Michael Pearson Triumphs at 2016 WSOPC Lake Tahoe

A total of 475 people paid $1,675 a piece to enter the 2016 World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Lake Tahoe main event, creating a prize pool worth $712,500 in the process. Three days of action later, and it would be San Francisco player Michael Pearson who would eventually take down the tournament to claim a gold winner’s ring, as a well as a first place prize of $153,191.
Going into the WSOPC Lake Tahoe main event, Michael Pearson had recorded five live tournament cashes worth $54,302, including finishing fourth at this year’s $1,100 Bay 101 Open San Jose for $30,760. Following his remarkable victory in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the biggest of his career, Pearson commented:
“It’s a good tournament. Tahoe is great; a great place to be for a weekend.”
The end of Day 1 saw 106 players progress through to Day 2, after which Michael Pearson then became one of just eight players to make it through to Day 3. The final table was a tough one, too, and included the likes of Bill Watchman and Ted Lawson, winner of the 2004 WSOP $5k Pot Limit Omaha event for $500,000.
In an A-A versus Q-Q hand, Pearson subsequently scored an important double-up against Ted Lawson to claim the chip lead, and eventually Pearson progressed all the way through to the heads-up phase of the competition where he faced Michael McDonough.
On the tournament’s deciding hand, McDonough (5c-4c) called a re-raise by Pearson (8c-7s), and after the flop fell Kd-Qc-5s McDonough called Pearson’s bet. The 7h on the turn then saw Pearson move all-in with the third highest pair, and after McDonough elected to call with bottom pair, the 6s on the river sealed his fate. Michael McDonough subsequently had to settle for a runner-up finish worth $94,713, while Pearson was crowned champion.
Final Table Results:
1: Michael Pearson $153,191
2: Michael McDonough $94,713
3: Christopher Moody $69,191
4: William Watchman $51,293
5: Ted Lawson $38,575
6: Wes Nally $29,462
7: Valerie Hanley $22,764
8: Vi Khoa Duong $17,862
9: Devin Jackson $14,214