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January 31st 2007
Hennigan wins WPT Borgata Open
After the excruciating four hours and forty minutes it took for the first player to be eliminated from the final table of the WPT World Poker Open in Tunica last week it was doubtless a relief to fans and players alike that it took less than 15 minutes for the first player to hit the rail at last nights WPT Borgata final table.
Jon James came into the Borgata Winter Poker Open’s final table with a fragile shortstack, and in an effort to build a stack he twice moved all-in without a receiving a call. Then finally, after James pushed in on top of a $130,000 John Gale raise, the former WPT winner from England decided to call the extra $270,000 with J-8o. James started in the lead with K-Qo but the 8-7-5-7-T board ended his participation in the tournament ($276,935).
Next to go was Pennsylvania native Michael Sukonik, who also started his final hand in the lead. He pushed his last $500,000 into the middle from the small blind with pocket eights and was a marginal favourite after Hennigan called from the big blind with T-9. A nine flopped however, and it proved enough to send Sukonik to the rail in fifth ($332,322).
That elimination put “Johnny World” Hennigan into the lead with $7 million chips and he was soon almost out of reach after he busted Joe Simmons, who started the day as chip leader. Simmons opened the pot with a $250,000 raise that was called by both Gale and Hennigan. Simmons followed 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 thought for a minute and then called for his remaining $3 million showing Kh-Jh for top pair. But 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 then made Simmons a 2:1 front runner but the Ac fell on the river spelling the end of Simmons. He collected $387,709 for fourth place.
With over $10 million in chips Hennigan began to apply real pressure to the remaining two players and for John Gale this meant the end of his participation after three hours at the final table. Gale lost out after both he and Hennigan flopped a pair of aces but Hennigan had the higher kicker. The dream of a second WPT was over for Gale, though he received $443,096 in compensation.
Despite starting the heads-up battle as a 2:1 underdog Chuck Kelley, an amateur player from Virginia, managed to last nearly 30 hands against his professional opponent before an unfortunate faux pas handed the title to Hennigan.
Kelley began the 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 followed, with Hennigan once again check-calling Kelley’s $700,000 bet, but then Kelley bizarrely turned over his cards. The hand was declared live and after a third three fell on the river Hennigan moved all-in and Kelley called. Hennigan’s A-5 gave him threes full of aces, which was enough to beat Kelley’s Q-7 (threes full of sevens).
Kelley blamed his gaffe on final table jitters, but won $849,082 for coming second. Hennigan meanwhile was delighted with 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 14:48:51
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