The World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event took place on July 17. It was a $5,000 buy-in tournament with 1,178 entrants who created a $5.4 million prize pool and a $4 million guarantee. But, only seven players advanced to Day 4 and played for about five hours.
Robert Mizrachi won his first WPT title and $894,100, which was the best score in his career. He beat Mike Vanier, a Nebraska player, in a heads-up battle and won the tournament. Vanier was also competing for his first WPT title but finished as a runner-up.
The Hendon Mob states that Mizrachi is a four-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner with $7.9 million lifetime poker earnings. His recent victory made him join Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, his brother and a two-time WPT champion in the WPT Champions Club.
Vanier and Mizrachi played at the final table with Yulian Bogdanov, Leon Sturm, Raul Manzanares and Javier Zarco. They were hoping to win their first WPT titles.
Mizrachi won his four WSOP bracelets in mixed-game tournaments and informed Tony Dunst, the WPT host, that he had been concentrating on no-limit Hold'em games of late. One of his friends in his rail shouted, saying that he can play no-limit like a pro.
The Final Table's Results
- Robert Mizrachi from the U.S. – $894,100
- Mike Vanier from the U.S. – $595,000
- Yulian Bogdanov from Bulgaria – $440,000
- Leon Sturm from Germany – $327,000
- Raul Manzanares from Spain – $247,000
- Javier Zarco from Spain – $188,000
Action on Day 4
Arian Stolt got busted first on Day 4 after Vanier's rivered flush beat his top pair top kicker. The New Jersey player took home $145,000, which was the biggest score in his poker career after finishing seventh.
Zarco went in using a queen ten against Sturm's pocket sixes a few minutes after the official final table was set. Unfortunately, he didn't make a pair and left the table in sixth place with $188,000.
Manzanares followed him in fifth place with $247,000 after Mizrachi out-kicked his top pair when he went in. The latter had the chip lead at that moment and increased it after eliminating the former.
Mizrachi continued getting cards even though his opponents didn't make any major move. Still, he used pocket aces to open the button in Level 30 when Sturm and Bogdanov folded in the blinds.
One of Mizrachi's ardent fans shouted, claiming that they didn't believe that the blonde boy folded his big blind to you. Mizrachi held pocket kings and big blinds after two hands.
Sturm exited the event in fourth place and won $327,000 despite being the stack leader at the beginning of the final day. Mizrachi's pocket sevens beat his pair of fives on a flop. But, Sturm got his largest live cash.
His elimination made Mizrachi enter three-handed play being the chip leader. He increased the margin after sending Bogdanov packing in third place with $440,000 by rivering a straight.
Mizrachi defeated Vanier and won the title after six hands of play. WPT Live updates show that he used ace-seven to call and defeat Vanier's king-ten when he went all-in.
