Sam Barnhart has been named the WSOPC National Champion. Barnhard won the poker event at Caesars Palace and $300,000 as a first place prize. This event was the end of the World Series of Poker Circuit season for 2010 and 2011. Barnhart has made nearly half a million dollars in prize money in the last four months. The WSOPC is the extended series that builds off of the WSOP, which will begin next week in Las Vegas. Sam Barnhart is a 50 year old software analyst that may also be considered a poker pro.

The latest World Series of Poker Circuit event has its champion. The Southern Regional WSOPC champion is A.J. Jejelowo. The local poker player earned the top prize of $235,956. All nine members of the final table will appear in the National Championship, part of a group of 100 who will compete May 27 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV. The other top finishers in this event were Gary Friedlander for $145,442, Harry Cullen for $95,214, Allie Prescott for $66,202, Scott Lipshutz for $48,673, Allen Kessler for $37,736, Matthew Waxman for $30,794, Kunal Patel for $26,401 and Jeremy Gaubert for $12,000.

The latest WSOP Circuit event was won by Brian Ali. The WSOPC event was held at Caesars Atlantic City. After beating a field of 442 in the $1,500 game the poker player took home $139,284 for his first place prize. He compared the amount to something he might win in a lottery event, but pointed out how much more this was worth since he played poker for it. Ali is a 51-year-old telephone company retiree who will be able to play in the WSOPC $1 million National Championship in Las Vegas, part of the first place prize that he won.