Darren Elias is the World Poker Tour’s end employer. He holds the tour’s lead in titles (4 ), final-table finishes (12 ), and money (44 ). On Wednesday, Might 25 he really nearly prolonged his WPT title document, making it completely to heads-up from an area of 2,010 entries in the 2022 WPT Seminole Acid Rock Poker Showdown $3,500 buy-in no-limit hold ’em main event. There was only one gamer remaining between Elias as well as his 5th title: Mark Davis. The recent Globe Series of Texas hold’em Circuit centerpiece champion from Birmingham, Alabama clashed with Elias in a four-hour heads-up match, with almost 100 hands played in between the final two competitors with the title and also a seven-figure leading reward on the line. Ultimately, Davis denied Elias, safeguarding the $1,000,300 payday and his initial WPT title for the win.
Davis was likewise granted a huge haul of 1,620 Card Gamer of the Year factors as the champion of this event. This was his 2nd POY-qualified title as well as fourth final-table surface of the year. Along with his $334,678 win in the WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee centerpiece back in March, he additionally completed fourth in one more WSOPC ring event at that series and second in a $300 buy-in occasion at the Pearl River Wintertime Casino Poker Open. With 3,020 total points and also more than $1.4 million in year-to-date incomes, Davis has surged up the leaderboard and right into 6th area in the 2022 POY race sponsored by International Online poker.
The last table of this occasion was shot for television at the HyperX Esports Sector in Las Vegas at Luxor. After 2 beginning trips and 3 more days of activity at Seminole Hard Rock Resort & Casino Site Hollywood in South Florida, the area was limited to 6 access back on April 12. Elias came into the final table with nearly 40 percent of the overall contribute play.
It took simply six hands for Mark Laufer to find himself all-in and also in danger. He three-bet pushed with pocket 3s out of the large blind and also Davis, that had actually raised from the switch, made the call with A-9. Davis made aces as well as kings to safeguard the pot, while Laufer made $215,000 as the sixth-place finisher.
Andrew Barfield was the alongside fall at Davis’ hands. Once again, Davis opened up and afterwards called a three-bet push from a pocket couple with 2 overcards. This time around about, Barfield held pocket sevens while Davis had K-Q. Davis tumbled a pair and rivered a straight to send out Barfield home in fifth area ($ 280,000).
Viet Vo
Viet Vo finished third in this exact same event back in 2021. The currently four-time WPT final tablist made it through to the final 4 once more just one year later on but was not able to improve his previous high coating. Vo got the last of his contribute this time around with AClub Suit8Diamond Match on a AHeart SuitJHeart Suit7Diamond Suit flop. He was up against the ADiamond Suit4Diamond Fit for Elias. The 3Diamond Match turn as well as 2Diamond Suit river offered Elias a runner-runner flush and the pot. Vo opted for $370,000 as the fourth-place finisher. He now has more than $3.7 million in profession competition incomes to his name.
Three-handed play only lasted 13 hands. Elias opened from the button with a min-raise holding 7Heart Suit7Diamond Match. Marcos Exterkotter three-bet pushed for 13 big blinds with ADiamond Suit4Spade Match. A jack-high runout brought no held for Exterkotter and he was eliminated in third area ($ 490,000). This was the biggest rating of the Brazilian’s job.
Keeping that, Elias took 63,700,000 into heads-up have fun with Davis, who held 36,750,000 to start. Davis shut the space considerably in the very early going, however every one of that progress was shed when Elias removed a large pot with pocket queens on the 15th hand of their end of the world for the title.
Simply reluctant of 60 hands after Exterkotter was eliminated, Davis took the heads-up chip lead for the very first time when his A-7 discovered a seven on the river, besting the A-10 high of Elias. A couple of hands later on, David turned a ten-high straight. His substantial river value wager after the board combined on the end was settled to prolong his lead. Elias was able to battle his back on top, as well as the two then continued to trade the lead a couple of times before Davis started to pull away. Davis picked off a bluff, calling a chunky river bet from Elias with simply K-Q high as well as winning the hand to take more than a 6:1 lead.
In the last hand, Davis hopped in with 8Heart Suit5Heart Fit from the button and also Elias checked his large blind with 9Diamond Suit7Spade Match. Teh flop boiled down QClub Suit8Spade Suit5Club Match. Elias check-called a wager of 2,600,000 from Davis as well as the 10Heart Suit hit the turn. Elias pushed for his last 9,300,000 and also Davis made the call with his two set. The 7Heart Suit on the river did not complete Elias’ straight draw and he was knocked out in second location, gaining $660,000 for his runner-up showing. This marked the very first time that he had actually ever lost a heads-up match on the trip, having actually gone 4-0 in his previous showdowns when a WPT title got on the line.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the televised final table:
| Place | Player | Earnings (USD) | POY Points |
| 1 | Mark Davis | $1,000,300 | 1620 |
| 2 | Darren Elias | $660,000 | 1350 |
| 3 | Marcos Exterkotter | $490,000 | 1080 |
| 4 | Viet Vo | $370,000 | 810 |
| 5 | Andrew Barfield | $280,000 | 675 |
| 6 | Michael Laufer | $215,000 | 540 |
