Harrah's Atlantic City - Live Updates

Brent Roberts has just won this tournament, defeating Phillip Reed in heads-up play to claim his first WSOP Circuit title, as well as $280,940 in prize money, a WSOPC ring and the $10,000 entry into the WSOP Main Event next summer! 

In the climactic hand, Reed opened for $90,000 on the button and Roberts made the call. The flop came K♠ 9♣ 8♦ and Roberts checked to Reed, who bet $120,000. Roberts raised to $340,000 and after a moment of thought, Reed moved all-in over the top.

Roberts called with the bigger stack and the better hand, turning up 9♦ 8♠ for two pair against Reed's Q♦ J♠ for the gutshot straight draw. The turn was the 2♠ and the river the 5♦ and Reed can't get there. He's out in second place, taking $147,407 while Roberts is crowned the champion!

Congratulations to both finalists and to the good people at Harrah's Atlantic City for making it all happen. Happy holidays!

Somebody just busted out a calculator and the deal (reportedly an even chop with Phillip Reed taking the ring and the WSOP buy-in) has been canceled. The game is on once more in Atlantic City.

Kyle Bowker limps his button and the action folds to Phillip Reed, who checks in the big blind. The flop comes T♣ 7♣ 4♣ and Reed checks to Bowker, who bets out $50,000. Reed moves all-in over the top and Bowker calls off his last $400,000 or so, holding J♥ T♠ for top pair.

Reed, the crafty devil, has flopped the flush with 5♣ 3♣ and Bowker needs help to stay alive. The turn is the 8♥ and the river the K♥, however, and help is not forthcoming. Bowker is out in third place and will take home $86,710 for his time.

Heads-up play is now under way between Phillip Reed and Brent Roberts. Stay tuned for updated chip counts - oh wait, our nonsmoking competitors are now on a quick "cigarette break."

Phillip Reed raises to $85,000 and Kyle Bowker makes it $220,000 to go from the small blind. Brent Roberts folds in the big blind and Reed moves all-in over the top. Bowker lays it down and Reed takes a tidy pot with only a modicum of effort.

Brent Roberts raises to $75,000 on the button and Kyle Bowker makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes K♠ 5♣ 2♦ and Bowker check-calls an $85,000 wager from Roberts. The turn is the 7♣ and both players check. The river is the 9♥ and Bowker checks again. Roberts bets $195,000 and Bowker makes the call, only to muck when Roberts shows 9♥ 7♦ for runner-runner two pair.

The break is over and the cards are back in the air with three players remaining at the final table of the WSOPC Harrah's Atlantic City tournament. Check our new, updated chip counts and follow along for the thrilling conclusion!

The second level of the day has come to an end with only three players remaining in the hunt for that $280k+ first prize. We'll take a quick level break and then return to action in about 15 minutes - or it's free!

Robert McLaughlin and Kyle Bowker see a flop come T♦ 6♦ 4♣ and McLaughlin leads out for $45,000. Bowker makes the call and the turn is the 9♦, prompting a check from McLaughlin and a $70,000 wager from Bowker. McLaughlin opts to smooth-call and the river is the Q♦.

Now McLaughlin bets out $120,000 and sees Bowker move all-in over the top. McLaughlin quickly calls for his tournament life, showing J♦ J♣ for the jack-high flush. Bowker, however, has A♦ 5♣ for the ace-high flush, and McLaughlin is out in fourth place. He'll take $69,368 for his time.

Brent Roberts, who has had his foot on the gas for the last half-hour or so, raises yet again and this time sees Robert McLaughlin add $220,000 more to the wager with a three-bet all-in. Action folds back to Roberts, who thinks for a minute or two before making the call.

It's a good call. Roberts has A♦ 7♦ and McLaughlin - the liar! - has 7♠ 3♠. There's a reason they call it poker, though, as the board comes 9♣ 8♠ 3♥ K♠ 2♣ to give McLaughlin the flopped pair of threes and double him through Roberts to keep action four-handed.

Robert McLaughlin raises to $55,000 on the button and Kyle Bowker reraises to $160,000 in the small blind. Brent Roberts thinks for a few minutes before folding out, and McLaughlin makes the call.

The flop comes Q-Q-3 and Bowker leads out with a bet. McLaughlin thinks for a moment before laying it down and Bowker shows 8♣ 2♣ as he rakes the pot.

Kyle Bowker raises to $55,000 and Brent Roberts reraises to $155,000. Allen Bari calls all-in on the button and Bowker gets out of the way. Roberts turns up A♥ K♥ and Bari is racing for his tournament life with pocket fours.

The flop is disastrous for Bari, coming K-8-3, and after the turn is a seven, the river is an ace and that's the end of Allen Bari's tournament. He's done in fifth place and will take home $52,026 for his efforts.

