2018 World Series of Poker Circuit
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
Coconut Creek, Florida
Event 2
$365 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
$300,000 Guarantee
Entries: 1,766
Prize Pool: $529,800
February 9-12, 2018

Event 2 of the first-ever World Series of Poker Circuit at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek ($365 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry) concluded Monday afternoon following four days of action. Coming out on top of the 1,766-entry field was Alfred Karlsson of Sweden. Karlsson, 24, earned $86,067 along with his first gold ring.

“It feels great,” Karlsson said. “I’ve never won a live tournament before. It’s a really great feeling. It might be the biggest [accomplishment][of][my][career].”

Karlsson plays poker professionally and concentrates much of his efforts on online tournaments. He came to South Florida on vacation and entered Event 2 only at the urging of his friend’s girlfriend.

“I wasn’t going to play any poker, but I ended up doing it,” Karlsson said. “I don’t regret it.”

The victory came following four grueling days of play. The playdown stages began Sunday at 12pm on the heels of Friday and Saturday’s starting flights with 205 still in. It took about 15 hours to reach heads up play. From there, Karlsson and the eventual runner-up, Karthik Ramakrishnan, dueled back and forth for about two hours before staff bagged and tagged them to return for a decisive day of play Monday. Well rested and ready to go, they came back and played another 90 minutes before Karlsson put the finishing touches on his feat.

“I don’t really like live poker — It’s too slow,” he laughed. “Maybe now I’ll start liking it a bit more.”

Joining Karlsson in the money were notables Neil Blumenfield, Mike Laake, Loni Harwood and Phil Hui. For Karlsson, the win marked his sixth live cash — first in the States — and moved him just shy of $200,000 in live earnings.

With 1,766 entries, Event 2 handily bested its $300,000 guarantee. The prize pool topped out at $529,800 and saw the top 189 finish in the money. It kicked off the first-ever WSOP Circuit at Coconut Creek and sets the tone in a big way heading in to next weekend’s $1,000,000 guaranteed Main Event.

Event 2 final results:

1st: Alfred Karlsson – $86,067 + Gold ring
2nd: Karthik Ramakrishnan – $53,505
3rd: Joshua Richison – $39,873
4th: Byron Schenk – $30,209
5th: Joe Carrafa – $23,142
6th: Paul Louis – $17,918
7th: Scott Vetter – $14,024
8th: Carlo Buzzetta – $11,089
9th: Josh Wasserman – $8,864

Continue reading Event 2: Alfred Karlsson Records First-Ever Live Win, Pockets $86,067 and a Ring →

$365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37: 200,000/400,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 1 of 1,766

Alfred Karlsson and Karthik Ramakrishnan mixed it up playing for all of Karlsson’s chips in a big, preflop battle. Karlsson held and held versus Ramakrishnan’s . Karlsson took a huge lead in the hand as Ramakrishnan was left with less than 2,000,000 chips.

Ramakrishnan doubled up soon after, chipping away at Karlsson’s lead, but it proved to be too little too late.

On the final hand, shortstacked Ramakrishnan was all-in preflop holding . Karlsson had and was well behind. The flop fell pairing Karlsson’s queen and giving him the lead. The turn and river didn’t change a thing and Karlsson eliminated Ramakrishnan in second place sending him home with $53,505. Karlsson was crowned the champion and took home his first ring along with $86,067.

A full report on the tournament will be posted later this evening. In the meantime, here’s a look at the final tables results:

1st: Alfred Karlsson – $86,067 + Gold ring
2nd: Karthik Ramakrishnan – $53,505
3rd: Joshua Richison – $39,873
4th: Byron Schenk – $30,209
5th: Joe Carrafa – $23,142
6th: Paul Louis – $17,918
7th: Scott Vetter – $14,024
8th: Carlo Buzzetta – $11,089
9th: Josh Wasserman – $8,864

$365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 36: 150,000/300,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,766

The clock strikes 3pm and the decisive day of play in opening weekend’s $365 buy-in, $300,000 guarantee is (almost) underway. The tournament (which easily surpassed the target with a prize pool excess of $525,000) drew a massive field of more than 1,760 entries and yesterday’s play stretched into the early morning hours before tournament staff wrapped it with only Karthik Ramakrishnan and Alfred Karlsson left.

Karthik Ramakrishnan – 9,930,000 (33 bb)
Alfred Karlsson – 7,740,000 (26 bb)

1st – $86,067 + Gold ring
2nd – $53,505

There’s a slight delay to start, but when it gets underway there will be a little back-and-forth action before we award a gold ring. Keeping in mind the blinds are 150,000/300,000 with a 50,000 ante (this tournament boasted a starting stack of 10,000), the event should move be fast.

