Online Poker > News Archive
Poker News
January 31st 2007
Hennigan wins WPT Borgata Open
After the agonizing four hours and forty minutes it took for the first player to be purged from the final table of the WPT World Poker Open in Tunica last week it was no doubt a relief to fans and players alike that it took no more than 15 minutes for the first player to hit the rail at last night’s WPT Borgata final table.
Jon James began the Borgata Winter Poker Open’s final table with a fragile shortstack, and in an understandable effort to build a stack quickly he twice moved all-in without a receiving a call. But there was always going to come a time when he was called, and finally, after James pushed in on top of a $130,000 John Gale raise, the former WPT winner from England decided to just that, making up the extra $270,000 and showing J-8o. It was what James had hoped for, and he started in the lead with K-Qo, but his luck ran dry when the board came 8-7-5-7-T, pairing Gale’s eight and ensuring James was the first player eliminated from the final table. He received $276,935 for sixth place.
Next out was Pennsylvania native Michael Sukonik, who also started his final hand with the best cards. He moved his last $500,000 into the middle from the small blind with pocket eights and was a small favourite after John Hennigan called from the big blind with T-9. A nine flopped however, and it was enough to send Sukonik to the rail in fifth ($332,322).
That elimination put “Johnny World” Hennigan out in front with over $7 million chips and he was soon almost out of reach after he busted Joe Simmons, the man who started the day as chip leader, in fourth place. Simmons opened the decisive pot with a $250,000 raise, which was called by both Gale and Hennigan. Simmons followed this up with a $600,000 bet on the Kc-9c-3d flop, which induced a fold from Gale but an all-in push from Hennigan. Simmons considered his options and then called for his remaining $3 million showing Kh-Jh for top pair. Hennigan flipped over 4c-3c for bottom pair and a club flush draw, which actually made him a very marginal (50.10% to 49.89%) favourite to win the hand. A ten of diamonds on the turn had Simmons a 2:1 front runner but the Ac fell on the river to complete Hennigan’s flush and send Simmons crashing out in fourth place ($387,709).
With over $10 million in chips Hennigan, the most experienced player on the table, began to apply real pressure to his shortstacked opponents, and for John Gale this meant the end of his participation after just over three hours at the final table. Gale lost out when both he and Hennigan flopped a pair of aces but Hennigan had the superior kicker. The dream of a second WPT was over for Gale, though he received $443,096 in compensation.
Despite starting the heads-up with half as many chips as his professional opponent, Chuck Kelley, an amateur from Virginia, managed to last nearly 30 hands against Johnny World before an unfortunate faux pas handed the title to Hennigan.
Kelley began the calamitous hand with a $500,000 raise which Hennigan called. The flop came 7-3-3 and Hennigan check-called Kelley’s $700,000 bet. When an ace fell on the turn the same pattern continued, with Hennigan once again check-calling Kelley’s $700,000 bet. Then came Kelley’s moment to forget, when he bizarrely turned over his cards with chips in his stack and the river still to come. The hand was declared live and when a third three fell on the river Hennigan moved all-in. Kelley called and lost as Hennigan’s A-5 gave him threes full of aces, enough to beat Kelley’s Q-7 (threes full of sevens).
Kelley attributed his gaffe to final table jitters, but I’m sure would have taken the $849,082 second place prize at the beginning of the tournament. Hennigan meanwhile was overjoyed at his first WPT title and the $1,606,223 first prize. “It’s the biggest tournament I’ve ever won,” he said. “I’m very excited and very thankful that I had some good fortune at the final table.”
The final payouts were as follows:
John Hennigan - $1,606,223
Chuck Kelley - $849,082
John Gale - $443,096
Joe Simmons - $387,709
Michael Sukonik - $332,322
Jon James - $276,935
Submitted: 31/01/2007 15:08:10
Page 1 of 1
Monthly Archive