Jeff Haney on the return of John Spadavecchia, a poker tournament veteran who wins World Series event at Caesars

Wednesday, May 17, 2006 | 7:34 a.m.

1. John Spadavecchia, Lighthouse Point, Fla., $648,320

2. Sean McCabe, Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., $357,557

3. Ralph Perry, Las Vegas, $196,460

4. Danny Fuhs, Las Vegas, $157,168

5. Bill Baxter, Las Vegas, $117,876

6. Bob Bright, Las Vegas, $98,230

7. Tom Schneider, Phoenix, $78,584

8. Tony Cousineau, Daytona Beach, Fla., $58,938

9. Blair Rodman, Las Vegas, $39,292

Poker tournament veteran John Spadavecchia picked up where he left off some 20 years ago by winning a big event at Caesars Palace.

Spadavecchia, who earned victories in a 7-card stud and a no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament at Caesars during the old Super Bowl of Poker - a major tournament in the 1980s - outlasted a field of 209 entrants to win the World Series of Poker circuit event that concluded Thursday at Caesars.

It was the first circuit tournament at the property since Caesars opened its new poker room in December and returned it to the poker scene after an absence of 15 years. (Caesars also hosted the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, an NBC Sports event, in March.)

"I'm glad Caesars is back in the poker business," Spadavecchia of Lighthouse Point, Fla., said. "This has been a very lucky place for me."

Spadavecchia, who owns a ceramic tile and marble distributorship, won the top prize of $648,320 and a World Series circuit championship ring. His victory came in the $10,000 buy in, no-limit hold 'em main event that capped two weeks of preliminary tournaments.

"For some people, it's more about the money," he said. "For me, it's more about the win and the trophy. The ring is always very important - although the money doesn't hurt much, either."

Spadavecchia finished off runner-up Sean McCabe after surviving a final table of nine players that included five Las Vegans. When they were heads-up, Spadavecchia had about a 3-1 chip lead against McCabe. He clinched it when McCabe, desperately low on chips, went all-in with a 6-9 and failed to improve, while Spadavecchia made a pair of kings.

"Talk about a card-dead day," said McCabe, who started the final day as chip leader.

Circuit tournaments take place at Harrah's properties throughout the nation and promote the World Series of Poker, scheduled for June 25 to Aug. 10 at the Rio. Tournament Director Robert Daily pronounced the Caesars event a success as well as a useful warm-up for the World Series.

"We've heard a lot of great comments from spectators as well as players," Daily said. "It's been a great event, beyond our expectations."

Some projections place the size of the field for the World Series' main event, the $10,000 buy in, no-limit hold 'em championship, at 7,500 players. Harrah's officials are preparing for as many as 9,100.

Tournament organizers have also addressed concerns raised by players at last year's World Series, including overcrowded restrooms and some other issues involving smoking and food breaks, Daily said.

"We've made different arrangements to take care of those concerns," he said. "That's the kind of thing you like to do in the poker business - listen to what the players say, and make improvements where they're needed."

Spadavecchia plans to return to the World Series to try to add another championship bracelet to his collection. He won the deuce-to-7 draw event in 1991.

At the final table at Caesars, he clashed in a couple of key hands with longtime Las Vegas professional gambler Bill Baxter, another former World Series deuce-to-7 draw champion. (Deuce-to-7 once attracted high-stakes action in poker, but the game has fallen out of favor with the boom in no-limit Texas hold 'em.)

Baxter, a seven-time bracelet winner, won his first World Series tournament in 1975.

"That bracelet is now on display at the museum of ancient art," assistant tournament director Jon Vince quipped.

Baxter finished fifth after putting all his chips in with pocket queens against Spadavecchia's pocket sixes, then sustaining a bad beat when another six hit the board.

"That's the best situation in poker - a pair over a pair," Baxter, an Augusta, Ga., native, said. "What can you do?

"In the South, we have a saying: You go hoe another row."

Bob Bright, owner of Bright Trading Inc., the Las Vegas-based day-trading company, finished in sixth place. Blair Rodman, co-author of the poker tournament book "Kill Phil," placed ninth.