The highly respected (and always dapper) veteran poker commentator and player Mike Sexton has claimed his first World Poker Tour title after besting a field of 648 in the WPT Montreal event. It was his third WPT final table, and he made this one count.
In the early hours of Friday morning local time Sexton finally defeated his last opponent heads up, Benny Chen, sending him home with a consolatory runner up check for $286,110.
Sexton, who was inducted into Poker’s Hall of Fame back in 2009, started the last day of play holding the chip lead and facing the last five players still in action
After Sexton eliminated third-placed Nadir Lalji for $183,320 at hand 106, he faced Chen in the heads up; the latter had a small chip advantage as the action began, which he quickly built into a lead of over 10 to 1.
It looked as if Sexton would suffer the disappointment of another final table defeat, but he played on and over the next 158 hands of gruelling poker he reeled Chen in, overhauled him and finally managed to eliminate him despite a truly impressive fighting performance.
The final table has gone on for 264 hands, 158 of them in heads up.
Other final table cashes included:
Ilan Boujenah $132,750
Ema Zajmovic $102,010
Jake Schwartz $81,740