Event #1 Final Results

2012/2013 WSOP Circuit South Africa

Event #1: $365 No-Limit Hold’em (Tuesday, February 5, 2013)

278 entries (115 for Flight A, 163 for Flight B) / $83,400 prize pool

It didn’t take long for action to get started at the first final table of the 2012/2013 WSOP Circuit South Africa.  On the very first hand, Eric Brand from Cape Town, South Africa was all in with K♥K♣ against his opponent’s J♠J♥ on a 4♥3♥6♥ flop.  Eric was in great shape to double up as he only needed to dodge one of the two remaining jacks.  The 6♠ on the turn changed nothing, but the J♦ on the river dashed Eric’s hopes at winning a WSOP ring in this event.  For his 10^th place finish, Eric earns $1,487, which will help fund his future chinese poker games.

Jay Sookoo from Durban, South Africa was the next player to get all in, this time holding 3♥3♣ vs. Jarred Solomon’s A♣Q♥.  Jay was in a race for a tournament life, but he didn’t have to sweat it for too long as he made quads when the flop fell 3♦5♦3♠.  The board ran out K♦Q♣ to give Jay the doubleup.

Jarred lost a few more chips when his Q♠Q♥ ran into attorney David Dadic’s K♦K♣ on a 7♥2♦T♥ flop.  Jarred couldn’t find a queen when the turn and river fell 6♥6♦, and David doubled up to be back in the hunt.

Jason Dominguez had stayed quiet so far, mostly due to his short stack entering this final table.  He finally committed the last of his chips holding pocket fours and was called by his opponent in the big blind holding 6-7.  Jason’s small pair was outrun, and he was eliminated in 9^th place, good for $1,836.

Jay Sookoo got his chips working again when he moved all in with pocket jacks, but unfortunately ran into Jarred’s pocket kings.  The board ran out 9♠Q♦8♦6♠7♦ to give Jarred the knockout.  Jay earned $2,302 for his 8^th place finish.

Tyronne Sacks also tried to crack kings when his A♥T♥ ran into the second best starting hand.  Kings continued to hold up as this time the board fell 6♠8♦5♥8♠T♠, and he exited the tournament in 7^th place for $2,929.  Tyronne is a former actor/model who now runs a poker shop in Johannesburg, South Africa who lists “bubbling” as his superstition.

Nawal Jaftha, the only female at the final table, got unlucky when her A♠K♦ was 3-outed by Dr. Eben Lottering’s K♣5♦, all in preflop.  Eben spiked a 5 on the flop and took a good chunk of Nawal’s stack.  But Eben didn’t hold on to those chips for very long as Nawal doubled through him with pocket treys against Eben’s A-Q.

Michael Holden from Johannesburg, South Africa looked to be in good position to double up as he took his J♠J♣ up against Jarred’s inferior A♣8♦.  However, luck was on Jarred’s side as he spiked an ace on the 2♥A♦3♥ flop.  The 6♣ turn and 2♦ river failed to materialize the jack Michael was looking for, and he would have to settle for the $3,785 payday for 6^th place.  Micheal owns a horse racing website and claims his wife Maxine is a better poker player than he is.

Eben lost the bulk of his chips with A♦5♥ when he ran into the A♣6♣ of David Dadic, all in on a A♠4♥8♥ flop.  The T♣ turn and 3♥ river ensured David’s 6 kicker played, crippling Eben.  He got the remainder of his chips in with the best of it, holding K♥2♠ against Jarred’s J♣T♣.  Jarred turned trips to send Eben to the payout desk, cashing in his 5^th place ticket for $4,966.  Eben’s poker ambition is to play in the WSOP Main Event, and with his cash today, he is halfway to his dream.

Nawal found herself all in again, this time on a 5♣2♦J♥ flop.  Nawal had a gutshot and an overcard with A♥4♦, up against 23 year old poker pro Levi Dare’s K♠K♣.  In continuing the earlier trend, pocket kings held for a third time at this final table when the turn and river fell J♦T♣.  Nawal started the day in 37^th place out of 43 players, so surely she was pleased with the $6,622 she earned for her 4^th place finish.  Nawal is married with 4 kids and resides in Cape Town, South Africa.

On the first hand back after break, David moved all in with A♦T♥ and was snap called by Jarred, who held Q♣Q♦.  Pocket queens held up through a 8♣7♥K♦8♠3♠, and David was eliminated in 3^rd place for $8,976.  David hopes to one day own a WSOP bracelet.

Jarred entered heads up with a 4 to 1 chip advantage, and it didn’t take him long to get Levi all in.  Levi had turned two pair on the 3♦9♦T♠Q♦ with his Q♣3♣, but was in terrible shape as Jarred held K♦J♠ for a king high straight.  Levi would need to hit one of the two remaining queens or treys to survive, but he just missed as the river fell 4♠.  Levi entered the final table as the chip leader, but will have to settle for 2^nd place in this tournament, good for $12,370.

A former personal trainer, Jarred is now a professional poker player.  While he won this no limit hold’em tournament, Jarred prefers Omaha tournaments.  In an interview with Tournament Director Jack Effel after his win, 26 year old Jarred admitted that he faced tough opponents throughout the tournament, both young and old.  Good cards and well-timed aggression were key aspects that earned Jarred the win.  Discussing the 3^rd annual WSOP Circuit Africa, Jarred explained that “The World Series of Poker is amazing.”  His love of the tour will definitely be expanded now that he has a WSOP Circuit Ring and an additional $20,018 in his pocket.

Place	First Name	Last Name	Payout	City / Country
1	Jarred	Solomon	$20,018	Johannesburg, South Africa
2	Levi	Dare	$12,370	South Africa
3	David	Dadic	$8,976	Johannesburg, South Africa
4	Nawal	Jaftha	$6,622	Cape Town, South Africa
5	Eben	Lottering	$4,966	Bloemfontein, Free State
6	Michael	Holden	$3,785	Gauteng, South Africa
7	Tyronne	Sacks	$2,929	Johannesburg, South Africa
8	Jay	Sookoo	$2,302	Durban, South Africa
9	Jason	Dominguez-Baya	$1,836	Johannesburg, South Africa
10	Eric	Brand	$1,487	Cape Town, South Africa
11	Ilija	Martinovic	$1,487	Johannesburg, South Africa
12	Regan	Naidoo	$1,487	Durban, South Africa
13	Peter	Niksch	$1,222	South Africa
14	Ettiene	Swan	$1,222	South Africa
15	Rui	Gouveia	$1,222	Johannesburg, South Africa
16	Dimitri	Stephanis	$1,018	Cape Town, South Africa
17	Armand	Saayman	$1,018	Johannesburg, South Africa
18	Albert	Lloyd	$1,018	South Africa
19	Alon	Argaman	$861	Johannesburg, South Africa
20	David	Bechus	$861	Johannesburg, South Africa
21	Tony	Kamiosky	$861	Johannesburg, South Africa
22	Paul	Smith	$738	Warrenton, Northern Cape
23	Cornelius	Jansen van Vuuren	$738	Vaalpark, South Africa
24	Dean	Carrol	$738	Johannesburg, South Africa
25	Shawn	Cash	$641	Johannesburg, South Africa
26	Glen	Bezuidenhout	$641	Alberton, South Africa
27	Kyria	Lombard	$641	Middelburg, South Africa
28	Ian	Starr	$565	Pretoria, South Africa
29	George	Modinos	$565	South Africa
30	Gary	Citron	$565	Durban, South Africa