The Electric City Poker Series completed its first run last week at the brand-new Valley Forge Casino Resort.
The five-day series ran June 28 – July 2 and offered $400,000 in guaranteed prize pools across seven events.
All six tournaments finished up Sunday night and Valley Forge’s Poker Room Manager Robert Fasano was thrilled with how everything played out.
“It went fantastic,” he said.
“We had some unforeseen weather conditions with all the crazy storms that came through here but I think overall it exceeded our expectations.”
Electric City Gets Off With a Bang
A total of 317 unique players entered one of the seven events, which averages out to a healthy 45 entrants per tournament.
The biggest turnout came in Event #6, the $200+$20 Deep Stack Championship, which brought in 63 unique players.
John McClelland
Best Gambling Movies on Netflix Worth Watching in 2023John McClelland bested the field to take down the inaugural championship and the $22,965 pot after making the final table within his first 45 minutes in the room.
“When I came up here to play this tournament they must have shown me where the elevator was and then directly in the elevator I asked, ‘Is there a Starbias anywhere around here?’
“Really my only concern coming into the tournament was if Starbias was going to be open the next morning when I woke up so I could get my tall nonfat caramel macchiato.”
Wilkins Squeaks By Hicks in Heads-Up Showdown
In an interesting heads-up match, Josh Wilkins managed to squeak by local regular Jeff “Iceman” Hicks for the win in the series’ opening event.
Josh Wilkins
US Poker Sites To Play Online Right Now (2023)Wilkins held a 2-1 chip lead to start the heads-up match but Hicks battled back and actually took the lead at one point.
However Wilkins fought back and was able to close Hicks out in a huge pot when his A-4 wrapped straight on the river to knock out Hick’s pocket jacks.
“That was definitely the most important hand of the tournament,” said Wilkins, who drove seven hours from Baltimore to play the series’ opening event.
“He had me covered so he could make some moves I would usually make before too long so I really needed to close the door in that match.”
Hicks, who is probably more well known for his bowling accomplishments (he has a 300 game) was happy with his performance considering he took down $13,000 with A-X vs. K-X in second place.
“This room far exceeds my expectations,” said Hicks. “It reminds me of Bally’s or Caesars in Las Vegas 25 years ago.”
Monster Bounty Highlight Attraction
Although Wilkins kicked off the series with the first win, everyone in the room was talking about the massive bounty they played later in the week.
With a $10,000 lease your condo for a year guarantee and $20,000 worth of tickets to the WSOP Main Event (courtesy of Valley Forge and Southwest Airlines) the bounty was easily the most anticipated event of the series.
Tom Lattanzi
It certainly lived up to the hype as the prize pool more than doubled its $100k guarantee with 106 players ponying up the $1,100 buy-in.
New York native Tom Lattanzi took down the event and the $51,258 pot after outlasting a star-studded final table that included 2012 WSOP bracelet winner Ross Romesburg, WPT champion Seth Berger and WSOP Seniors Champion Larry Bloch.
The most notable name left in the dust was four-time WSOP bracelet winner Steve Sung, who was Lattanzi's eighth and final elimination.
Lattanzi collected $40,000 worth of WSOP main event entries and a one-year lease to a luxury condo worth $12,000, courtesy of Valley Forge and Boyd Gaming.
“You don’t often see those kinds of prizes so when I saw that in the mix I didn’t really care how far I had to drive, I was playing that tournament,” said Lattanzi.
“There were a lot of big names in this tournament but honestly I wasn’t really paying attention to any of them. I just tried to stay in my own world.”
Room Still Under Construction
Although the Electric City Poker Series is already in the books, the casino itself is still very much under construction.
Spiderman appeared to have stopped by and take an early vacation as entire sections of the ceiling were missing and large chunks of drywall leaned against walls throughout the area.
Robert Fasano
Fasano estimates that 80% of the work is now completed but with an opening date of October 4, 2012 there is still plenty of work to do.
“It’s a little chaotic right now but I think people understood that we are a brand new facility growing into our pants a little bit,” said Fasano.
“Considering all the construction and the fact that we literally opened the poker room two weeks before the series started, I think it went pretty well.”
The Electric City Poker Series may have been dominated by out-of-staters like John McClelland and Tom Lattanzi but local favorite Eric “Fowl Mouth” Synenki did manage to nab a second-place finish in Event #3, good for $12,225.
