Donovan Dean Wins WSOP Circuit Main Event at Harrah's Cherokee for Second Time

Name Surname
Senior Editor U.S.
3 min read
Donovan Dean WSOP Circuit

The 20-event World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) stop at Harrah's Cherokee in North Carolina has reached its conclusion. Donovan Dean, for the second time since 2022, wrapped the series by taking down the $1,700 buy-in Main Event, a $1.5 million guaranteed tournament, for $326,206 and a shiny gold ring.

Susan Faber also made headlines during the series, having won two rings. She first defeated Maurice Hawkins heads-up to win Event #5: $600 No-Limit Hold'em for $33,493. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner would then capture her second ring in Event #16: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Super Turbo, beating out 174 entrants for another $21,884.

Dean Runs it Back

In December 2022, Dean won the Harrah's Cherokee Main Event, beating out 1,502 entrants for a $356,963 payday. The Alabama native was up to his old tricks the past few days.

Main Event action began Aug. 9 with the first of two Day 1 starting flights, and concluded with Monday's final table. Dean bagged a huge chip lead heading into the final table with nearly twice the stack of his nearest competitor, Tommy Doyle.

WSOPC Harrah's Cherokee Main Event Final Table Results

PlacePlayerPrize
1Donovan Dean$326,206
2Andrew Rebhan$217,454
3Tommy Doyle$153,664
4Michael Hunsucker$110,186
5Tuan Nguyen$80,192
6Brett Bader$59,249
7Justin Hall$44,450
8Srinivasa Vadlamudi$33,870
9Sokchheka Pho$26,218

Doyle would bow out in third place, which paid him $153,664. That left only two players battling for a ring �� Andrew Rebhan and Dean. Rebhan came close to winning his first ring at Cherokee last year in a $400 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament, but he inevitably fell in third place.

He'll have to wait a bit longer to finally claim his first ring as he lost heads-up to Dean at the final table on Monday. Second place paid $217,454, while the champion earned $326,206.

Dean won his third ring, all at Harrah's Cherokee. On top of winning the Main Event in 2022, he won a $365 buy-in Monster Stack event in 2016. The newest victory puts his overall live tournament winnings just north of $1.7 million, according to The Hendon Mob. He ranks fourth all time among those from Alabama. Shannon Shorr has a stranglehold on the lead, however, with $13.2 million in cashes.

The Cherokee stop wrapped on Monday with three other players capturing Circuit rings �� Garry Kilpatrick (Event #18), Robert Reed (Event #19), and Ken Phuong (Event #20). World Series of Poker Circuit action will now move across the country to Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, California starting Aug. 15 with the first of 18 ring events.

Full WSOP Circuit Cherokee Results

EventEntriesWinnerPrize
Event #1: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Opener600Russell Brooks$34,713
Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Mini Main2,936Dane Cass$110,723
Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold'em677Donald Levine$38,381
Event #4: $400 Seniors Event1,063Jack Rose$54,611
Event #5: $600 No-Limit Hold'em305Susan Faber$33,493
Event #6: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better347Warren Sheaves$23,488
Event #7: $400 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed822Chris Conrad$44,287
Event #8: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha307Han Feng$33,504
Event #9: $400 Monster Stack2,897Howard Marsh$109,702
Event #10: $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em556Jarrett Mullins$103,126
Event #11: $400 No-Limit Hold'em525Joe Rivage Laro$31,913
Event #12: $300 Ladies Event209Jennifer Germany$11,794
Event #13: $1,700 Main Event1,451Donovan Dean$326,206
Event #14: $400 No-Limit Hold'em507Tyler Nasim$31,030
Event #15: $400 No-Limit Hold'em513Susan Green$31,406
Event #16: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo174Susan Faber$21,884
Event #17: $300 Seniors Event794Lawrence McKinney$31,339
Event #18: $400 No-Limit Hold'em459Garry Kilpatrick$28,929
Event #19: $2,200 High Roller135Robert Reed$66,435
Event #20: $400 Double Stack Closer393Ken Phuong$17,232

*Images courtesy of 8131 Media/Omar Sader.

Share this article
author
Senior Editor U.S.

More Stories

Other Stories

Recommended for you

Susan Faber Wins First WSOPC Ring; Denies Maurice Hawkins the Record Susan Faber Wins First WSOPC Ring; Denies Maurice Hawkins the Record