3 Minutes Read
An entrepreneur and a recreational player based in Southern California, 58-year old Steven Spunt (cover image) recently picked up his career-best score. Spunt outperformed 546 other runners to take down the 2018 World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Bicycle Casino $1,700 Main Event for $174,055.
“I play these for fun and I realized that most of the time, I’m just not going to be happy. Except now. Now, I’m very happy,” said Spunt after winning the event.
About his run in the event, Spunt said, “I had a real good run to start. I had a bad beat, but then I had a real big run. I chipped up really well. I had limited experience heads-up. He’s a tough player, so I needed some luck and I got some luck.”
Spunt topped a stacked final table that featured big names like Craig Varnell, Ian Steinman and Vincent Moscati.
Spunt added,“I play for fun. I really enjoy the game. Part of my retirement plan is to play more just because I like it. It’s something to do. Hopefully, I’ll semi-retire and play a lot more tournaments.”
This isn’t Spunt’s first stint at the WSOPC though. He has a total of nine cashes at the series including two WSOPC final tables and a gold ring that he won at the 2016 WSOPC Bally’s $250 Seniors Event.
The WSOPC Bicycle Casino $1,700 Main Event attracted 547 entries over two starting flights, that helped generate $828,705 in prize money. A total of 110 survivors from both flights came together to play Day 2, and only 13 among them made it through to the final day. Steven Forman, who eventually finished third in the event, was the chip leader with 2,655,000 in chips on Day 2, while Spunt was at the bottom of the chip counts with only 780,000.
The money bubble burst midway through Day 2, and the top 63 spots earned a guaranteed $2,710. Some notables who cashed in the event included MSPT champion Angelina Rich (14th for $10,590), Phil Laak (25th for $5,305), Ankush Mandavia (29th for $4,600), Michael Pearson (47th for $2,940), and Brian Snell (61st for $2,710).
After Viet Vo (11th for $12,995) was shown the door, seats on the unofficial final table were redrawn.
1.Steven Spunt – 3,050,000
2. Jorge Leiva – 2,310,000
3. Steven Forman – 1,700,000
4. Ian Steinman – 1,575,000
5. Craig Varnell – 1,450,000
6. Vincent Moscati – 1,475,000
7. Jason Bral – 1,300,000
8. David Lambard – 1,295,000
9. Brett Apter – 856,000
10. Marcos Exterkotter – 830,000
Brett Apter`s (10th for $12,995) elimination set the nine-handed final table into motion.
Action saw players flying out to the rail in quick succession. After Jorge Leiva was eliminated in ninth place, Ian Steinman and Vincent Moscati crashed out in eighth and seventh place respectively.
Craig Varnell was eliminated next in sixth place after his ace-nine was run down by Marcos Exterkotter’s ace-queen.
David Lambard knocked out Marcos Exterkotter in a hand where Lambard held ace-queen against Exterkotter’s ace-jack. Both players flopped a pair when an ace appeared on the flop, but Lambard’s queen kicker kept him in the lead on the rest of the board and Exterkotter was eliminated in fifth place.
Jason Bral would hit the rails next. He was all-in and in good shape with pocket fours, but got unlucky as Spunt’s eight-seven rivered a better pair.
Start-of-day chip leader Steven Forman was the next player to be eliminated. On his final hand in tournament, he opened from the button for 350,000 and Lambard moved all in for 4,130,000 from the big blind with . Forman called and saw the good news as the cards were tabled, but everything changed on the flop that sent the game spinning in Lambard’s favour. Lambard clipped top pair and his hand held through the turn and the river, to eliminate Forman in third place.
But for David Lambard, winning the pot against Forman didn’t help. In the heads-up match with Spunt, he went on losing chips all the way till the final hand where Lambard moved all in from the button with and Spunt called holding . The flop fell and Spunt picked up a pair with a nut flush draw. Both players hit their flush on the turn. Spunt however, had the nuts and Lambard was drawing dead to the on the river. In addition to winning the tournament, Spunt also won a free ticket into the 2018 WSOP Global Casino Championship.
1.Steven Spunt – $174,055
2. David Lambard – $107,640
3. Steven Forman – $78,710
4. Jason Bral – $58,405
5. Marcos Exterkotter – $43,495
6. Craig Varnell – $33,520
7. Vincent Moscati – $25,920
8. Ian Steinman- $20,320
9. Jorge Leiva – $16,145