Scott Seiver Wins 2011 World Poker Tour Championship at BellagioGalen Hall Finishes Third, Takes Over Player of the Year Lead |
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The 2011 $25,000 World Poker Tour Championship title belongs to 26-year-old poker phenom Scott Seiver. The Brown University graduate came into the final table in a near tie for the chip lead and was never really in danger of being eliminated.
Once three-handed play began, Seiver steamrolled his competition, eventually knocking out Player of the Year frontrunner Galen Hall in third place. By the time heads-up play began, Seiver had jumped out to a 3-1 chip lead which he never relinquished.
After making a straight on the river, Seiver got Farzad Bonyadi to commit the rest of his stack with two pair and sealed his victory. For the win, Seiver banked $1,618,344, bringing his career earnings to $4.5 million.
Continue reading to for a more detailed summary of the final table action.
Justin Young came into the day on the short stack, but still managed to last 45 hands before finally busting in sixth place. Young committed the rest of his stack with a dominated ace, giving his chips to Galen Hall in the process.
For his efforts, Young was awarded with $225,654. Young now has $3.2 million in total tournament earnings, nearly half of which has been earned at the Bellagio. His biggest score came in 2008, when he finished runner up at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $936,760.
Tony Gargano entered the final table with the fourth largest stack, albeit by a small margin. The online pro reshoved over a Scott Seiver raise and found himself called and holding a dominated king. Seiver’s big slick held and Gargano was sent to the rail with a $278,749 payday. With this score, Gargano has crossed the $1.6 million mark in career earnings.
Just a few orbits later, Roger Teska was penalized for a good call out of the blinds. The action folded around to Hall in the small blind and he set Teska all in with a suited jack. Teska made the call with a suited ace, but Hall connected with the flop to take the pot. Teska collected $371,665 for his fourth-place finish, nearly tripling his lifetime earnings.
Hall held the chip lead for a good portion of the final table, but began to bleed chips to Seiver and Farzad Bonyadi once three-handed play began.
On his final hand, Hall shoved holding a suited jack and Seiver made the call with K-10 offsuit. The flop brought Seiver trip kings and Hall was eliminated, but not without stopping by the cage to pick up his $589,355.
Hall has been on a tear in 2011. After winning the PokerStars Caribbean Aventure for $2.3 million in January, Hall then final tabled the EPT Grand Final High Roller event. With his third-place finish at Bellagio, Hall has now taken a commanding lead in the Card Player Player of the Year race over Taylor Von Kriegenbergh.
Bonyadi fought for nearly two hours during heads up play, but he ultimately couldn’t overcome Seiver’s 3-1 chip advantage.
Bonyadi was put to the test holding two pair and eventually called all in for his tournament life, only to see Seiver turn over a rivered straight. The two-time WSOP bracelet winner banked his first ever seven-figure score, earning $1,061,900. He now has $3.7 million in career earnings.
For the win, Seiver picks up his first World Poker Tour title and $1,618,344, along with a seat into next year’s championship event. Though he’s known primarily as a cash game player, Seiver has still found the time to pocket $4.5 million in tournaments.
Here is a look at the final table results.
1. Scott Seiver — $1,618,344
2. Farzad Bonyadi — $1,061,900
3. Galen Hall — $589,355
4. Roger Teska — $371,665
5. Tony Gargano — $278,749
6. Justin Young — $225,654
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