Stay tuned!

Primary Event Schedule

11AM: Event 4 – $365 Double Stack Turbo NLH (Re-Entry)

• $30,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips and 20-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 12
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Event 4 Structure Sheet

2PM: Event 3 Day 2 – $580 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

• Event 3 Day 2 Chip Counts and Seats
• Event 3 Payouts

3PM: Event 2 Day 3 – $365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

• Event 2 Heads-Up Chip Counts
• Event 2 Payouts

4PM: Event 5 – $365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 10,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9
• Day 1 will end after Level 18 or Tournament Director discretion
• Event 5 Structure Sheet

Secondary and Satellite Schedule

9AM: $65 Turbo Mega Satellite into $30,000 GTD Event 4

• Players begin with 3,000 in chips and 10-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 7
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Structure Sheet

2PM: $65 Turbo Mega Satellite into Event 5

• Players begin with 3,000 in chips and 10-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 7
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Structure Sheet

7PM: $135 Nightly Tournament (Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 8,000 in chips and 20-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 8
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Structure Sheet

$365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Returning to Level 36: 150,000/300,000 with a 50,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,766

With Alfred Karlsson’s double up at the end of Level 35, the tournament director paused the heads-up match for the day after both played more than 16 hours of action.

Karthik Ramakrishnan will return with the lead but Karlsson battled through the day to stay in contention. Both players seemed relieved to call it a night and they will return tomorrow at 3pm to play it out.

Seat 1: Alfred Karlsson – 7,740,000 (26 bb)
Seat 2: Karthik Ramakrishnan – 9,930,000 (33 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: – $86,067 + Gold ring
2nd: – $53,505

$365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 35: 120,000/240,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,766

The long day continued for the two remaining players as Level 35 was nearing an end. Alfred Karlsson put his last 3,830,000 in the middle and Karthik Ramakrishnan had a chance to end it right there.

Karlsson:
Ramakrishnan:

Karlsson was picking up nice pairs throughout the day to stay in the game and he was ahead once again. Ramakrishnan paired the flop but that was as close as he came to topping the tens as the board finished turn and river.

Karlsson made the match a little more even in the early hours.

Alfred Karlsson – 7,740,000 (32 bb)
Karthik Ramakrishnan – 9,930,000 (41 bb)

$365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 35: 120,000/240,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,766

The blinds went up once again with no major hands over the last 30 minutes. Karthik Ramakrishnan pulled the majority to extend his lead as he tries to win his second career WSOP Circuit ring.

Karthik Ramakrishnan – 13,600,000 (57 bb)
Alfred Karlsson – 4,060,000 (17 bb)

$365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34: 100,000/200,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,766

The heads-up battle continued when Alfred Karlsson made a move and was all in from the button for 3,900,000. Karthik Ramakrishnan called to put him at risk and they were flipping.

Ramakrishnan:
Karlsson:

Karlsson had the shorter stack with the over cards then hit aces up on the flop. Ramakrishnan could not find the two-outer on the turn or to nearly even up the match.

Alfred Karlsson – 8,100,000 (41 bb)
Karthik Ramakrishnan – 9,560,000 (48 bb)

$365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34: 100,000/200,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,766

Alfred Karlsson began heads-up play with a big lead but Karthik Ramakrishnan quickly erased it before taking the lead.

On the first hand of the new level, Ramakrishnan was all in for 3,345,000 and Karlsson called with a chance to end the match early.

Ramakrishnan:
Karlsson:

Ramakrishnan was ahead for the double as each hit the flop. The turn was safe for Ramakrishnan and he had a double after the river.

Soon after, they saw a with Ramakrishnan on the button. Karlsson checked, Ramakrishnan bet 300,000 and Karlsson check-raised to 900,000. Ramakrishnan called and Karlsson continued for 1,500,000 after the turn.

The river came and Karlsson announced: “all in”. Ramakrishnan quickly called for 3,890,000 and tabled his nut flush . Karlsson showed flopped two pair before sending the lead across the table.

Karthik Ramakrishnan – 13,150,000 (66 bb)
Alfred Karlsson – 4,500,000 (23 bb)

$365 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34: 100,000/200,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,766

The WSOP Circuit ring is on the table and the heads-up battle is underway with Alfred Karlsson holding a big lead.

Alfred Karlsson – 14,285,000 (71 bb)
Karthik Ramakrishnan – 3,375,000 (17 bb)