Roberts Banks WSOPC Atlantic City Title!

The final World Series of Poker Circuit event of 2008 is in the books and Brent Roberts has clinched the WSOPC Harrah's Atlantic City main event title, earning himself a tidy $280,940 and a ballin' Circuit ring in the process.

Roberts emerged victorious after defeating Phillip Reed in heads-up action on the Jersey Shore on Tuesday night, topping a field of 179 entrants to lay claim to the lion's share of a prize pool that amounted to $877,100 in good old American dollars.

The tournament, which began on Sunday, had played host to a number of notable names, including Bill Gazes, Matt Brady and the inimitable Dan Shak, but by the end of Day 2 only nine hopefuls remained, with Kyle Bowker the only player remaining who'd be recognizable to many more than his next-of-kin.

Word up!

Last year's $5,000 main event here at Harrah's saw John Racener walk away with $379,392 in prize money after enduring an 18-hour Day 2 and a lightning-fast final table, but tournament director John Arthur made the necessary tweaks to the tournament structure.

Those changes, combined with a faltering economy, ensured that play on Day 2 lasted only eight hours and that the surviving nine came into Tuesday's action as well-rested as can be expected of the sorts of degenerate gamblers who come to gamble in Atlantic City on school nights.

Roberts came into the final table with the chip lead, holding just under one-third of the $3.58 million chips in play and nearly $300k ahead of runner-up Allen Bari. Scott Zakheim ($85k) entered play as the short stack, but despite holding less than six big blinds would manage to avoid winding up the first man eliminated.

No Bellagio king!

That honor would go to Rafael Camejo, who fell to Robert McLaughlin when he ran A-Q into the latter's A-K and couldn't engineer a miracle despite turning a gut-shot straight draw. Camejo earned $17,342 for his ninth-place finish.

The remaining players found themselves with an average of 30 big blinds, but that didn't stop the madness, as the first level saw another three players hit the bricks before 90 minutes of play had elapsed at the final table.

Move along now, Pilgrim.

Eighth place went to Zakheim, who called Roberts a liar with a small-blind all-in resteal and saw his read proved correct as the chip leader turned up 7-4o after making a priced-in call.

Zakheim, with Q-Jo, was in decent shape, but a four on the flop changed the situation entirely and bricks on the turn and river sent him straight to the exits, toting $26,013 behind him as he went.

The delightfully named Dwyte Pilgrim would be the next to go. Pilgrim found himself short-stacked and made a number of desperation shoves to no avail before Bari looked him up with a pocket pair of eights. Pilgrim had sevens and couldn't hit his two-outer to stay alive, instead hitting the dusty trail in seventh with $34,684 with which to provision himself.

Tiny Tim!

Then it was Tim Kelly's turn. The highest-finishing Canadian got it all-in bad with A 8 against Kyle Bowker's pocket jacks and, despite flopping an eight, would get no closer, watching blanks fall on fourth and fifth streets to seal his fate and send him back north of the border with $43,355 in prize money.

The second level of the day (and 17th of the tournament) would see less carnage, but only marginally so, as by the time another 90 minutes of poker had passed another two unlucky souls had been called to the carpet.

Bari toned!

First was Bari, who saw himself crippled after doubling up Phillip Reed with pocket sixes to Reed's A-J and then lost a race for his tournament life when his pocket fours couldn't stand up to Roberts' A K.

A king on the flop gave Roberts the lead and he'd ride it to the river, punting Bari from play in the five spot and removing another $52,026 from the prize pool.

Next would be Robert McLaughlin, who had played the barnacle on final-table day by doubling up on the regular where lesser men might have crumbled. His impressive run finally came to an end, however, at the hands of Bowker in a hand that was unusual in that it was not a pre-flop all-in.

Motor mouth!

In fact, McLaughlin and Bowker took it to the river with betting on all streets before the Motorman finally got his money in, facing down a T 6 4 9 Q board with J J and seeing Bowker make an easy call with A 5 for the ace-high flush. McLaughlin hit the road in fourth for $69,368.

That meant only three players remained and Bowker, thanks to those diamonds, was chip leader as play resumed in Level 18.

He wouldn't hold the post for long, though, watching his fortunes collapse over a series of three hands in which he first paid off Roberts' runner-runner two pair, then folded to a four-bet all-in from Reed.

Finally, he found himself victimized by some of Reed's trickery when the latter camouflaged a flopped club flush and got your man to commit his stack having flopped top pair.

Take a Bowker!

Bowker was drawing slim and by the turn was drawing dead, and after the river made it official was out in third place with $86,710 with which to stuff his family's stockings this year.

After a short, euphemistically termed "cigarette break" that accomplished nothing of note, Roberts and Reed settled down for the heads-up battle, with Roberts holding a slight chip lead. It wouldn't take long for the kid from Staten Island to get the rest of them.

In the climactic hand, Reed raised his button and Roberts defended in the big blind. The flop came K 9 8 and Roberts checked to Reed, who bet out $120,000. Roberts raised to $340,000 and Reed shipped it over the top, getting a soul-crushing insta-call from his rival, who held 9 8 for the flopped two pair.

Winnah!

Reed, meanwhile, was exposed as being on the bluff with Q J, good for naught but the gut-shot straight draw, and after the board finished out 2 5 Roberts had weathered the storm and was champion!

For his runner-up finish, Reed takes home $147,407 in prize money, while in addition to his cash and the title, Roberts also walks off with an entry into the WSOP Main Event next summer and the honor of an interview with PokerListings.com.

Congratulations to Roberts and to the good people at Harrah's Atlantic City who made it all possible. I see you, security-guard lady and Margaret in in-room dining. Happy holidays to us all!