Will Failla Wins WPT Legends of Poker

Even with $2 million in career tournament earnings going into this week, long-time East Coast grinder Will “The Thrill” Failla was searching for his first World Poker Tour title. He found one at the Bicycle Casino early Wednesday morning, as he took down the $3,700 buy-in WPT Legends of Poker for a career-best $758,085.

Failla came to the six-handed final table of the 757-player event with the chip lead, but his stack quickly started to evaporate. It was during this period that Failla played arguably the hand of the tournament. Heads up against Jeff Vertes, Failla flopped trip queens to his opponents full house and managed to lose the minimum.

The action started with Vertes raising 325,000 from under the gun with A-Q, and Failla called from the button with the dominated K-Q. Eventual runner-up Ken Aldridge called from the big blind. The flop fell A Q Q, as the temperature around the table quickly plummeted. It was checked to Failla, and he fired 300,000. Aldridge mucked, and Vertes Hollywooded before calling with the second nuts. The 6 landed on the turn, and Failla had the inclination to check behind. The 2 on the river prompted a 500,000-chip bet into the New York native. Failla went into the tank and eventually just called.

After avoiding disaster Failla started to pick up steam again, eventually busting Owais Ahmed in sixth place. Failla hovered up until three-handed play, before eventually relying on the run-good to stay alive.

Failla found a double up with pocket sixes versus Aldridge’s 10-9, and he doubled again when his A-5 came from behind against Vertes’ A-9. Failla eventually eliminated Vertes, when his A-J out ran the A-Q of Vertes. With the rush, Failla had a slight chip lead going into heads-up play.

Aldridge jumped out in front quickly, but it didn’t take long before Failla put an end to it by back-dooring a flush against his opponents pocket aces. The massive confrontation gave Failla a massive chip lead over his six-big-blind opponent, and it was over shortly thereafter. The veteran poker pro became the newest WPT champion and also jumped into 15th place in Card Player’s 2011 Player of the Year race. Ahmed, who won a World Series of Poker bracelet this summer and final tabled the $50,000 Players Championship, now sits in 24th.

Here are the final results:

1: Will Failla — $758,085
2: Ken Aldridge — $365,800
3: Jeff Vertes — $186,400
4: Joshua Pollock — $128,500
5: Adam Aronson — $102,800
6: Owais Ahmed — $77,100

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