The World Series of Poker Circuit at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina wrapped-up its August series with a repeat champion and a local who won her first two rings in less than a week.
Dean of NC
Donovan Dean is the 2024 $1,700 WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee Main Event Champion. That makes Dean a two-time Circuit Main Event champ at Harrah’s Cherokee. He won the same event in 2022 for a lifetime best $356,952, which beat this week’s score by about $30,000.
It’s the man from Alabama’s third ring and brings his lifetime total up over the $1.7 million mark.
The three-day event brought in 1,451 entries who generated a prize pool $2,198,265. Dean entered the final table as chip leader, and stayed at the top as the tournament churned to a finish. A self-described aggressive player, he took advantage of his stack to bully his way through the pay-jumps.
“It’s always good to come out on top. That’s what you play for. I came in with the most chips. I just put as much pressure as possible,” he told WSOP reporters afterwards. “I probably have more success because I play super aggressive. So the money means more to other people, so they, you know, play tighter. I can play super aggressively, and it helps pick up more chips.”
All the chips, that is.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Donovan Dean | $326,206 |
| 2 | AJ Rebhan | $217,454 |
| 3 | Tommy Doyle | $153,664 |
| 4 | Michael Hunsucker | $110,186 |
| 5 | Tuan Nguyen | $80,192 |
| 6 | Brett Bader | $59,249 |
| 7 | Justin Hall | $44,450 |
| 8 | Srinivasa Vadlamudi | $33,870 |
| 9 | Sokchheka ‘Chico’ Pho | $26,281 |
Susan Faber takes two
And then there’s Susan Faber, the CPA out of Mint Hill, N.C., who won her first two WSOP Circuit rings within a week at Harrah’s Cherokee. They’ll look great next to the WSOP bracelet she won in the $500 Salute to Warriors event in 2019.
She first won $33,493 and her first ring by outlasting a field of 305 in the $500 no-limit contest. Heads-up, she had to face WSOP Circuit superstar Maurice Hawkins, a man who only sits one ring behind the all-time leader, Ari Engel, who has 16. Faber was aware of the significance of denying Hawkins his share of the top of the WSOP Circuit victory leaderboard.
“Oh it was wonderful. Especially that I beat Maurice,” she told WSOP reporters. “He was really pretty calm, and I think he played it pretty straight. I don’t think he tried to bluff me a lot.”
Faber followed up her victory with another in the $600 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo event four days later for $21,484. She was the last of 174 entrants standing, which put her nearly speechless.
“This is wonderful,” she said afterwards, as the crowd chanted her name.
The two Circuit rings pushed Faber over the $315,000 lifetime tourney mark. The three victories in WSOP events are her only wins, according to the Hendon Mob.
The WSOP Circuit continues its 2024/25 season at Graton Resort near Santa Rosa, Calif., Aug. 15-26.
