Biloxi, MS – The 2019 Gulf Coast Poker Championship has come to a close and Andrew Barfield from Ocean Springs, MS is your main event champion. Barfield, a full time pediatrician, who “plays on some weekends and when tournaments come close by” topped a field of 377 in the $1,350 buy-in event for the first place prize of $110,266. Barfield first and foremost wanted to thank his wife “for just letting me come play. She’s at home right now with our three kids…getting updates. She’s amazing !!”
The 377 main event field inched out last year’s total of 375, creating a total prize pool of $449,761. After two starting flights, the 39 advancing players combined and returned (Monday September 16) to take a shot at the $110,266 first place prize.
Picking up the action five handed Judge Leo Booth hit the rail first when he called Yousef Saleh’s 6♦8♦ pre-flop shove with AKo but couldn’t fade an 8, ending his deep run in 5th place for $23,678. Saleh, who came to the final table short stacked had recently doubled up when his pocket JJs held up against AJo of Tim Sanderson leaving Sanderson crippled. However Sanderson, through a series of all-in pre-flop shoves, battled back to a healthy stack to remain a force throughout the final table.
Hiep Doan from New Orleans, LA was the next to go. Doan, who was runner-up to Tim Burt last year in this same event and now has over $400,000 in total live earnings, came to the final table as the chip leader but lost traction and was eventually eliminated in 4th place by Barfield, who raised all-in from the button and rivered a flush against Doan’s AKo for a 2,000,000 pot. The former poker dealer took home $27,772 for his effort.
Tim Sanderson’s roller coaster ride finally ended when his K♠3♠ fell to Barfield’s pocket QQs. Sanderson impressed his final table mates with his play. His 3rd place finish was good for $35,940.
Barfield held a 6 to 1 chip lead over Saleh when heads-up play began. After a few back and forth all-ins with no calls, Barfield called Saleh’s 2♦4♦ jam with 9♥9♦ and ended the tournament in style with a straight flush on a board of 8♥6♥7♦10♥7♥. Saleh took home $61,261 for his second-place finish.
“He played great”, Saleh said of Barfield’s performance. “He deserved to win”.
When asked when he expected to be playing next, Barfield said “I probably won’t play again until the Circuit comes here (Biloxi) to the IP in December”. Saleh’s upcoming schedule includes an Ante-Up event in Mississippi and a Heartland Poker Tour event in St. Louis.
See complete 2019 GCPC results and payouts here
