Wynn Las Vegas hosted the recent $111,000 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Alpha8 for One Drop tournament that featured 45 players and had a $4,612,500 prize pool. The last six entrants returned on Sunday to compete for the $1,537,600 top prize.
Jonathan Jaffe emerged as the winner after five hours of intense play. He beat Taylor von Kriegenbergh, a WPT Champions Club member, in a tough battle of the blinds.
The champion's recent score was more than twice his previous highest payout. He won $766,890 after finishing in third place in the Triton Poker Vietnam Event No.5: $30,000 NLH 7-Handed. Still, the Hendon Mob indicates that Jaffe has more than $9,000,000 in lifetime poker event earnings.
Jaffe stated after the tournament that he felt great and that he would take a while before fully processing his victory. Adam Pliska, WPT's CEO, congratulated Jaffe for his determination and persistence.
He disclosed that the funds they raised would help many needy communities. The executive is eager to return to Wynn Las Vegas and get more funds in the December Big One for One Drop tournament.
What Were the Top Players' Prizes?
- Jonathan Jaffe-$1,537,600
- Taylor von Kriegenbergh-$1,042,100
- Dan Smith-$701,700
- Aleksejs Ponakovs-$485,200
- Michael Lim-$350,000
- Iaron Lightbourne-$273,200
- Isaac Haxton-$222,600
The Last Day's Battles of the Blinds
WPT Live Updates state that the day's first elimination took place in the 19th hand after Iaron Lightbourne used ace-queen to put his chips in preflop. Yet, Kriegenbergh displayed pocket aces, thus ending Lightbourne's run in the sixth position with $222,600.
von Kriegenbergh used 9♣8♣ to make a small blind jam after four hands, while Michael Lim used 9♠9♥. To call off. Lim was a key contestant for the event. Besides, a K♦J♣6♣ flop helped Kriegenbergh get a club-flush draw.
Even so, it occurred after the 3♣ landed on the turn making Lim draw dead into the 6♥ river. Aleksejs Ponakovs used ace-five to put his chips in preflop on the 31st hand. Unfortunately, Jaffe's ace-ten dominated Ponakovs, thus busting him in the fourth position.
The latter's exit set up a tough three-handed action as each of the players' stack changed. Dan Smith opted to make an 800,000-chip raise on the button in the 73rd hand, and it was a large chunk of his stack. Still, Von Kriegenbergh went all in as Smith used J♥10♥ to call off 1.015 that followed Kriegenbergh's A♦4♣.
The odds turned against Smith when 9♥9♣5♦Q♦5♣ completed the board, and he exited the event in third place. His elimination kicked off a tough match between Kriegenbergh and Jaffe. The blinds were 75,000/125,000/125,000 at Level 22.
Jaffe made a 350,000 raise before calling, and Kriegenbergh made a 3,400,000 jam. The latter got into a tough situation as he urgently needed to improve. Unfortunately, 6♣6♠3♠7♦4♥ landed on the board and busted him as the runner-up with $1,042,100.
