Jeff Haney on how a 24-year-old Canadian plans to use a $505,176 windfall to enter other tourneys

Wednesday, May 9, 2007 | 7:22 a.m.

Results from the main event of the World Series of Poker circuit tournament at Caesars Palace:

1. Cory Carroll, Halifax, Nova Scotia, $505,176

2. Justin Pechie, Thompson, Conn., $260,736

3. Eric Davis, Henderson, $130,368

4. Vasile Buboi, Anaheim, Calif., $114,072

5. Paul Kitsos, Manhasset, N.Y., $97,776

6. David Pham, Cerritos, Calif., $81,480

7. Steve Wong, the Netherlands, $65,184

8. Michelle Law, Las Vegas, $48,888

9. Chad Brown, Los Angeles, $32,592

Cory Carroll chose to make an early arrival this year at that summer camp for wayward card players known as the World Series of Poker.

His decision to beat most of the poker crowds to Las Vegas paid a dividend worth half a million dollars.

Carroll, a 24-year-old online poker specialist from Halifax, Nova Scotia, despite limited live tournament experience, added some beef to his bankroll by winning the main event of the World Series of Poker circuit tournament at Caesars Palace last week.

Carroll, who collected the top prize of $505,176 in the $5,000 buy in no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament, plans to use the windfall to finance a series of entries in the five weeks of featured "undercard" events at the World Series of Poker, which begins June 1 at the Rio.

His victory at the Caesars poker room also includes a $10,000 seat in the World Series championship event, scheduled for July 6-17.

"I had originally planned on coming out here (to Las Vegas) and playing for a couple of months, just seeing how it would go," Carroll said after eliminating runner-up Justin Pechie, another talented young professional, to secure the title and its accompanying gold ring. "This will take a lot of the stress off, as far as making those buy ins in the World Series."

Circuit tournaments take place at Harrah's-owned properties throughout the nation and are designed to promote the annual World Series at the Rio. The Caesars tournament was the final circuit event in Las Vegas before the World Series, with the last circuit stop overall scheduled for May 14-23 in New Orleans.

This year's field of 336 at Caesars represented an increase from last year's 209 in the same event, although the prize pool was larger in 2006 because the tournament carried a $10,000 buy in. Last Wednesday night's final table was the culmination of a circuit event that included nine major preliminary tournaments at Caesars, which reentered the poker scene by opening its new room in December 2005 after an absence of 15 years.

The tournament attracted plenty of poker's top names , including former world champions Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, Greg Raymer and Huck Seed.

A tough final table included accomplished pros such as David "the Dragon" Pham and Chad Brown, Bluff magazine's reigning player of the year.

The key hand for Carroll occurred heads-up against Pechie when both players got significant chunks of their chip stacks into the pot before the flop. Pechie revealed a king-jack, but Carroll's pocket nines held up and he dragged the largest pot of the tournament.

"I was feeling very confident the whole final table," said Carroll, whose previous single richest tournament score was for $120,000. "This is definitely a great way to get the ball rolling. Hopefully this will give me a little extra cushion for when the World Series comes along."

Poker for a cause

The Texas hold 'em tournament linked to the Helldorado Days 2007 celebration has a new location with the same prize: a $10,000 seat in the World Series of Poker main event. The tournament, with proceeds benefiting University Medical Center's Trauma Center and the Elks Youth Scholarship Fund, will take place at 11 a.m. May 26 at Binion's. The buy in is $225. For sponsorship and event information, call Duane La Duke at 870-1221.

Overheard

An exchange, probably not atypical, from a no-limit Texas hold 'em game on the Strip this past weekend ...

Dealer, chastising a 20-something player for swearing at the table: "I don't come to your job and start dropping the F-word, do I?"

Twenty-something player (obviously horrified by the very idea): "I don't have a job."