Alan Katsnelson Wins Opening Event for First Gold Ring
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team is at Florida’s Seminole Coconut Creek to live report action from both the $2,200 High Roller and $1,700 Main Event, but is just one of a dozen gold ring events at the stop. As such, we thought we’d profile some of the preliminary tournaments and those who struck it big.
In Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (One-Day), 199 entrants created a $65,670 prize pool that was paid out to the top 30 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Martin Ryan (11th - $1,090), Paul Balzano (13th - $916), Eric Brewster (21st - $696), and Nick Yunis (26th - $587).
In the end, it was Alan Katsnelson besting Vigorn Dancharnjitt in heads-up play to win the title, a $16,189 first-place prize, and his first gold ring.
“It means a lot. I had my family members put up for me so I’m just happy to do it for them. I won it for my family,” Katnelson said after the win. “I just had to pick my points. I was kind of card dead at the beginning. I finally got a hand, doubled up, then I pushed all in with ace-seven and I got two callers. Luckily nobody had an ace. I hit the ace and I tripled up.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Katsnelson | Boynton Beach, Florida | $16,189 |
| 2 | Vigorn Dancharnjitt | Port St. Lucie, Florida | $10,008 |
| 3 | Nicholas Visconti | Delray Beach, Florida | $7,036 |
| 4 | Howard Mash | Coconut Creek, Florida | $5,049 |
| 5 | Brandon Miller | Palm Bay, Florida | $3,700 |
| 6 | Neal Corcoran | N/A | $2,771 |
| 7 | Marcelo Garzozi | N/A | $2,121 |
| 8 | Thomas Bielecky | Palm Beach Gardens, Florida | $1,660 |
| 9 | Richard Whitebrook | Miami Beach, Florida | $1,329 |