WSOP Circuit - Tunica Grand...

[Talking Poker]

2006 World Series of Poker Circuit
Grand Casino-Resort – Tunica, Mississippi
Official Report
Day One
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $9,800 (+200)
Number of Entries: 241
Number of Players Remaining: 77
Total Prize Money: $2,289,500

End of Day One Standings:
Josh Prager Yuba City, CA 89,825
Bryant King Spokane, WA 69,975
Don Mullis Moorseville, NC 66,400
Don Barton Pahrump, NV 64,050
Hertzel Zalewski Houston, TX 63,375
Brian Lamkin Austin, TX 60,950
Fred Cabral Atlanta, GA 54,200
Willis Fillers Greenville, TN 54,000
Layne Flack Las Vegas, NV 53,400
Robert Schuz Southhaven, MS 53,025
Chris Bell Raleigh, NC 52,250
Mike Matusow Las Vegas, NV 52,075
Johnny Donaldson Monticello, AR 51,225
Jessica Brown Gulfport, MS 50,800
Kia Mohjeri Rock Ledge, FL 50,650
Jean-Robert Ballande Los Angeles, CA 50,600
Gavin Smith Las Vegas, NV 49,500
Phil Galfond Gaithersburg, MD 47,525
Wendell Barnes Charleton, MA 45,800
Randy Brown Little Rock, AR 45,000
George Bronstein Tampa, FL 43,650
Ben Robinson Fort Lauderdale, FL 42,800
Bill Edler Las Vegas, NV 42,650
Brandon Adams Boston, MA 42,600
Daniel Negreanu Las Vegas, NV 38,500
Sean McCabe Sunny Isles, Bch., FL 37,600
Michael Tait Ft. Lauderdale, FL 37,350
Albert Cardinas McAllen, TX 37,325
Chad Brown Los Angeles, CA 36,975
Roland Israelashvili New York,NY 36,550
John Juanda Las Vegas, NV 34,900
Mike Beasly Hollywood, FL 34,700
Dan Rogers Kansas City, MO 33,350
Erik Seidel Las Vegas, NV 32,250
Miguel de los Santos Edinburg, TX 30,925
Amnon Filippi Maine 29,350
Tony Calender Ledbetter, KY 28,925
Galen Kester Sanatobia, MS 28,875
Daniel Alaei Las Vegas, NV 27,400
Surinder Sunar Wolverhampton, UK 27,375
Bill Gazes Miami Beach, FL 26,500
Khosrow Naraghian Memphis, TN 26,475
Karlo Lopez San Juan, PR 25,325
Miguel Mateo San Juan, PR 24,350
Earnest Shepherd Lizzlia, GA 24,275
Jeff Seibert Dallas, TX 23,000
Vincent Mack Palm Bay, FL 22,750
Reza Payvar Los Angeles, CA 21,400
Lee Markholt Eatonville, WA 21,375
Frank Kasella Germantown, TN 19,975
Todd Brunson Las Vegas, NV 19,975
Ozzie Kalil Fishers, IN 19,850
Tex Barch McKinney, TX 19,775
Richard Tatolivich Scottsdale, AZ 19,525
Bruce Sturgeon Bedford, IN 19,200
Humberto Brenes San Jose, CR 18,575
Chris Ferguson Pacific Palisades, CA 18,100
Jeff Gibralter Rockwall, TX 17,475
Chau Giang Las Vegas, NV 16,500
Tom McCormick Fargo, ND 16,375
Padraig Parkinson Dublin, Ireland 15,525
Allen Kessler Huntington Valley, PA 14,175
Kathy Liebert Las Vegas, NV 14,000
Larry Satterwhite Houston, TX 13,925
Russ Sherrod Opelousos, LA 13,750
Tony Cousinaeu Daytona Beach, FL 11,850
David Pham Cerritos, CA 11,750
John Yancy Marville, AR 11,025
Andrew Black Dublin, Ireland 10,800
Russ Boyd Columbia, MO 10,275
Bob Stupak Las Vegas, NV 10,225
Phillippe Rouas San Francisco, CA 8,950
Mike Wayer Jasper, IN 8,450
Mark Gregorich Las Vegas, NV 8,325
Charles V. Butler Collierville, TN 7,725
Timmy Townsend Branson, MO 6,500
Jeff Wood Knoxville, TN 4,950

Josh Prager is the Early Chip Leader in WSOP Circuit Championship at Tunica Grand
Star-studded tournament field floods into Mississippi to enter main event

No one knows for sure where the first game of poker was played. But there is general agreement that poker, as we know it today, originated in riverboats along the Mississippi during the 1830s. Since then, Las Vegas and other casino hotspots may have supplanted the Mississippi Region as the epicenters of the poker universe. But Mississippi will always be contemporary poker’s birthplace.

Thirty-six years after the first World Series of Poker was played, the most prestigious of all poker spectacles came to Mississippi for the first time. The fifth stop on the 2005-06 World Series of Poker Circuit is the Tunica Grand Casino-Resort, located about 25 miles south of Memphis. Nestled comfortably along the eastern banks of the Mississippi River, the Tunica Grand is the largest casino-resort located in the expansive mid-American region between Atlantic City and Las Vegas. With ESPN televisions cameras here to capture all the action, this event promises to be one of the most exciting tournaments of the new year.

“We are tremendously excited to have the World Series of Poker and ESPN come to the Tunica Grand for the first time,” said Karen Kaegin, Poker Room Manager at the Tunica Grand. “We are thrilled with the turnout here, which includes so many superstar players and spectators. Since poker was born here in the Mississippi region, it’s fitting that the World Series of Poker would find a home here in Tunica.”

The $10,000 buy-in championship event started today and attracted 241 entries, with a total prize pool of $2,289,500. Three former world champions were in the field, including Scotty Nguyen (1998), Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson (2000), and Carlos Mortensen (2001). Only Ferguson survived past the first day.

In addition, several other poker luminaries entered the main event including – Mike Sexton, Bob Stupak, T.J. Cloutier, Barry Greenstein, Erik Seidel, Sammy Farha, Michael ‘the Grinder’ Mizrachi, Men ‘the Master’ Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, Mike ‘the Mouth’ Matusow, Ted Forrest, Robert Williamson III, Chau Giang, Eric, Lindgren, Todd Brunson, and several others. The main event also started with five female players.
After nearly 12 hours of play on Day One, the early chip leader is Josh Prager, from Yuba City, CA. Little is known about Prager, other than the fact he finished 97th in last year’s main event at the World Series of Poker. Considering there were 5,619 entries, making the top 100 was quite an accomplishment. Now six months later, in a highly-competitive field of 77 remaining players, it remains to be seen if Prager can continue acquiring chips; or will he become one of so many first day flash-in-the-pans who play well, but who for whatever reason are unable to sustain momentum on the following days. Prager clearly has something to prove.
Prize money will go to the top 18 finishers. On Day Two, play will continue down to the final 27 players. On Day Two -- play resumes at 12 noon CST.

Note: All content in this report may be re-printed by media.
Report by – Nolan Dalla (Media Director)

Photographs available through Eric Harkins

Tunica Grand Poker Room Manager – Karen Kaegin
Tournament Director – Johnny Grooms
Co-Tournament Director – Jack Effel