Ring Event #8: $365 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em

Event #8
No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack
Buy-In: $300 (+$65)
Total Entries: 961
Prize Pool: $288,300

Donovan Dean defeats 961 players in the monster stack to earn $54k.

Cherokee, N.C. (April 22, 2016) -- The tournaments at Harrah's Cherokee continue to grow and the guarantees continue to get smashed. The monster stack event was expected to be big coming in with a guaranteed prizepool of $150,000. The prizepool surpassed the guarantee easily and nearly doubled it. The tournament drew a staggering 961 entries generating a $288,300 prizepool to make it the largest single-entry WSOP Circuit event ever at Harrah's Cherokee.

Coming out on top of the huge field was 24-year-old, Donovan Dean. Dean is new to the WSOP, but has already found quite a bit of success. He has cashed twice this series and now won his first gold ring.

"I didn't think I'd get [a ring] this quick you know," said Dean. "I think it's my fourth WSOP tournament ever."

Dean's victory awarded him $54,777, a WSOP Circuit gold ring and 50 Casino Championship points. The 50 Casino Championship points gives Dean the lead in the Casino Championship race with just four events remaining. He picked up 10 points in the re-entry event by finishing 50th and now sits with 60 points for the series, which is five points ahead of Stephen Binkley, who currently sits second.

Binkley finished runner-up to Dean and is the only player this series to reach two final tables. He finished 8th in the opening event of the series and has a series total tournament earnings of $37,348. Binkley's road to this final table was amazing. Midway through Day 1 he found himself with less than one ante. He made a comeback and managed to finish the day fourth in chips out of 51. He rode that big stack all the way to the final table and a runner-up finish.

Dean entered Day 2 as the chip leader and managed to hold onto that chip lead throughout most of the day. He entered the final table as the chip leader and then made quick work of his final table opponent's to earn the victory.

Arguably, Dean's toughest final table opponent was Blake Whittington. Whittington has had a great Circuit season, including prior success here at Cherokee. Whittington won his first gold ring this year by taking down the PLO event at the Horseshoe Baltimore stop just last month. In November here at Cherokee, Whittington finished runner-up in the re-entry event to Cody Pack for a cash of $73,436. This was Whittington's 15th cash of the season. Fortunately for Dean, Whittington was eliminated in 5th place for a score of $14,176.

Dean is a professional poker player from Rainsville, Alabama. He mostly sticks to home games and cash games, but said that this tournament success may push him toward playing more tournaments. He said he may play in this weekend's $1,675 Main Event, but has no other tournament poker plans at the moment.

"They are a grind. They take a lot of stamina," said Dean about tournaments.

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Event #8 was the eighth of 12 gold ring events on the WSOP Circuit schedule at the Harrah's Cherokee series. The $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack tournament attracted 961 players generating a $288,300 prizepool. The top 99 players were paid.

Day 1 began Wednesday at 11 a.m. and lasted 21 levels. Day 2 began Thursday at 2 p.m. with 51 players remaining. The tournament concluded at about 11:35 p.m. Thursday midway through Level 31.

Final table results:

1st: Donovan Dean - $54,777 + Circuit gold ring
2nd: Stephen Binkley - $33,881
3rd: Michael Zolfaghari  - $25,007
4th: Zahi Bahar - $18,711
5th: Blake Whittington - $14,176
6th: Adam Yeatts - $10,875
7th: Adam Keely - $8,444
8th: Mark Handy - $6,640
9th: Brian Reinert - $5,282

Complete results can be found above under the "Results" tab.

Stephen Binkley was eliminated in 2nd place for $33,881. This marked Binkley's second final table of the series. He finished 8th in the first event of the series for $3,467.

Chip Counts:

Seat 3: Stephen Binkley - 2,400,000 (30 bbs)
Seat 4: Michael Zolfaghari - 4,850,000 (60 bbs)
Seat 5: Donovan Dean - 11,950,000 (149 bbs)

- 50 minutes remain in Level 30: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante

Remaining Payouts:

1st: $54,777 + 50 Casino Championship points + WSOP Circuit gold ring
2nd: $33,881 + 37.5 points
3rd: $25,007 + 30 points

Blake Whittington was eliminated in 5th place for $14,176. Whittington has done well at this property. Last November he finished runner-up in the re-entry event for $73k.

Adam Yeatts was eliminated in 6th place for $10,875. This marked his 3rd WSOP cash and it is his largest ever WSOP cash.

Mark Handy was eliminated in 8th place for $6,640. This marked Handy's seventh WSOP cash and second final table.

The final table has been reached in the monster stack event and the final nine players are all guaranteed at least $5,282. There is 42 minutes remaining in the current level and players will go on a dinner break at the end of the level.

Here is a look at the final table chip counts and seating assignments:

Seat 1: Blake Whittington - 2,560,000 (64 bbs)
Seat 2: Zaki Bahar - 1,300,000 (32 bbs)
Seat 3: Mark Handy - 1,965,000 (49 bbs)
Seat 4: Stephen Binkley - 2,400,000 (60 bbs)
Seat 5: Michael Zolfaghari - 2,200,000 (55 bbs)
Seat 6: Donovan Dean - 4,635,000 (115 bbs)
Seat 7: Brian Reinert - 900,000 (22 bbs)
Seat 8: Adam Keely - 1,320,000 (33 bbs)
Seat 9: Adam Yeatts - 915,000 (22 bbs)

- 42 minutes remaining in Level 27: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante

 Here is a table showing how many points will be awarded for each position in the monster stack event. Everyone returning for Day 2 today is guaranteed at least 5 points.

Day 1 of the monster stack has finished with 51 players remaining and Donovan Dean leading. Right behind Dean is gold ring winner, Blake Whittington, in second place. There are several more gold ring winners remaining in the field including, Cory Waaland, Allen Kessler, Doug Carli, Ting Ho, Brian McDaniel, and Zal Irani.

Cards will get in the air at 2 p.m. Thursday for Day 2 of the tournament.

Here is a look at the top 10 chip counts:

Complete Day 2 chip counts and seating assignments can be found above under the "Reports" tab.

Players in the monster stack are going on their second break of the day. There are two more levels left of registration and the field currently stands at 928. In November this tournament drew 941 entries.

Registration will close at the start of Level 9, which is about 3:30 p.m.

For players busting the monster stack there is a $250 Main Event satellite at 4 p.m. and the $135 nightly at 7 p.m.