The 2018 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrahs Atlantic City came to a close on Monday night with one player being denied his fourth gold ring, and another capturing his second of the stop to win Casino Champion honors.
Star of the Stop
The WSOPC Harrahs Atlantic City was comprised of a dozen gold ring events, and 28-year-old Min Wang, originally from China, managed to win two of them. Not only that, he finished second in a third event. That gave him 137.5 points to win the Casino Championship for a bid into the 2018 Global Casino Championship.
Wang, who now resides in Williamstown, New Jersey, kicked things off by finishing runner-up to Ruth Ruffman in Event #3: $365 NLHE, for $7,859. In Event #9: $580 NLHE Double Stack, Wang bested a field of 143 entries to win $20,019 and his first ring.
Two days later, he was at it again as he topped a field of 89 runners to win Event #11: $365 NLHE for $8,545 and his second ring.
“This one I liked to feel relax, and calm,” said Wang, who is married and has a 13-month old son. “When we had like five players left, I only had like 16 big blinds, I still feel good.”
Others to win rings at the Harrahs Atlantic City stop were Josh “Plinko” Clanton (Event #12: $365 NLHE Re-Entry for $8,998), William Anderson (Event #1: $365 NLHE Re-Entry for $32,378), and Peter Vitantonio (Event #7: $365 NLHE Turbo for $14,096). Vitantonio, who won his third gold ring, nearly captured his fourth in the Main Event.
Main Event Madness
The WSOPC Harrahs Atlantic City $1,675 Main Even attracted 306 entries and created a $459,000 prize pool. In the second starting flight, 27-year-old Soheb Porbandarwala bagged a below-average stack, but he returned on Day 2 and promptly spun it up. By the time the final table rolled around, he was sitting with the chip lead.
“I tried to set the pace a little bit,” Porbandarwala told WSOP officials. “I was trying to play super fast because… I think when you play a little faster it kind of throws people off.”
In the final hand of the tournament, which took place in Level 30 (40,000/80,000/10,000), three-time ring winner Peter Vitantonio limped the button with the Q♠10♣ and Porbandarwala checked his option holding the J♣5♥. When the flop came down J♠9♠3♥, Porbandarwala checked top pair and Vitantonio bet 80,000 with his open-ended straight draw.
Porbandarwala woke up with a check-raise to 250,000 and then called when Vitantonio moved all in for 1.4 million. Neither the 4♥ turn nor 7♣ river helped Vitantonio and he had to settle for second place and $66,693.
“I really don’t play tournaments that much. I play mostly cash online, but I love tournaments. It’s like my old love,” said Porbandarwala. “It’s really nice to win a Main Event because it’s getting to the Global Championship the short way.”
In addition to winning a $107,862 first-place prize and his second gold ring, Porbandarwala earned a seat in August’s season-ending Global Casino Championship.
Others to cash the WSOPC Harrahs Atlantic City Main Event were Andy Frankenberger (15th for $6,628), five-time ring winner Loni Harwood (21st for $4,673), and Vinny Pahuja (28th for $3,071).
The WSOP Circuit continues this week at the Hard Rock Tulsa, which is already underway, and the start of the Planet Hollywood stop in Las Vegas (March 22 through April 2).
Final Table Results
1 Soheb Porbandarwala (Stamford, CT) $107,862
2 Peter Vitantonio (Wickliffe, OH) $66,693
3 Jason Maeroff (Atlanta, GA) $48,438
4 Matt Glantz (Lafayette Hill, PA) $35,779
5 Scott Sisler (Novi, MI) $26,861
6 Billy Cashwell (Stedman, NC) $20,485
7 Jeffery Miller (New Vernon, NJ) $15,868
8 Kevin Grabel (Southamption, PA) $12,476
9 Daniel Monosson (Plainview, NY) $9,956
