One more event on the schedule of the 2015/16 WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee was marked as concluded only a few hours ago. Derek Updegraff from Hollywood, Florida topped the massive field of the $365 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold’em to win his first gold ring and the amount of $53,641 in prize money.
The Monster Stack event attracted a field of 941 entries and a prize pool of $282,300 was generated. As many as 99 hopefuls received their share of the money, with lowest payouts starting from $579. The event kicked off on December 2 and was completed late on December 3. It took two days and 34 levels of play for the winner to be determined.
Day 2 of the event saw 61 players returning to play down to an unofficial ten-handed final table and eventually to a winner. Ten-handed action started in Level 28 with Updegraff as the chip leader, holding a little less than 4 million in chips. The official final table was set after two levels of play and kicked off with Robert Briggs as the chip leader with 4.1 million in chips. Updegraff was second in chips at the beginning of nine-handed play with 3.6 million.
Eventually, the player had to face six-time gold ring winner Cory Waaland from Wilmington, North Carolina heads-up. Waaland won his latest gold piece less than a month ago for besting the field of a $365 No-Limit Hold’em event at Planet Hollywood.
Heads-up match started with Updegraff holding almost four times more chips than his opponent. Even though facing such an established professional like Waaland must have been a challenging task, Updegraff did more than well and eventually defeated his opponent to grab the gold ring and the amount of $53,641. As for Waaland he had to settle for the runner-up finish and the consolation prize of $33,176.
Marshall White from Garner, North Carolina took 3rd place in the Monster Stack event for a payout of $24,487. Michael Bertei from Charlotte, North Carolina finished 4th for $18,321. Robert Briggs from Flag Pond, Tennessee scooped $13,881 for finishing 5th. Seville Hale from Pensacola, Florida received $10,648 for taking 6th place.
Kyle Leasure from Kernersville, North Carolina finished 7th to collect $8,269. John Gallaher from Lebanon, Tennessee took 8th place for a payout of $6,501. Frederick Boatwright from Greensboro, Georgia was paid $5,172 for taking 9th place in the event. Rounding out the ten-handed table, Jacqueline Patman from Covington, Georgia finished 10th for $4,164.
