Monday, April 28, 2008

Final of the WPT


David Chiu, described by card player Mike Sexton as ‘a pro’s-pro, won the WPT Championship at the Bellagio on Saturday, netting $3,389,140. The ex-restaurant owner is proud to add the title to his 4 WSOP bracelets.

For a while, it seemed like it might be the fastest final table in WPT history as Gus Hansen’s wrecking ball had demolished the stacks of 4 other players. The great Dane’s trademark loose style had seen him play 16 of the first 19 hands. He prides himself on his ability to play any two cards but he was also helped, initially, by quite a large chunk of luck.

He was the underdog with T-9 suit in a contest against the AQ of Jeff King – an unhelpful board changed in Hansen’s favour when a ten landed on the river – exit King.

Three hands later, Gus flopped a set of tens against Tommy Le’s set of 5s, leaving the latter the fifth place pay-off but it was the next hand that was the best of the final table.

Hansen has raised to 480,000 from the button but big-blind, Cory Carroll, made it 1.65 million. When Hansen called, they looked at a flop of Qc-Jd-6d. Cory checked, Hansen went all in.

It was time to go to the tank.

After several long minutes, Carroll made the call. It was huge. He flipped over A-J, for second pair and Hansen showed 7d-5d, for the draw. The pair of jacks was the favourite but the diamond fell on the river and Carroll was dead in 4th. It was the worst kind of exit – a brilliant read but still beaten.

Six hands later, no one was surprised when Hansen took down the KK of John Roveto with A-T when Gus made a straight on the river. He seemed unstoppable.

Chiu had played only two hands during all the carnage and later claimed his strategy had been to avoid Gus until heads up. So far, it had proved to be a successful plan but Hansen had built up a chip advantage of more than 5 to 1.

However, one hand actually saw Hansen faliing to win with the worst cards: all-in with 22 against 55. The advantage was halved. By the time Hansen made a small mistake, bluffing at the river when his opponent had just hit a pair, it was advantage Chiu. Two hands later, the tournament was over.

Chiu had called a pre-flop raise and the board was Ac-10c-8sp. He called again and the turn was 5sp. Hansen went all in. Chiu tanked. Eventually he called. They flipped the cards over.

Hansen had T-8 for two pair and the advantage over Chiu’s Asp-9sp, top pair, flush draw. Hansen would win this 65% of the time.

But not this time.

The river was the Ah, giving Chiu a win in ‘the toughest tournament I have played.’

Second place Hansen can add $1,714,800 to his year’s supply of almonds.

Final Table Payouts at the WPT Bellagio

1. David Chiu – USA - $3,389,140
2. Gus Hansen – DEN -$1,714,800
3. John Roveto – USA - $923,355
4. Cory Carroll – CAN - $593,645
5. Tommy Le – USA - $395,725
6. Jeff King - USA - $263,815

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