Hawkins & Lowery Denied Rings as Matt Higgins Wins WSOPC Tunica Main Event
Another World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) stop is in the books with the completion of WSOPC Tunica, which ran Jan. 18-19 and consisted of more than a dozen ring events that produced more than $2 million in prize pools.
The stop at Horseshoe Tunica in Mississippi culminated with the $1,700 buy-in WSOPC Tunica Main Event, which drew 568 runners and saw Georgia’s Matt Higgins winning his fifth Circuit ring and $167,058.
Higgins, who defeated heads-up opponent and fellow southerner Dale Roesel ($103,248), is no stranger to Circuit success and has $1.7 million in live earnings to sit tenth on the state’s all-time money list. He was joined in his winner’s photo by another Circuit crusher, six-time ring winner Preston McEwen.
Speaking of six rings, North Carolina’s Eric Salazar was denied one as he finished seventh in the Main Event for $23,779, while others at the final table included two-time ring winner Marty Martin (6th - $23,779), Ronald Taylor (4th - $54,898) and BJ McBrayer, who was after a second ring.
Read About WSOPC Thunder Valley!
WSOPC Tunica Main Event Final Table Results
PLACE | PLAYER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Matt Higgins | Rossville, GA | $167,058 | |
2 | Dale Roesel | Hixson, TN | $103,248 | |
3 | BJ McBrayer | Tuscaloosa, AL | $74,743 | |
4 | Ronald Taylor | Smithville, TN | $54,898 | |
5 | Richard Hines | Mississippi | $40,919 | |
6 | Marty Martin | Maynard, AR | $30,958 | |
7 | Eric Salazar | Greensboro, NC | $23,779 | |
8 | David Baize | Evansville, IL | $18,548 | |
9 | Charlie Dawson | Owensboro, KY | $14,695 |
The ring victory marks Higgins’ first outside of Harrah’s Cherokee, where he won four rings beginning in March 2018 and most recently in May 2023 when he won a $400 Monster Stack event for $99,121.
All-Time Ring List Stays Intact For Now
The WSOPC Tunica stop was a good one for multi-ring winners, and two of the players with the most rings came close to winning more.
In Event #9: $300 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo, 15-time ring winner Maurice Hawkins was looking to join Ari Engel as the all-time ring winner as he made the final table. Hawkis ended up falling in eighth place before Tennessee’s Teresa Lammie won the event for her first ring and $9,148.
Hawkins held the title of all-time ring winner for a while before a spurt by Engel last year that saw him winning a stunning five rings and one bracelet. Hawkins himself won a ring last year but will need another to catch up with the mixed-game-inclined Engel.
Another player in the Circuit arms race is Daniel Lowery, who won four rings last year to get up to 14. Lowery came close to matching Hawkins with 15 rings as he finished runner-up to Sam Hick in the final event of the series.
For now, the all-time ring list stays intact. However, it seems only a matter of time before Hawkins, Lowery or Engel win more rings and the list needs another adjustment.
Another highlight of the WSOPC Tunica stop was Tennessee’s John Gallaher winning his sixth ring and $16,422 in Event #16: $400 Double Stack, joining six-time ring winners like Chris Conrad, Mike Holtz, Stephen Song and Ian Steinman.
Other ring winners at WSOPC Tunica include Georgia’s Michael Leonard (Event #8: $400 Monster Stack - $37,295), Venezuela’s Tomas Teran (Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em - Big 30K - $20,375) and Ryan Kinder (Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold’em - $52,399).
Next up on the WSOP Circuit is a stop at Harrah’s Pompano Beach in Florida taking place Feb. 1-12 and culminating with a $1,700 buy-in Main Event.
A full list of ring winners at WSOPC Tunica is available in the table below.
WSOPC Tunica Ring Winners
EVENT | ENTRANTS | PRIZE POOL | WINNER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WSOPC Event #1: $400 Double Stack Opener | 183 | $60,390 | Terry Hawkins | Cordova, TN | $14,842 | |
WSOPC Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em - Big 30K | 283 | $93,390 | Tomas Teran | Lake Charles, Venezuela | $20,375 | |
WSOPC Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold’em | 930 | $306,900 | Ryan Kinder | Imperial, MO | $52,399 | |
WSOPC Event #4: $300 No-Limit Hold’em Seniors | 389 | $93,360 | James West | Brighton, TN | $19,251 | |
WSOPC Event #5: $600 No-Limit Hold’em | 108 | $55,620 | Jesse Jones | Springfield, MO | $15,748 | |
WSOPC Event #6: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Max | 197 | $65,010 | Nicholas Lafata | Springfield, IL | $16,027 | |
WSOPC Event #7: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha | 100 | $33,000 | Nicholas Hobbs | Owensboro, KY | $9,678 | |
WSOPC Event #8: $400 Monster Stack | 607 | $200,310 | Michael Leonard | Kennesaw, GA | $37,295 | |
WSOPC Event #9: $300 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo | 145 | $34,800 | Teresa Lammie | Arlington, TN | $9,148 | |
WSOPC Event #10: $600 Black Chip Bounty | 193 | $99,395 | Hamid Izadi | Roswell, GA | $19,508 | |
WSOPC Event #11: $1,700 Main Event | 568 | $791,673 | Matthew Higgins | Rossville, GA | $167,058 | |
WSOPC Event #12: $400 No-Limit Hold’em | 188 | $62,040 | Jake Green | Lake Zurich, IL | $15,110 | |
WSOPC Event #13: $400 No-Limit Hold’em | 186 | $61,380 | Jerry Winkler | Green Bay, WI | $15,081 | |
WSOPC Event #14: $300 Seniors Event | 271 | $65,040 | Gary Bass | Memphis, TN | $14,389 | |
WSOPC Event #15: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Big 30K | 210 | $69,300 | John Gallaher | Lebanon, TN | $16,422 | |
WSOPC Event #16: $400 Double Stack | 152 | TBD | Sam Hick | N/A | TBD |
Tags
Related Tournaments
Related Players
FAQ
How do I land the Big Bass Bonanza maximum win?
How do I land the Big Bass Bonanza maximum win? To reach the maximum win, you need to trigger the free spins feature and retrigger the 10 extra spins three times, adding a 10x multiplier to your wild and winnings.
How do I install WPT Global?
How do I install WPT Global? Windows - minimum system requirements: Windows 7, min 500MB disk space, 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended) 1. Press the button to start the download 2. Once the app has downloaded to your computer, open the file (check your “Download” folder) to launch the installer 3. Follow the installer’s instructions Mac - minimum system requirements: macOS 10.14, min 500MB disk space, 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)
Can you win real money at WPT Global?
Can you win real money at WPT Global? Yes, you can win real money at WPT Global. WPT Global also offer the chance to win seats in any number of exciting live tournaments.
Does Sweet Bonanza pay real money?
Does Sweet Bonanza pay real money? About Sweet Bonanza Bananas, Grapes, Watermelons, and Apples, will give you that taste of sweetness, as well as being part of your five a day. Cluster up to 12 of these delicious symbols to win tasty real cash prizes.
Can you play WPT global with a VPN?
Can you play WPT global with a VPN? Wpt global is one of the world’s largest online poker sites, but it is also one of the most restrictive in terms of IP address restrictions. As a general rule, traditional VPNs cannot be used to access the platform because they can either warn or block your accounts.