Allen limps from the small blind, Phillip Reed raises in the big and Bari moves all-in over the top. Reed makes the call and turns up A♠ J♠. He's racing against Bari's 6♥ 6♦ and after the flop comes K♠ J♦ 7♥ takes the lead.

The turn is the A♥ and Bari needs a six to bust Reed. The river is the 5♦ and aces-up takes the pot, doubling Reed's initial $440,000 stack and leaving Bari with only about $40k to his name.

Brent Roberts raises and Robert McLaughlin repops from the small blind. Action folds back to Roberts, who four-bets all-in, and McLaughin goes into the tank, pondering a call for his tournament life.

After about three or four minutes of deep rumination he emerges and makes the call, putting his last $290,000 at risk with a pair of red nines. Roberts, however, has the red tens and is crushing McLaughlin, though the dealer has other ideas as after the flop comes A♠ 7♣ 6♣, the turn is the 9♣.

Roberts can't spike an eight on the river (it's the 7♠), and McLaughlin doubles up.

The break is over and the cards are back in the air from Harrah's Atlantic City. Stay tuned for more hot poker action from the Jersey shore as we proceed - and check out our updated chip counts as you do. Game on!

The first level of this final table has come to an end with four players having declared personal and moral bankruptcy in the first 90 minutes of action. Play will resume in 15 minutes, at which point we'll hope to eliminate another four players before crowning the champion.

Kyle Bowker raises to $45,000 and Tim Kelly moves all-in over the top for just over $100,000 total. Action folds back to Bowker, who makes the call with a pair of black jacks. Kelly, the sole Canadian left in the field, will need to engineer a suck-out with A♦ 8♣.

The flop comes T♥ 8♦ 2♣ and Kelly inches closer. Now any eight or ace will earn him the lead. The turn is the Q♥ and the river the 5♥, however, and the jacks hold. Kelly is out in sixth place and earns $43,355 in funny money to take back north of the border.

After moving all-in repeatedly to no avail, Dwyte Pilgrim ships his short stack in from early position and Allen Bari moves all-in over the top to isolate. Action folds around and Bari turns up a pair of red eights. Pilgrim has a pair of red sevens and will need to improve to stay alive.

The flop comes A♠ T♦ 2♥ and the eights retain their lead. The turn is the 9♠ and the river the J♣. The eights prevail and Pilgrim is capsized in seventh place. He'll earn $34,684 for his time.

Kyle Bowker raises to $45,000 and Allen Bari makes it $120,000 to go. Bowker moves all-in over the top for about $360,000 and Bari makes the call, tabling A♥ Q♠ and finding himself way behind Bowker's A♦ A♣.

The board comes 8-3-4-9-A and Bowker makes a set of aces to blow Bari's top pair out of the water. Bowker doubles up to about $720,000 and the beat goes on.

Brent Roberts raises to $40,000 on the button and Scott Zakheim ships it all-in from the small blind for another $23,000. Allen Bari folds in the big blind and Roberts makes the call, showing 7♣ 4♠ to Zakheim's Q♠ J♥.

The flop comes 6♥ 4♣ 3♣, giving Roberts a pair of fours, and after the turn is the 3♦, the river is the K♣ and fours-up wins the pot, sending Zakheim packing in eighth place, a finish worth $26,013 on the old accounts receivable ledger.

Brent Roberts raises to $36,000 and gets a call from Allen Bari and Dwyte Pilgrim in the big blind. The flop comes A♠ T♠ 2♦ and Pilgrim checks to Roberts, who makes it $52,000 to go. Bari makes the call and Pilgrim folds out.

The turn is the 5♠ and both players check. The river is the 5♦ and Roberts checks to Bari, who bets out $78,000. Roberts mucks and Bari takes the pot.

Dwyte Pilgrim moves all-in from the small blind and Brent Roberts makes the call in the big blind, tabling K♥ 7♠ and dominating Pilgrim's K♦ 3♦. The flop comes J-T-2 and Roberts retains the lead, but the ace on the turn means Pilgrim has outs to chop.

The river is a queen, giving both players the broadway straight, and we've got a chopped pot.

After an initial rash of early all-ins, the action has slowed here at the final table of the WSOP Circuit event in Atlantic City. Of course, the easiest way to spark action is to write an update like this, and as we type it Dwyte Pilgrim has moved all-in. Hold for details ...

Update: Action folds around. Pilgrim takes the pot.

Rafael Camejo opens for $34,000 and Robert McLaughlin moves all-in over the top. Camejo calls, short McLaughlin's stack by just $1,000, and is all-in for his tournament life holding A-Q to McLaughlin's A-K. The board comes T-3-2-K-9 and Camejo can't suck out. Instead, he's eliminated in ninth place, earning $17,342 for his time.