Best Online Casinos in the USA (December, 2023)Keep it tuned to PokerListings for more news on the official opening of the Valley Forge Casino Resort and future events at the Electric City Poker Series.
Final Event Results:
- Event #1 – $200+$20 No Limit Hold’em, $50k Guarantee – Josh Wilkins (Baltimore, MD) $77,340 (05:36 AM) – Jeff Hicks (Audubon, PA) $13,000 (05:36 AM) – James McCulloch (Yardley, PA) $9,440 (04:53 AM) – Thomas Fitzpatrick (Cherry Hill, NJ) $6,840 (04:49 AM) – Samuel Bass (Philadelphia, PA) $5,240 (04:48 AM) – Jeremy Eyerly (Colmar Pk, PA) $4,640 (04:47 AM) – Charles Foley (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $3,965 (04:46 AM) – Alan Malfitano (Moosic, PA) $3,295 (04:43 AM) – Joseph Fagan (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,625 (04:42 AM) – Jacob Stash (Levittown, PA) $2,625 (04:41 AM) – David Ramos (Philadelphia, PA) $2,625 (04:41 AM) – Scott Delson (Cherry Hill, NJ) $2,625 (04:39 AM) – William Koehler (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (04:35 AM) – Bernard Schwartz (Pottstown, PA) $2,145 (04:34 AM) – Michael D’Angelo (Sicklerville, NJ) $2,145 (04:34 AM) – Matthew Donnelly (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:33 AM) – Richard McGarry (Atco, NJ) $2,145 (04:32 AM) – Daniel Kasakove (Center Valley, PA) $2,145 (04:32 AM) – Thomas Evans (West Chester, PA) $2,145 (04:31 AM) – George Ziobrowski (Langhorne, PA) $2,145 (04:31 AM) – Raymond McGrath (East Stroudsburg, PA) $2,145 (04:30 AM) – Brian O’Connor (Berlin, NJ) $2,145 (04:29 AM) – Brian Hozzenski (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:29 AM) – Steven Schnitzler (Warminster, PA) $2,145 (04:28 AM) – Timothy Brooks (Bensalem, PA) $2,145 (04:28 AM) – Christian Baginski (Trenton, NJ) $2,145 (04:27 AM) – Joshua Simon (Vincentown, NJ) $2,145 (04:26 AM) – Edward Lebowitz (North Wales, PA) $2,145 (04:25 AM) – Nicholas Chumbler (Morganville, NJ) $2,145 (04:24 AM) – Michael Ditta (Sewell, NJ) $2,145 (04:23 AM) – Patrick Leonard (Glenside, PA) $2,145 (04:23 AM) – Joseph Bendekovits (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:22 AM) – Mark Brown (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:22 AM) – Robert Reilly (Galloway Township, NJ) $2,145 (04:21 AM) – Douglas Grimm (Elizabeth, NJ) $2,145 (04:20 AM) – John Morrone (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:20 AM) – Kenneth Decker (Blairstown, NJ) $2,145 (04:19 AM) – Michael LaVallee (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:19 AM) – Andrew Cox (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (04:18 AM) – Frank Bruni (Doylestown, PA) $2,145 (04:17 AM) – Michael Schneck (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:17 AM) – Carl Levine (Cherry Hill, NJ) $2,145 (04:16 AM) – Ronald Ferguson (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (04:15 AM) – Kevin Wolff (Southampton, NJ) $2,145 (04:15 AM) – Jonathan Lederer (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (04:14 AM) – Stephen Moog (Richboro, PA) $2,145 (04:13 AM) – Andrew Iaia (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (04:12 AM) – Thomas Meehan (Williamstown, NJ) $2,145 (04:11 AM) – Paul Massey (Audubon, PA) $2,145 (04:10 AM) – Keith Joppy (Vineland, NJ) $2,145 (04:10 AM) – Michael Oliva (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:09 AM) – Jason Rosenfeld (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (04:08 AM) – Anthony Margarita (Vincentown, NJ) $2,145 (04:07 AM) – James Weaver (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (04:06 AM) – Thomas Koenig (Montgomery, NJ) $2,145 (04:05 AM) – John Rieck (Flemington, NJ) $2,145 (04:04 AM) – Kyle Young (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (04:03 AM) – Donald Cates Jr (Newtown, PA) $2,145 (04:02 AM) – John Kelly (Burlington, NJ) $2,145 (04:01 AM) – Peter Dibble (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:59 AM) – Joseph Sacco (Vincentown, NJ) $2,145 (03:58 AM) – Robert Giudice (Perth Amboy, NJ) $2,145 (03:57 AM) – Sean Breen (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (03:56 AM) – Brian Dillon (Cherry Hill, NJ) $2,145 (03:55 AM) – Richard Farquhar (Quakertown, PA) $2,145 (03:54 AM) – Michael D’Imperio (Tabernacle, NJ) $2,145 (03:53 AM) – Steven Schlatter (Brick, NJ) $2,145 (03:52 AM) – Michael D’Imperio (Tabernacle, NJ) $2,145 (03:51 AM) – Richard Marasciulo (Blackwood, NJ) $2,145 (03:50 AM) – Ryan Hayden (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (03:49 AM) – Todd Schaffler (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (03:48 AM) – Thomas Decker (Blairstown, NJ) $2,145 (03:47 AM) – Ronald Wise (Trevose, PA) $2,145 (03:46 AM) – Kristopher King (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (03:44 AM) – Steven Rudolph (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (03:43 AM) – Robert Neumann (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (03:42 AM) – Paul Beck (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (03:41 AM) – Thomas Dougherty (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:39 AM) – Bruce Herrington (Chalfont, PA) $2,145 (03:38 AM) – Daniel Vasiljev (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:37 AM) – Roger Smith (Bensalem, PA) $2,145 (03:36 AM) – James Vaccaro (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (03:35 AM) – David Williams (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:34 AM) – Joseph Mennella (Trevose, PA) $2,145 (03:32 AM) – Arthur Barnaby (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (03:31 AM) – Paul Cahill (Cherry Hill, NJ) $2,145 (03:30 AM) – Richard Mackey (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (03:29 AM) – Thomas Lynch (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:28 AM) – Andrew Paspalis (Feasterville Tookidy, PA) $2,145 (03:27 AM) – Michael Piselli (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:26 AM) – James Walton (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:25 AM) – Andrew Haggerty (Bensalem, PA) $2,145 (03:24 AM) – Michael Schneck (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:23 AM) – Robert Schultz (Yardley, PA) $2,145 (03:22 AM) – Dean Hiller (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:21 AM) – Andrew Spatola (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:20 AM) – Michael Pipa (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:19 AM) – Jason Saraceno (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (03:18 AM) – Brian Dempsey (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:17 AM) – Robert Kane (Bensalem, PA) $2,145 (03:16 AM) – Michael D’Angelo (Sicklerville, NJ) $2,145 (03:15 AM) – Joseph Maidhof (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:14 AM) – Michael Watts (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:13 AM) – Anthony Mearigan (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:12 AM) – Gary Goodhiner (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:11 AM) – Michael Woolford (Philadelphia, PA) $2,145 (03:10 AM) – Brian Krasner (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:09 AM) – Steven Shapiro (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:08 AM) – Robert Leber (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:07 AM) – Andrew Mignogna (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:06 AM) – Brian Frey (Yardley, PA) $2,145 (03:05 AM) – Justin Culkin (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:04 AM) – Brian Mahoney (Yardley, PA) $2,145 (03:03 AM) – Gerald Savarino (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:02 AM) – Andrew Mignogna (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (03:01 AM) – Brian Frey (Yardley, PA) $2,145 (03:00 AM) – Daniel Massery (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:59 AM) – Brian Korn (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:58 AM) – Anthony DiToto (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:57 AM) – Eric Kohut (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:56 AM) – Richard Gallagher (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:55 AM) – Thomas Friel (Audubon, PA) $2,145 (02:54 AM) – Thomas McLaughlin (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:53 AM) – Robert Schiff (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:52 AM) – Philip Baran (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:51 AM) – Steven Seward (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (02:50 AM) – Michael Blumenstyk (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:49 AM) – Dennis Kelly (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:48 AM) – Daniel Moules (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:47 AM) – Anthony Nolan (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:46 AM) – Ronald Beans (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (02:45 AM) – Brian Keys (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:44 AM) – Daniel Johnson (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:43 AM) – Barry Klein (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:42 AM) – Louis Fazzini (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (02:41 AM) – William Sweeney (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (02:40 AM) – Glenn Goldstein (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:39 AM) – Francis Hoefling (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:38 AM) – Scott Wells (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:37 AM) – Robert Garrett (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:36 AM) – Paul Cronauer (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:35 AM) – Brian Swanson (Yardley, PA) $2,145 (02:34 AM) – Lawrence Lubetkin (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (02:33 AM) – Steven Sessa (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:32 AM) – Raymond McGrath (East Stroudsburg, PA) $2,145 (02:31 AM) – Robert Schmieder (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (02:30 AM) – Thomas Conroy (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:29 AM) – Ralph Carney (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:28 AM) – John Bujak (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:27 AM) – Michael Schneck (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:26 AM) – Thomas Cavanagh (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:25 AM) – Robert Seifarth (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (02:24 AM) – Thomas Cummings (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:23 AM) – David Gorski (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:22 AM) – John Doolittle (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (02:21 AM) – Charles