Mike Sexton Wins 2016 World Poker Tour Montreal Main Event

Since the very first episode of the World Poker Tour Mike Sexton has been the voice of the popular televised poker show alongside co-commentator Vince Van Patten. After fifteen years in the booth Sexton has finally broken through on the other side of the broadcast, topping a field of 648 entries to win the 2016 partpoker.net WPT Montreal $3,850 CAD no-limit hold’em main event. The 69-year-old took home $317,896 USD and added his name to the list of WPT champions.

This was Sexton’s third time at a WPT final table. WPT Raw Deal host Tony Dunst filled in for Sexton at the commentary booth while the former Ohio State collegiate gymnast and member of the 82nd Airborne Division played his way to the title.

Sexton, a WSOP bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Fame member, was also awarded 1,260 Card Player Player of the Year points for the win. This was only his second POY-qualified score of the year, but this win alone was enough to move him just outside of the top 200.

Sexton came into the final table as the chip leader and eliminated both Ema Zajmovic in 5th place ($76,127) and Nadir Lalji in 3rd place ($136,806) to keep pace with Benny Chen. Chen had knocked out a Ilan Bojenah in 4th place ($99,067) and won a few key pots to see him over take the lead from Sexton as the final table got short handed.

Heads-up play began with Chen holding 10,750,000 to Sexton’s 8,700,000. It had taken only 106 hands to narrow the field from six players to two. It took 158 more hands to decide a winner.

Chen held the lead for most of the battle, but Sexton mounted several come backs and was able to just keep the dream alive as the blinds rose higher and higher. Late in the battle Chen had whittled Sexton down to just over five blinds when Sexton was able to win an all-in with J10 against Chen’s A8. Just six hands later Sexton had taken the chip lead. Two hands after that it was all over.

With blinds of 300,000 – 600,000 with an ante of 75,000 Chen moved all in for 8,150,000 from the button with the KJ. Sexton quickly called and flipped up the QQ. The flop brought the Q94 to give Seton top set and Chen the inside straight draw. The turn brought the A and Sexton simply had to avoid a ten on the river to become a WPT champion.

The 2 fit the bill, securing the pot for Sexton and sending Chen to the rail as the runner up with $213,515 USD.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at this final table:

Winner photo courtesy of WPT / Joe Giron.

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