Craig Varnell has won the WPT500 at the Aria days after finishing third in the inaugural World Series of Poker Online bracelet event. Hunter Cichy also made the final table of both events.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) showed the Chinese why they’ll prove to be a sound investment after attracting 5,113 entrants to their WPT500 show at the Aria over the summer.
Adam Pliska and the team slapped a $2m guarantee on the event. There was no sweat. $2,556,500 was created and the top prize of $330,000 is now sitting in the bank account of Craig Varnell.
Varnell’s week was as exciting as hearing the news that your vasectomy had been called off. It was that good. A few days ago he was finishing third in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Online bracelet, and now he was beating 5,113
The final table of nine was set after Keven Stammen fell in 10th place. The former WPT World Champion may not have had a great time at the WSOP tables this summer but his dominance in the Hollywood Poker Open (HPO) Main Event, Venetian Deepstack, and now this, means the Stammen family will still be dining out on caviar and crab meat sandwiches for a few years yet.
Here is the amphetamine induced final table run down.
Hunter by name Hunter by nature as Milan Harper’s AQ was shot down by Hunter’s 44 to become the first casualty of war. Brent Berger was next to go after his pocket nines ran into the pocket aces of the WPT Champions Club member Alexander Lakhov.
Brett Mueller ran his AK into the 99 of the beautifully named Chad Roudebush, and Hunter became the hunted when his pocket sevens ran into the pocket jacks of Lucio Antunes, and the Brazilian still had blood dripping from his axe when it came down hard on Roudebush AQ>A8o.
Nick Binger was the next to be culled when his KQ failed to beat the AQ of Varnell, and then we lost the man who obviously has a bot plugged into the WPT live tables. Alexander Lakhov – who eats these tournaments for breakfast – finishing in third when his A5hh was out flopped by the K9o of Varnell.
Varnell must have thought it was his tournament when he saw that KKJ flop, but the poker gods weren’t done yet. After 15 hands of heads-up action against Antunes, he got it in K6 v A5 and flopped KKQ. The man saw more kings than Deep Blue on his way to the greatest tournament moment of his life.
Final Table Results
1st. Craig Varnell – $330,000
2nd. Lucio Antunes – $223,000
3rd. Alexander Lakhov – $150,700
4th. Nick Binger – $100,000
5th. Chad Roudebush – $75,000
6th. Hunter Cichy – $60,000
7th. Brett Mueller – $50,000
8th. Brent Berger – $41,000
9th. Milan Harper – $33,000
The WPTDeepstacks tour moves into the Bicycle Casino in LA Jul 11-14. Then there is the WPT National in Brussels Jul 16-19 before the WPT Main Event rocks up to the Choctaw Casino Resort in Oklahoma Jul 31 – Aug 4.
