came to $24,900 and the top nine finishers were paid.
The tournament began Sunday, September 27 at 3 p.m. ET and Day 1 wrapped at the end of Level 18 (at about 2:30 a.m.). Day 2 resumed Monday at 1 p.m. with six players remaining and action concluded during Level 21 (at about 2:45 p.m.).
Final results:
1st: Josh Vizcarra - $7,968
2nd: Fadi Massaad - $4,924
3rd: John Holley - $3,447
4th: Aftab Shakoor - $2,511
5th: Russ Head - $1,847
6th: Bryce McVay - $1,380
7th: Raymond Ruszkowski - $1,107
8th: Brandon Newsome - $923
9th: John Vale - $793
Monday, September 28, 2015 2:53 PM Local Time
Josh Vizcarra of Elgin, Texas broke through for his first gold ring victory Monday afternoon at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. The win came in Event #11, a $365 no-limit hold'em tournament, and earned Vizcarra $7,968 to go along with his Circuit trophy.
A complete report on the event will be posted shortly.
Monday, September 28, 2015 1:00 PM Local Time
Cards are in the air for Day 2 of Event #11, a $365 ring event. Josh Vizcarra (pictured) leads the way by a margin of better than 2-to-1 over second place Fadi Massad. In addition to the tournament's $7,968 top prize, Vizcarra eyes his first Circuit ring.
Day 2 seating assignments with chip counts:
Seat 1: John Holley - 69,000 (11 bb)
Seat 2: Aftab Shakoor - 148,000 (24 bb)
Seat 3: Bryce McVay - 77,000 (12 bb)
Seat 4: Russ Head - 30,000 (5 bb)
Seat 5: Fadi Massaad - 152,000 (25 bb)
Seat 6: Josh Vizcarra - 353,000 (58 bb)
We will touch base with you again when the tournament concludes.
Monday, September 28, 2015 9:41 AM Local Time
Josh Vizcarra leads the final six players in Event #11, yesterday's $365 ring event. Vizcarra transformed his 10,000-chip starting stack into 353,000 and he leads second place Fadi Massaad by more than double.
Those looking to dethrone Vizcarra at the top include three-time ring winner John Holley and Russ Head. The pair has their work cut out for them, though, as they begin Day 2 fifth and sixth in chips respectively.
Day 2 seat assignments with chip counts:
Seat 1: John Holley - 69,000
Seat 2: Aftab Shakoor - 148,000
Seat 3: Bryce McVay - 77,000
Seat 4: Russ Head - 30,000
Seat 5: Fadi Massaad - 152,000
Seat 6: Josh Vizcarra - 353,000
Play resumes at 1 p.m. ET with blinds of 3,000/6,000 and a 1,000 ante. Each player has locked up $1,380 while the tournament's winner earns $7,968, a Circuit gold ring and 50 points toward John Vale's Casino Championship lead.
We will touch base with you again when cards go in the air.
Sunday, September 27, 2015 10:26 PM Local Time
Sunday, September 27, 2015 10:10 PM Local Time
Players are in the midst of their 45-minute dinner break. The clock reads 19 remaining and they'll return at about 10:30 p.m. ET to log six more 40-minute levels before Day 1 wraps at about 2:30 a.m.
Complete chip counts will be posted in the morning prior to the tournament's restart.
Sunday, September 27, 2015 7:49 PM Local Time
Event #11 of the Palm Beach Kennel Club Circuit drew 83 players generating a prize pool of $24,900. The top nine finishers earn prize money of at least $793. In addition to 50 points toward the Casino Championship, the eventual winner pockets $7,968 and a Circuit gold ring.
Full prize structure:
The clock currently reads 36 players remaining toward the middle of Level 9. Among them are Casino Championship points leader John Vale, Casino Championship contender Cody Pack, Brian Reinert, Rex Clinkscales and Russ Head.
Day 1 is set to log 18 levels before play wraps at about 2:30 a.m. Complete chip counts will be posted in the morning prior to the 1 p.m. restart.
Sunday, September 27, 2015 3:00 PM Local Time
Cards are in the air for Day 1 of Event #11, a $365 no-limit hold'em tournament. Here's a look at how the day breaks down:
3 p.m. - Event #11: $365 No-Limit Hold’em - Day 1
-$365 buy-in gets players 10,000 chips
-Blinds begin at 25/50
-Registration remains open through Level 6 (until about 6:30 p.m.)
-A 45-minute dinner break occurs after Level 12 (at about 9:45 p.m.)
-Day 1 concludes after Level 18 (at about 2:30 a.m.)
-Levels 1-12 are 30 minutes, Levels 13-21 are 40 minutes, all remaining levels are 50 minutes
-Advancing players return for Day 2 Monday at 1 p.m.
We will provide final prize pool information shortly after registration closes.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015 3:33 PM Local Time
