2019 February WSOP Circuit
Seminole Casino Coconut  Creek
Event 3
$250 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries: 226
Prize Pool: $45,200
February 10, 2019

Event 3 on the WSOP Circuit schedule was a one-day tournament, perfect for a Sunday afternoon with some nice money and a ring awaiting the champ. The tournament drew 226 entries and Eliezer Gonzalez made a huge comeback to win the $11,300 first place prize.

The 14-year veteran of the US Coast Guard was sitting with less than one big blind late in the day and still several spots away from the money bubble. He caught fire, his kings held up in a five-way pot, and the heater was on.

“I got kings and got four callers,” Gonzalez said. “Amazingly the kings held up.”

“I got kings again later on and then I got ace-king and knocked out a couple more players. Little by little I built up a stack,” he continued.

“I got extremely lucky.”

The luck continued all the way down to the heads up match with Mark Merritt. With the chip lead, he was all in with pocket fives but was in trouble against pocket nines. Gonzalez found a five on the flop and his set held to give him the title along with the WSOPC ring.

The Sunday afternoon had a $250 buy-in and they pushed the prize pool over $45,000 with 24 getting paid. Among the notables making some money were David Ward, Robert Kessler, Kevin Blewitt, Walter Bravo (making his second final table of the series), Crystal Utley (while her husband was out the last two tables of Event 2), and former SHRP Hollywood RRPO Champion Michael Newman.

It was a fun, fast tournament to close out the weekend. Congratulations to Eliezer Gonzalez on the win and all who cashed.

Event 3 results:

1st: Eliezer Gonzalez – $11,300 + WSOPC ring
2nd: Mark Merritt – $6,984
3rd: David Ward – $5,083
4th: John Van Arnam – $3,759
5th: Arnon Cline – $2,824
6th: Michael Newman – $2,154
7th: Walter Bravo – $1,668
8th: Johnny Gagelonia – $1,311
9th: Jeffrey Morrison – $1,045
10th: Jackie Lee – $846
11th: Gus Masestrales – $846
12th: John Song – $846
13th: Crystal Utley – $695
14th: Michael Tait – $695
15th: Jonathan Gordon – $695
16th: George Lukawski – $578
17th: Joseph Levitt – $578
18th: Michael Fess – $578
19th: Aaron Klausman – $488
20th: Taylor Deane – $488
21st: Wayne Lovell – $488
22nd: Robert Kessler – $417
23rd: Demetric Ferguson – $417
24th: Kevin Blewitt – $417