Warren Sheaves Wins WSOP Bracelet at 2018 Poker Global Casino Championship

Warren Sheaves has emerged victorious at the World Series of Poker Global Casino Championship, an invitational tournament that took place at the Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino in North Carolina from August 7-9. A total of 127 players took part in the special event, with Sheaves eventually triumphing over the field to claim his first official WSOP bracelet, as well as a top prize worth $282,113. Commenting after his win, the local state resident stated:

“I feel pretty good,” before adding. ““But they only invited 120 people or so to this tournament. So I just kind of feel like this is a medium bracelet, you know? It doesn’t really fit my ego.”

Winning a WSOP Bracelet

Most people are used to hearing about gold bracelets being won at either the annual WSOP or its equivalent across the pond known as the WSOP Europe. However, the Global Casino Championship also has authority to award a prestigious gold bracelet as it represents the culminating event of the 2017-2018 WSOP Circuit season on both the domestic and International front.

Qualifying for free entry into the Global Casino Championship are those players winning a WSOP Circuit Main Event during the season, as well as those finishing the season’s WSOP Circuit leaderboard in a top 50 position. Meanwhile, direct entry for $10,000 is available for those players winning a WSOP Circuit ring event during the season that wasn’t a Main Event, or finishing last year’s WSOP Player of the Year race within the top 100. The three-day event subsequently took place at Harrah’s Cherokee for the fourth consecutive year, and as WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart explains:

“Ten years ago we only had 12 Circuit stops and they were all in the U.S. We’re proud to have grown it to 39 stops in 11 different countries and the Global Casino Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee exists to put the best of the best in the same room to see who comes out on top. We’ll continue to work hard to make the World Series of Poker the biggest and best poker tournaments to play all around the world.”

2018 Global Casino Championship

The Poker Global Casino Championship comes with a $1 million prize pool guarantee, which this year was exceeded by $50,000. Twenty money places would then be paid, and amongst the recognizable pros walking away with a paycheck was Joseph Cheong in 20th ($12,889), David Pham in 14th ($16,668), and Alan Engel in 12th ($19,697).

The final table was subsequently headlined by such players as 5-times WSOPC winner Kurt Jewell (8th), WSOP and 4-times WSOPC winner Arkadiy Tsinis (6th), 2-times WSOP winner and 5 times ring winner Loni Harwood (5th), and WSOP and WPT champion Keven Stammen (3rd).

In the end, however, Warren Sheaves and Jeremy Meacham would contest the bracelet, with Meacham having captured his first WSOP Circuit ring this season, and Sheaves having qualified for the tournament having finished the 2017 WSOP Circuit leaderboard in 10th place after racking up 16 cashes, including six final tables.

Warren Sheaves vs Jeremy Meacham

Warren Sheaves and Jeremy Meacham started the heads-up phase fairly even in chips, but Meacham later found himself in dire trouble after a big hand in which he was subsequently reduced to just 10bbs. In the hand in question, Meacham (Js-9s) check-raised an Ac-8h-4h flop, which was called by Sheaves (5s-4c), after which Meacham continued his aggression by betting on the 7s turn and moving all-in on the 2s river. Incredibly, Sheaves went along with him the whole way, and after winning the huge pot with just a pair of fours said that he thought his opponent was sitting on a busted flush draw.

“So I flopped a pair,” explained Sheaves. “He check-raised the flop and he’s been doing that to me with a flush draw and I’ve been letting him have it, you know? What do they call that? Bait? Bait. I had a five kicker, that thing was huge!”

As it turned out, it was a busted bluff instead, and soon after Meacham crashed out in a runner-up position worth $174,360, representing the biggest score of his career and bringing his life time earnings to $933,831. Meanwhile, Warren Sheaves also collected his biggest cash to date worth $282,113, and now boasts $666,912 in live earnings, as well as a coveted WSOP bracelet.

Final Table Results

1: Warren Sheaves $282,113
2: Jeremy Meacham $174,360
3: Keven Stammen $122,890
4: Armin Stocker $88,463
5: Loni Harwood $65,067
6: Arkadiy Tsinis $48,926
7: Blake Whittington $37,627
8: Kurt Jewell $29,612