WSOPC Event 2 ring goes to 21-year-old

The $500 No-Limit Hold'em World Series of Poker Circuit event at Caesars Indiana started with 304 entries, but ended with the top three players chopping the pot and playing out the rest of the game for the glory of the gold and diamond trophy ring.

That chop meant eventual winner, 21-year-old Kevin Stammen, left with the second-most amount of prize money but had a new shiny ring to show for it.

Officially, Steve Miller walked away with the most money and first place because of the chop. Stammen came in second, and Dan Quade took the third place position.

The chop was proposed by Stammen after the $4,000/$8,000 level ended when he was second in the chip count. He had $216,000 chips versus Miller's $296,000, and Quade had $100,000.

After negotiating a deal, the three finalists then played five showdown hands to finish off the game.

Quade busted out on the fourth deal when he moved in for $200,000 with A-9 and lost to Stammen's A-Q, and on the next hand, Miller bet his last $70,000 blind, losing with K-10 when Stammen's A-6 held up.

Stammen, an animated and outgoing young man who plays an aggressive game, lives in Coldwater, Ohio, is single and taught himself poker five years ago. Before playing full time he had a job installing concrete basements.

He's had a couple of cashes at the Bellagio and a second in a local event in Mississippi. Although he's been playing both tournaments and live games, he said he decided to play tournaments exclusively after this win.

Quade, 24, is from Saint Paul, Minn. If his e-mail address, "FuturePokerStarofAmerica," is any indication, Quade is on his way to poker success after only three years of playing poker and one as a professional player.

Miller, 57, may have officially taken the top spot with the chopped pot, but the Bedford, Ind., native missed out on the WSOPC ring to show for his 30 years of poker playing.

The official final table results were:

Place Name Prize
1st Steve Miller $44,110*
2nd Kevin Stammen $22,766*
3rd Daniel Quade $11,383*
4th John Lanese $9,960
5th Andrew Wade $8,537
6th Michael Tucci $7,115
7th Robert Briggs $5,692
8th James Williams $4,269
9th James Whitley $2,846

* Please note these are the official payouts. With the chop, Miller actually received $33,000, Stammen received $30,000, and Quade received $17,000.

WSOPC events in Indiana continue as momentum builds to the championship event beginning Wednesday, April 4.

courtesy of Sarah Polson

News Added: 30 March, 2007

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