Guerrera (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:20 AM) – Michael Fleming (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:19 AM) – Christopher Allen (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:18 AM) – Andrew Sacklos (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:17 AM) – Craig Anderson (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:16 AM) – James McGeary (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:15 AM) – Steven Swift (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (02:14 AM) – Richard Koch (Yardley, PA) $2,145 (02:13 AM) – Thomas Cavanagh (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:12 AM) – Thomas McLaughlin (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:11 AM) – David Scully (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:10 AM) – Michael Nego (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:09 AM) – Richard Gallagher (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:08 AM) – Thomas Cummings (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:07 AM) – David Gorski (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:06 AM) – John Doolittle (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (02:05 AM) – Charles Guerrera (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:04 AM) – Michael Fleming (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:03 AM) – Christopher Allen (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:02 AM) – Andrew Sacklos (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:01 AM) – Craig Anderson (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (02:00 AM) – Daniel Johnson (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:59 AM) – Barbara Solomon (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:58 AM) – William Feldman (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:57 AM) – William Sweeney (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (01:56 AM) – Debra Decker (Bensalem, PA) $2,145 (01:55 AM) – Karen Powell (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:54 AM) – Robert Schmieder (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (01:53 AM) – Robert Seifarth (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (01:52 AM) – Thomas Conroy (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:51 AM) – Ralph Carney (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:50 AM) – John Bujak (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:49 AM) – Michael Schneck (Feasterville Tookitivity, PA) $2,145 (01:48 AM) – Thomas Cavanagh (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:47 AM) – Robert Sese (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:46 AM) – David Gorski (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:45 AM) – John Doolittle (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (01:44 AM) – Charles Guerrera (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:43 AM) – Michael Fleming (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:42 AM) – Christopher Allen (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:41 AM) – Andrew Sacklos (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:40 AM) – Craig Anderson (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:39 AM) – James McGeary (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:38 AM) – Steven Swift (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (01:37 AM) – Richard Koch (Yardley, PA) $2,145 (01:36 AM) – Thomas McLaughlin (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:35 AM) – David Scully (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:34 AM) – Michael Nego (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:33 AM) – Richard Gallagher (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:32 AM) – Thomas Cummings (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:31 AM) – John Doolittle (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (01:30 AM) – Charles Guerrera (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:29 AM) – Michael Fleming (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:28 AM) – Christopher Allen (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:27 AM) – Andrew Sacklos (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:26 AM) – Craig Anderson (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:25 AM) – Daniel Moules (Feasterville Tookiciency, PA) $2,145 (01:24 AM) – Paul Cronauer (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (01:23 AM) – Thomas Cavanagh (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:22 AM) – Ralph Carney (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:21 AM) – John Bujak (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:20 AM) – Michael Schneck (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:19 AM) – Thomas Conroy (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:18 AM) – Robert Seifeath (Perkasie, PA) $2,145 (01:17 AM) – David Gorski (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:16 AM) – John Doolittle (Levittown, PA) $2,145 (01:15 AM) – Charles Guerrera (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:14 AM) – Michael Fleming (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:13 AM) – Christopher Allen (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145 (01:12 AM) – Andrew Sacklos (Feasterville Tookidity, PA) $2,145
