Event 13: Mike Russ Wins Last Chance Turbo and $11K in Florida

2017 Seminole Hard Rock WSOP Circuit
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 13
$365 No Limit Hold’em Turbo (Re-Entry)
Entries: 138
Prize Pool: $41,400
October 2, 2017

Hollywood, Fla. — Mike Russ claimed World Series of Poker Circuit gold at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Monday night. The victory came in Event 13 of the property’s series, a $365 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Re-Entry tournament. For the win, the Kerrville, Tex. resident earned a top prize of $11,589 along with the tour’s token prize, a gold ring.

Event 13’s turbo structure was slated to play out in one day. The tournament kicked off at 11am and drew a tough field of 138 entries. They generated a $41,400 prize pool that paid the top 15 finishers a share. In all, it took less than 10 hours to play to completion.

Joining Russ at the final table were tournament standouts Nagui Yassa and Jonathan Hilton. Hilton’s claim to fame came in the form of a gold bracelet victory in the 2013 WSOP National Championship. Yassa, meanwhile, enjoyed a strong showing over the last two weeks in Hollywood. He carded four cashes including a fourth-place finish in the 1,612-entry $580 opener and a 24th-place finish in the Main Event. The pair bowed out shy of contention — Yassa in sixth and Hilton ninth — in Event 13.

Russ began his heads-up battle at a chip disadvantage over Brent Ballentine, but the fast structure caught up with the duo. With the stacks thinning, they were forced to get it in and Russ came out ahead.

Russ is a 40-year-old business owner. His Event 13 win marks his sixth WSOP Circuit cash. His previous career highlight was an eighth-place finish in a $500 buy-in in New Orleans in 2007.

Event 13 final results:

1st: Mike Russ – $11,589 + Gold Ring
2nd: Brent Ballentine – $7,165
3rd: Christopher Halkitis – $5,172
4th: Phil Wojtuniecki – $3,800
5th: Norge Mastrangelo – $2,841
6th: Nagui Yassa – $2,160
7th: Adam Singer – $1,670
8th: Ricardo Palacios – $1,312
9th: Jonathan Hilton – $1,047
10th: Kevin Smith – $849
11th: Ami Neeman – $849
12th: Spencer Champlin – $849
13th: Daniel Franzblau – $699
14th: Matthew Zarcadoolas – $699
15th: Jimmy Lai – $699