Keith Lehr Wins 2015 WSOP $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship

Keith Lehr has emerged victorious from a field of 143 entrants in the 2015 World Series of Poker $10,000 heads-up no-limit hold’em championship, capturing the $334,430 first-place prize and his second gold bracelet in the process.

“As I get older, I realize it’s a kid’s game,” said the 51-year-old Lehr after play ended. "Winning is never easy, especially because it’s so tough now. I don’t play many of these events, maybe just 5 or 6 a year, so for me to get a bracelet is special.”

The Bossier City, Lousiana resident earned his first bracelet in the 2003 WSOP $1,500 pot-limit hold’em event held at Binion’s Horseshoe, taking home $225,040 for that win. This time around he had to win seven consecutive heads-up matches. En route to the finals he overcame Matthew Hyman, Adam Sobolewski, Justin Oliver, Jake Schindler, Valeriu Coca and Dee Tiller.

His final opponent was Paul Volpe, who won his first gold bracelet last summer in the $10,000 no-limit deuce-to-seven single draw lowball championship. They each began with 3,840,000 in chips, but after only 23 hands Lehr held a solid chip lead of roughly 3-to-1.

On hand 24 Volpe raised to 80,000 on the button and Lehr called. The flop brought the 763 and Lehr bet 110,000. Volpe raised to 280,000, only to have Lehr quickly four-bet to 510,000. Volpe thought it over before electing to make the call.

The turn brought the Q and Lehr moved all in. Volpe called all-in for around 1.5 million and flipped up the 63 for two pair, while Lehr showed the Q8 for a pair of queens. Volpe was in the lead, but the 8 on the river gave Lehr the better two pair to lock up the pot and the title.

Volpe earned $206,620 and 600 Card Player Player of the Year points for his runner-up finish. This was his fifth POY-qualified score of the year, including two title runs in prelims at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the L.A. Poker Classic.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded to the elite eight in this event:

For more coverage from the summer series, visit the 2015 WSOP landing page complete with a full schedule, news, player interviews and event recaps.

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