The World Poker Tour (WPT) 2022 Rock 'N' Roll Poker Open (RRPO) $3,500 Main Event attracted 1,541 entrants at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. But only six players reached the final table on Wednesday.
Andy Wilson had a huge chip lead at the table, and he faced stiff competition from several poker pros, including a two-time WPT winner and a three-time WPT champion. They were seeking back-to-back titles and leading in the Season 20 Player of the Year (POY) race.
Wilson often plays online poker, but he recently began playing live tournaments. He took home $785,800 after being the last player in the tournament.
The Final Table's Results
- Andy Wilson – a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat and $785,800
- Josh Kay – $525,000
- Chad Eveslage – $390,000
- Brian Altman – $290,000
- Gediminas Uselis – $219,000
- Robel Andemichael – $167,000
Action at the Final Table
The final table's first elimination took place on the fifth hand after Robel Andemichael used ace-four to three-bet jam and Wilson used ace-queen to call him. Unfortunately, the ace held, thus busting Andemichael in sixth place with $167,000.
Gediminas Uselis won $778,490 in the 2021 WPT RRPO and was determined to defend his title in the recent event. Yet, he left on the 12th hand after his ace-ten lost to Wilson's two red kings. He exited the tournament in the fifth position winning $219,000.
Brian Altman tried to win his fourth WPT title after four hands in Level 30(100,000/200,000/200,000) when Kay made a 575,000 button raise. Altman defended a big blind, and a {9-Diamonds}{j-Hearts}{8-Spades} appeared on a flop that prompted both players to check.
The {10-Hearts} turn placed four to a straight on the board as Altman made a 300,000 check-call. The {q-Diamonds} river put a straight on the board, and Altman checked. But Kay wagered 2 million as Altman made a 4 million check-raise.
Kay went all in, and Altman used {k-Spades}{8-Clubs} to snap-call for a king-high straight. But Kay used {a-Spades}{k-Clubs} to beat him in one hand for an ace-high straight.
Chad Eveslage was guaranteed to beat Steve Buckner in the WPT Season 20 Player of the Year leaderboard. The former tried to win the event, but he left the table in third place. He was holding the shortest stack.
Eveslage's pocket jacks lost to Wilson's aces as he got an over 3:1 stack lead in a heads-up match against Kay. He increased the lead to 10:1 before Kay battled back and got the lead for a while. Wilson later regained the stack lead in Level 35(300,000/600,000/600,000) before the event's final hand.
Kay used {8-Spades}{7-Hearts} to make a 2.2 million raise, and Wilson used two red kings to make a 7 million three-bet. The former called, and the flop turned {10-Hearts}{7-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}.
Wilson had 6.5 million chips and snap-called when Kay moved 24.3 million all-in. The {2-Spades} river and the {q-Diamonds} turn didn't help Kay hence ending his run as a runner-up with $525,000.
Wilson Celebrates His Victory
Wilson said in a recent interview that he has led many tournaments in the past. He likes playing pots and hands. The poker pro admitted that fighting for each pot on the final table wasn't a piece of cake since his opponents weren't rolling over.
