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Dylan Wilkerson (cover image) added a second WSOP Circuit gold ring to his name after winning the WSOP Circuit Cherokee $1,675 Main Event at the Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina for $216,790, where he defeated two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Erick Lindgren in heads-up play.
Wilkerson had won his first WSOP Circuit title last year at the 2017 WSOP Circuit Los Angeles $1,675 Main Event for $216,790 and with this win, his career tournament cashes have crossed $2.7 Million.
The event attracted a massive 1,060 entrants that obliterated the $1 Million guarantee by collecting a generous $1,590,000 kitty.
The third and final day saw 19 survivors returning back to the felts to play down to a champion. Leading the charge was Jonathan Hilton, while eventual champion Wilkerson started in the middle of the pack.
The unofficial ten-handed final table was set after the only remaining non-American – Italy’s Giovanni Marino hit the rail in 11th place. Fikret Kovac started off in the lead while Wilkerson was a close second.
Final Table Recap
Wilkerson got down to work straightaway sending Day 3 chip leader Jonathan Hilton to the rail in tenth place for $23,373 and with that snapped up the chip lead.
Wilkerson next set his sights on Christopher Meyers`s stack. Meyers exited at ninth place for $29,002 after he three-bet jammed with ace-five but got beat by Wilkerson’s king-jack.
Lindgren at this stage emerged by winning two massive pots to claim the chip lead but Wilkerson kept busting players and took out a third consecutive player from the final table. The unlucky victim was Gordon Battle, who down to crumbs moved all-in with jack-eight but ran into Wilkerson’s pocket nines to exit in eighth place for $36,411.
Gabe Costner was the only player on the final table who was spared by Wilkerson but he was done in by Daniel Wagner, who busted him in seventh place for $46,253.
Hereon, Dylan Wilkerson went on a rampage by eliminating all five of his remaining opponents. Wilkerson first took out Kovac in sixth place for $59,434 when his pocket queens held on against the latter`s pocket tens.
After the dinner break, Wilkerson took out two players in one hand. It was a three-way showdown with Howard Setzer’s pocket tens, and Wagner’s king-jack against Wilkerson`s ace-queen suited. An ace on the flop sent both Setzer (fourth – $101,601) and Wagner (third – $135,150) packing.
Entering heads-up play, Wilkerson held a commanding 3:1 chip lead over Lindgren but the latter fought back to get back on even footing and then took over an overwhelming 6:1 chip advantage. Wilkerson however staged a remarkable comeback to regain the lead. By the time the final hand was dealt, Wilkerson had pulled ahead with a 2:1 chip advantage.
In a classic cooler, a betting war saw Lindgren all-in with pocket queens against Wilkerson`s pocket kings. The board blanked out and for an impressive third time, Lindgren finished runner-up in a WSOP Circuit event, while Wilkerson clinched his second WSOP Circuit gold ring.
Final Table Results
1. Dylan Wilkerson – $294,152
2. Erick Lindgren – $181,864
3. Daniel Wagner – $135,150
4. Howard Setzer – $101,601
5. Timothy Miles – $77,258
6. Fikret Kovac – $59,434
7. Gabe Costner – $46,253
8. Fred Battle – $36,411
9. Christopher Meyers – $29,002
10. Jonathan Hilton – $23,373