2019 September WSOP Circuit
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
Event 2
$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 1,189
Prize Pool: $392,370
September 20-22, 2019

The first multi-flight tournament on the WSOP Circuit schedule drew a great crowd on the first weekend. The $400 buy-in tournament had a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool that was easily surpassed and it put a lot of money out there for the players. After three long days of work, SHRP regular Harjinder Chawla won his first career title along with $65,823 and the WSOPC ring.

“I made a couple mistakes but not many,” Chawla said of his run. “I got lucky a few times but I played well and ran pure.”

The tournament featured four starting flights over two days and the 1,189 entries created a prize pool worth $392,370. Each flight paid out the top 15% and 8% of them advanced. That left 95 players returning for Day 2trying to win the ring.

Donald Williams was standing along at the top of the counts at the restart but Chawla, who finished his flight with the biggest stack, quickly rose the ranks as the field quickly dropped. Event 2 went from 95 players to the final table ten in less than six hours.

Chawla had taken a big lead at that point and never let it go. When he was behind in a hand, he would catch up. When he was ahead in a hand, it would hold. Chawla knocked all but one person off the final table and he earned the WSOP Circuit ring as the Event 2 champion.

The $65,823 he earned for the title was his second-biggest score. Chawla’s top prize was for more than $66,000 when he finished third out of 2,570 entries in the 2016 SHRPO opening event.

Event 2 final table results:

1st: Harjinder Chawla – $65,823 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd: David Nathaniel – $40,680
3rd: Michael Garcia – $29,837
4th: Chris Casey – $22,149
5th: Gerard Sukhram – $16,642
6th: Minny Minaya – $12,659
7th: Michael Newman – $9,750
8th: Stephen Horniacek – $7,605
9th: Michael Tait – $6,008
10th: Kevin Kamminga – $4,808

Complete Event 2 results

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 120,000 ante

Not long after David Nathaniel doubled up, he was all in against from the button for 5,600,000 and Harjinder Chawla called with a chance to end it.

Chawla:
Nathaniel:

Another heads-up battle of the pairs and Nathaniel needed help again. This time he found no love as the board came to give Chawla the pot, all the chips, and the WSOP Circuit win.

1st: Harjinder Chawla – $65,823 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd: David Nathaniel – $40,680

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 120,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,189

Harjinder Chawla was having his way in the heads-up match and David Nathaniel was getting short. He opened to 325,000 from the button, Chawla called, and the flop was . Chawla checked, Nathaniel bet 300,000 and Chawla check-raised him all in. Nathaniel quickly called at risk.

Nathaniel:
Chawla:

Nathaniel flopped a set of eights but needed to dodge Chawla’s open-ended straight draw. The turn and river was save for Nathaniel’s double.

David Nathaniel – 5,530,000 (46 bb)
Harjinder Chawla – 12,305,000 (103 bb)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 120,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,189

The WSOP Circuit ring was placed on the table and the heads-up match is underway for someone to take it home. Harjinder Chawla has nearly a two-to-one lead but David Nathaniel has plenty of chips to make moves.

Seat 5: Harjinder Chawla – 11,670,000 (97 bb)
Seat 7: David Nathaniel – 6,165,000 (51 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $65,823 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd: $40,680

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 120,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 1,189

David Nathaniel folded his button, Michael Garcia moved all in for 1,625,000, and Harjinder Chawla checked his cards but quickly calling.

Chawla:
Garcia:

Our chip leader picked up another nice hand and Garcia needed to find a miracle to double. He paired his three on the flop but that was the best he could do as the board finished with the turn and river.

Harjinder Chawla – 11,670,000 (97 bb)
Michael Garcia – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($28,837)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000 with a 120,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,189

The three remaining players were sent on another break and we grabbed their counts. Harjinder Chawla continues to lead, David Nathaniel is getting closer, and Michael Garcia needs to make a move to get back into contention.

Seat 4: Michael Garcia – 1,865,000 (16 bb)
Seat 5: Harjinder Chawla – 10,045,000 (84 bb)
Seat 7: David Nathaniel – 5,925,000 (49 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $65,823 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd: $40,680
3rd: $29,837

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,189

David Nathaniel opened to 200,000 from under the gun and Chris Casey moved all in for 650,000 from the button. Michael Garcia called in the small blind and Nathaniel shipped all in to get Garcia to fold.

Nathaniel:
Casey:

Casey needed help once again to survive but missed the flop. The turn came and Casey whiffed the river to go out in fourth place.

David Nathaniel – 5,600,000 (56 bb)
Chris Casey – Eliminated in 4th Place ($22,149)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29: 40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 1,189

Chris Casey was the shortest stack of the five remaining players but found a tiny double up to stay in the game. Two hands later, Gerard Sukhram took his shot with an open-shove for 1,325,000 from the button. Harjinder Chawla quickly called from the small blind and David Nathaniel folded his big.

Chawla:
Sukhram:

Sukhram had two live cards but Chawla stayed hot when he flopped trip aces on the board. He made a boat on the turn and Sukhram was eliminated after the river finished the board.

Gerard Sukhram – 10,825,000 (135 bb)
Harjinder Chawla – Eliminated in 5th Place ($16,642)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29: 40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 1,189

Manny Minaya was sitting with 765,000, moved all in from middle position, and Harjinder Chawla called on the button. The blinds released and we had a look at the hands.

Chawla:
Minaya:

Minaya needed his pair of eights to hold to double but Chawla paired his ace on the flop to take the lead. The turn and river finished the board sending Minaya out in sixth place.

Harjinder Chawla – 9,400,000 (118 bb)
Manny Minaya – Eliminated in 6th Place ($12,659)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28: 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 1,189

Michael Newman lost most of his stack against Harjinder Chawla, top pair no good against a river nut flush, and he moved all in for 425,000 from the small blind after David Nathaniel opened to 125,000. Nathaniel called and Newman was drawing live.

Nathaniel:
Newman:

Newman needed to catch to get some breathing room but the dealer spread a board to send him out.

David Nathaniel – 2,550,000 (43 bb)
Michael Newman – Eliminated in 7th Place ($9,750)