WSOPC: Kevin Calenzo Beats Tough Vegas Line-Up

Posted by Lasse Hamar 01/02/12

The World Series of Poker Circuit continued to draw big crowds this season with a stop in Las Vegas that drew 662 players and generated a $963,210 prize pool. The $1,600 buy-in Caesars Palace event also had something most other stops on the circuit haven’t had: a final table packed with big names of the poker world. New York native Kevin Calenzo prevailed over the stiff competition to claim the WSOPC ring and a tidy payday of $197,451.

With a high profile event in their backyard, a number of poker pros turned up for this year’s Las Vegas event, including Gavin Smith, Eric Baldwin, Dan O’Brien, Kathy Liebert, Tom Marchese, Joe Tehan, Scott Clements, David Williams, Steve Billirakis, Eli Elezra, Jeff Madsen, and Dutch Boyd.

The top 72 finishers in the event earned a payday of at least $2,697 and some of the notable who made the money include Andreas Hoivold (69th), Leibert (45th), Gavin Griffin (36th), and Allen Carter (20th). The final table included a trio of bracelet winner in Madsen, Boyd, and 2011 bracelet winner Sean Getzwiller, who dominated the early final table action.

While Madsen and Boyd exited in eighth and sixth place respectively, Getzwiller pulled out to an early chip lead and looked to be the player to beat at the final table. As the field dwindled though, the chips started to even out, most notably when Calenzo managed to score a triple up holding AJ to both pocket kings and pocket sixes. Thanks to a jack on the flop and an ace on the turn, the table was down to four players and Calenzo was sitting on a healthy stack.

It was during three-handed action that Getzwiller started to slip down the chip counts and he exited in third after runner-up Ian Mack’s A-8 managed to outflop Getzwiller’s A-K. Even with Getzwiller’s chips, Mack still trailed Calenzo at the start of heads-up action. However, Mack took a commanding lead when he flopped top two pair to Calenzo’s bottom two pair and it was Calenzo’s turn to rally.

Rally he did. Calenzo doubled up then dealt the final blow to Mack when his K8 flopped top pair against Mack’s A4. Mack could not improve and Calenzo raked in the pot and his first WSOPC title.

The victory brings the 28 year old Calenzo’s lifetime earnings to more than $600,000 and is the biggest score of his career. It also ensures him a seat in the season-ending WSOPC $1 million freeroll.

The WSOPC next heads to Tunica, Mississippi. Preliminary events get underway on February 2nd and the $1,600 Main Event runs from February 11-13.

Here are the final table results from the WSOPC Las Vegas Main Event:

1st: Kevin Calenzo – $197,451
2nd: Ian Mack – $122,183
3rd: Sean Getzwiller – $89,617
4th: Bill Criego – $66,644
5th: Jeff Fielder – $50,321
6th: Dutch Boyd – $38,365
7th: Joe Kuether – $29,686
8th: Jeff Madsen – $23,271
9th: James Mordue – $18,474

From Bluffmagazine

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