Michael Estes Dominates WSOP Circuit Hammond Main Event, Wins Second Ring and $198,576!

The Horseshoe Hammond Casino in Indiana was buzzing with excitement as the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) rolled into town from September 19 to 30. With 19 ring events and over $2 Million in guarantees, this stop on the WSOP Circuit is always a favourite among players, and this year was no exception.

The series kicked off with a bang, featuring a five-flight $400 No-Limit Hold’em event with a $500,000 guarantee. Earlier this year, this same event attracted a massive field of 2,705 entries, generating a prize pool of $892,650, with Tom Hahne taking home the lion’s share of $119,650.

This series truly had something for everyone. Mixed-game enthusiasts had the $400 H.O.R.S.E. event to dive into, while Omaha lovers could test their skills in the $400 Omaha 8. High rollers had the $2,200 High Roller event to sink their teeth into, and of course, everyone was eagerly anticipating the $1,700 Main Event with its $1 Million guarantee. Players had multiple chances to enter the Main Event, with Flight A starting on September 26, followed by Flights B and C over the next two days.

WSOPC Horseshoe Hammond Winners

Michael Estes: Main Event Champion

But the real highlight of the series was the Main Event, where Michael Estes (cover image) put on a poker clinic and claimed the title, winning an impressive $198,576 – his second-largest career payday – and his second coveted WSOP Circuit ring!

Congratulations to Michael Estes for taking down the Horseshoe Hammond Circuit Main Event!

The Main Event in @HorseshoeHammnd drew a field of 756 entries, generating a total prizepool of $1,130,190, and the Chicago native takes home $198,576 for the win.

Interview & Event… pic.twitter.com/ANCGitRhTo

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) October 1, 2024

Estes, who won his first ring in a $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack event at the WSOPC 2023, was understandably ecstatic after his victory. “I don’t know how it feels yet – I’m still trying to process this,” he admitted. “It’s simply amazing. I wanted this really bad.”

This win is a huge milestone in Estes’ poker career. Not only does it add a second WSOP Circuit ring to his collection, but it also boosts his total live earnings to over $800,000. This is his second-largest cash to date, only surpassed by his fifth-place finish in a WPT $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em event in 2023.

Estes didn’t just show up and win the Main Event out of nowhere. He had been consistently performing well throughout the series, cashing in three other events leading up to the Main Event. He finished 84th in Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em for $1,741, 11th in Event #10: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em for $2,272, and 28th in Event #9: $400 No-Limit Hold’em for $999.

Although this year’s Main Event saw a slightly smaller field than last year, the competition was still fierce. The $1,700 buy-in Main Event attracted 746 entries, generating a prize pool of over $1.13 Million, with the top 110 players all earning at least $1,717. Last year’s event attracted 986 entries and culminated in a victory for Soheb Porbandarwala, a twelve-time ring winner.

While Estes was the star of the show, there were plenty of other notable performances in the Main Event. MSPT East Chicago Ameristar Main Event and WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Council Bluffs Event #12 winner Angela Jordison finished 20th for $10,135. Other familiar faces like Brendan Shiller (34th for $5,804), Jason DeWitt (56th), Aaron Massey (72nd), Jake Schwartz (74th), and Jason DeWitt (56th) each for $4,496, also made deep runs, proving that this tournament attracted some serious talent.

A contingent of Indo-American players also made their mark, with Milan Patel (40th for $5,170), Ravi Raghavan (48th for $4,721), and Anwar Baig (95th for $4,433) all putting up strong showings.

The final day was intense, with big pots and tough decisions. Yoon Kim was the first to fall in 10th place for $11,674, followed by Jacob Fishbein in ninth for $14,709. Christopher Weber busted in eighth place for $18,937, and Mykhailo Lendel hit the rail in seventh for $24,901.

The final six players returned for Day 3, and the intensity was palpable. Maxwell Sheridan was the first to go on Day 3, finishing in sixth place when his couldn’t hold up against Kristopher Magruder’s .

Mark Cahill followed in fifth after his all-in shove with pocket fours was outmatched by Magruder’s trip fives.

Sargan Guliana was next to exit, finishing fourth after flopping top pair with a king, only to be outdone by Estes’ straight.

Kristopher Magruder‘s impressive run ended in third place when his pocket eights were out-flopped by Estes’ , setting up the final heads-up battle between Estes and Grant Keller.

The chip lead shifted back and forth, but Estes claimed the victory by flopping top pair with a queen against Grant Keller‘s pocket fours. As Keller remarked afterwards, “I was a non-believer in Estes’ bet.”

Reflecting on the final table, Estes said, “The final table was great,” before adding with a chuckle, “That’s because of me – I’m so nice. No, everybody here was absolutely professional and nice. We understood that we all each couldn’t win.”

Despite his relaxed demeanour, the pressure was clearly on. “I worried every single moment of the final table,” Estes confessed, gesturing to his well-worn hat. “This hat is AT LEAST 26 years old, it used to be red and used to be put together. I think we only have a couple more years left, and hopefully, I’ll get another ring before it breaks.”

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Michael Estes – $198,576
2. Grant Keller – $132,386
3. Kristopher Magruder – $91,159
4. Sargan Guliana – $63,981
5. Mark Cahill – $45,789
6. Maxwell Sheridan – $33,426
7. Mykhailo Lendel – $24,901
8. Christopher Weber – $18,937
9. Jacob Fishbein – $14,709

Content & Images Courtesy: World Series of Poker