Congratulations to Bob Chow, the WSOP-Circuit Hammond Main Event Champion ($393,584)
After four long days of poker, the World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Main Event has come to an end with Bob Chow claiming the gold ring and $393,584 first-place prize. The 1,615-player field was the largest in WSOP-Circuit Main Event history, creating a $2,349,825 prize pool, which was a fitting way to conclude a stop that began with Event #1 No Limit Hold'em, the largest field in WSOP-Circuit history with 3,001 players.
The final day of the Main Event saw 20 players return to action with consummate grinder Eric Crain leading the way. The action was fast and furious, and before we knew it, 11 players had hit the rail and we were at the final table.
Here is a look at the other eliminations leading up to the final table:
Pre-Final Table Payouts
| Position | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | Alan Murphy | $32,193 |
| 11th | Edward Pham | $32,193 |
| 12th | Jonathan Job | $32,193 |
| 13th | Michael Hallen | $26,318 |
| 14th | Bryan Dillon | $26,318 |
| 15th | Luther Lewis | $26,318 |
| 16th | Mark ��P0ker H0�� Kroon | $21,759 |
| 17th | Pawell Andrejewski | $21,759 |
| 18th | Chris Wallace | $21,759 |
| 19th | Everett Carlton | $18,141 |
| 20th | Dominic Fosco | $18,141 |
By the time the final table rolled around, Chow had seized the chip lead; however, it was still anyone��s game. The first elimination came shortly after the dinner break when Shawn Quinn��s big slick was rundown by the 
of Crain. He was followed out the door a short time later by another short stack, Dan Harrington, who finished in eighth place for $50,051. For those wondering, it was not the 1995 WSOP World Champion.
The next to go was Drazen Ilich in seventh place, whose pocket kings were cracked by the 
of Chow. The chips got all in on a 
flop, and the turn brought the 
to fill Chow��s straight. A few hands later, Joe Hebda found himself all in with 
against the 
of Steury. The board ran out an uneventful 
and Hebda headed to the payout desk in sixth place.
The next elimination was not only thrilling, it happened in a hand that��ll likely go down in WSOP-Circuit lore. It began when Crain opened for 265,000 and Dave Neff shoved all in from the small blind. Crain popped his head up and asked the dealer for a count. Before the dealer could finish - which was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.1 million - Crain announced call.
Showdown
Neff: 
Crain: 
The 
flop was not especially exciting, but the turn was a kick in the gut for Crain when it came 
. The young pro left the table and steam walked around the stage. He had his hat pulled down low, knowing he needed one of the two remaining fours on the river. The dealer burned . . . 
! Crain exploded again, this time in excitement. He pulled a Tiger Woods-esque fist pump as he earned the improbable river knockout.
Unfortunately, Crain couldn��t maintain his momentum and was eliminated in fourth place after he played 
aggressively and ran into the of Steury. He was followed out the door by a short-stacked Erik Roussakis, who got unlucky when his 
got unlucky against Steury��s .
The heads-up battle between Chow and Steury began with the latter holding almost a 2-1 lead (21 million to 11 million). Interestingly, Steury had faced off against another Chow this past summer at the WSOP when he won his first gold bracelet. In the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event in Vegas, Steurry defeated Michael Chow to capture the gold and a $289,283 prize. Quite the coincidence, indeed.
Unfortunately for Steury, he was unable to finish it off. Chow played a resilient game, slowly chipping his way back to even. Chow scored a huge hand off Steury to seize the chip lead, and there was no looking back. Chow dispatched his opponent to become the WSOP-Circuit Hammond Champion and claim a seat in the National Championship!
Final Table Payouts
| Position | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bob Chow | $393,584 |
| 2nd | Aaron Steury | $243,818 |
| 3rd | Erik Roussakis | $183,991 |
| 4th | Eric Crain | $139,815 |
| 5th | Dave Neff | $106,447 |
| 6th | Joe Hebda | $81,774 |
| 7th | Drazen Ilich | $63,680 |
| 8th | Dan V. Harrington | $50,051 |
| 9th | Shawn Quinn | $39,947 |
National Championship Qualifiers
| Player | Qualified |
|---|---|
| David Nicholson | Horseshoe Bossier City Main Event Winner |
| Chris Gamboa | Horseshoe Bossier City Casino Champion |
| Robert Castoire | Horseshoe Southern Indiana Main Event Winner |
| Mark ��Pegasus�� Smith | Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino Champion |
| Bob Chow | Horseshoe Hammond Main Event Winner |
| TBD | Horseshoe Hammond Casino Champion |