Mike Shariati Wins 2015 WPT Legends of Poker Main Event

Mike Shariati denied Freddy Deeb his record-tying third World Poker Tour main event title, defeating the seasoned poke pro heads up to capture the 2015 WPT Legends of Poker main event title late Friday night at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles.

For the win the genetic engineer and poker pro earned his first WPT title, the $675,942 first-place prize and 1,368 Card Player Player of the Year points.

Shariati topped a huge field of 786 entries along the way to the win, a 25 percent increase over the 2014 turnout of 593. From that sizable turnout only six would make the televised final table on Friday.

With the elimination of Bill Fagerbakke, an actor famous for his role as Michael “Dauber” Dybinski on the sitcom Coach, in tenth place the final table of nine was set. Three more players hit the rail Thursday night, including Michael Wang in seventh place. The young pro earned $70,604 and 342 POY points at his seventh final table of the year, climbing to 15th place in the overall standings.

When the final six were decided Aaron Kweskin held the chip lead, with Shariati and Deeb in second and third chip position respectively. It took 83 hands to get down to heads up play between Shariati and Deeb. The two-time WPT champ took a nearly 2-to-1 chip advantage into the final showdown, but there were to be many lead changes over the 117-hand battle.

By the time the final hand arose Shariati held 16.7 million chips to Deeb’s 6.8 million. Shariati limped in from the button for 600,000 and Deeb moved all in. Shariati instantly called with the QQ and Deeb turned over his K10.

The board ran out 102295 to secure the pot and the title for Shariati, sending Deeb to the rail as the runner-up with $383,090.

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

Winner photo courtesy of World Poker Tour / Joe Giron.

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