Final Table of Wynn Poker Classic Championship

Matusow. Chan. Mizrachi. Giang. Fischman. Lawson.

Chris Roos? Zachary Hyman? Chris Moore?

Whoever you put your money on to start the day, well, you probably lost. With one of the most stacked final tables in recent memory assembled at the 2007 Wynn Classic championship event final table, all eyes were on the superstar collective. Four hours later, those eyes fell on three unknowns and one pro, battling their hearts out for not only their first major championship, but their first major cash as well.

The players at the $10,000 buy-in championship event began the event with $20,000 in chips, and the chip leader going into the final day was Chris Roos. Chris is a boisterous fellow with a Mattias Andersson like "YESSSSS" following each large pot or knockout. Other times, he meditated before the start of the next hand. His poker face involves an Ivey-esque half open mouth and a disturbingly disinterested look. He began the day with $888,000 in chips.

Among the other unknowns, there was nary a sound, save for the soft fwishhh of chips being shipped across the felt to them. Zachary Hyman sat quietly all day on the right arm of Mike Matusow, respectfully chatting him up while irreverently re-raising the voice right out of him. Hyman had no major cashes up to this point and began the day with $279,000.

Chris Moore, who spent the vast majority of the day directly to the Mouth's left, was the only amateur with any prior cashes to speak of. His lifetime earnings, prior to this event, totaled $20,488. Moore played a much quieter, patient style, waiting to pick off the agro players to his right. He began the day as the short stack with 222,000.

Here was the entire field at the beginning the day:

SEAT Name Hometown Chips

3 Chris Roos Calgary, Alberta 888,000
5 Scott Fischman Las Vegas, NV 596,000
1 Ted Lawson Plantation, FL 475,000
4 Michael Mizrachi Hollywood, CA 469,000
2 Johnny Chan Las Vegas, NV 431,000
7 Mike Matusow Las Vegas, NV 370,000
6 Zachary Hyman San Francisco 279,000
8 Chau Giang Las Vegas, NV 233,000
9 Chris Moore Chicago, IL 222,000

Here are the corresponding payouts:

• 1st: $749,033
• 2nd: $384,120
• 3rd: $192,060
• 4th: $103,712
• 5th: $76,824
• 6th: $57,618
• 7th: $48,015
• 8th: $38,412
• 9th: $34,571

Action began as you'd expect action would with a table like this, and within minutes, Chau Giang was our first elimination. All in pr-flop, Giang's A-J got gobbled by Hyman's kings. Not long after, Scott Fischman nailed a gutshot strait on the turn to all but send Jonny Chan to the rail. Moore finished Chan off shortly thereafter in eighth place.

Michael Mizrachi was the next to go after reraising all in with pocket sixes. Moore called with the Q10, flopped a queen and sent the stunned Grinder home in seventh. The next participant in the rail march of the pros was Fischman. After being crippled by Moore's A-K against his pocket queens, Roos vociferously finished Fischman off in sixth place with pocket 10s against A-5.

After a Roos raise in late position, a short-stacked Mike Matusow moved all in from the big blind. Roos insta-called and tabled pocket queens to the 5-2 offsuit of Matusow. The board brought no relief to "The Mouth" and he was bounced in fifth place. On his way to the cashier's cage, Mike kept asking the poker gods (and anyone else that would listen) how you can play all day and not see a single playable hand. When asked whether this was a blowup, Mike commented that he picked up what he thought was a sign of weakness on Roos, but just made a bad read. Good tournament, Mikey.

Four hours into the day, only four players remained, three whose names faded in comparison to the rest of the table to begin the day. After several hours more of play, Hyman emerged the champion of the 2007 Wynn Classic, and three-quarters of a million dollars richer. Ted Lawson made a nice score as runner-up, earning $384,120. Moore finished third, and Chris Roos, fourth. Congratulations to Zachary on a fine performance at what will surely go down as one of the most difficult final tables of the year.

Congratulations are also in order for the entire Wynn tournament staff for putting on a fantastic series of events. The Wynn Classic consisted of 13 events, including no-limit and limit hold'em, Omaha eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, and a mixed (H.O.S) event, with buy-ins ranging from $500 up to $10,000. Each event was run efficiently and included extremely player-friendly starting stacks and blind levels.

For results from the championship and other Wynn Classic events, click here.

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