Demo Kiriopoulos Wins 2019 World Poker Tour Fallsview Poker Classic

The 2019 World Poker Tour Fallsview Poker Classic $5,000 CAD buy-in no-limit hold’em main event attracted a record field of 602 entries, up from the previous high-water mark of 517 entries which was set just last year. The huge turnout created a total prize pool worth $2,744,518 CAD ($2,082,991 USD). After three long days of intense action, the sea of entrants was narrowed down to just one player: Demo Kiriopoulous. For the win the Canadian native earned his first WPT title and the $517,424 CAD ($382,894 USD) top prize, the largest payday of his live tournament career.

Prior to securing this title, Kiriopoulous’ largest score came when he finished sixth in the 2018 partypoker LIVE MILLIONS North America $5,300 CAD main event for $312,000 USD. With this latest score, his earnings have increased to $888,216.

In addition to the title and the money, Kiriopoulous was also awarded 1,680 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. This was his first POY-qualified score of 2019, but it alone was enough to catapult him into a tie with PokerStars Players Championship fourth-place finisher Scott Baumstein for 13th place in the overall POY standings.

Kiriopoulous entered the third and final day of this event in 14th chip position with 19 players remaining. He survived through the first handful of eliminations before picking up pocket kings after Mark Zajdner had moved all-in from the hijack. Zajdner’s K10 was well behind and never caught up. Zajdner was sent to the rail in 13th place ($25,489 USD) while Kiriopoulous essentially doubled up.

Yuri Siniak was the next to clash with Kiriopoulous, with his pocket kings being cracked by the eventual champion’s 109. Siniak earned $31,927 USD as the tenth-place finisher and Kiriopoulous moved into seventh chip position with nine players remaining.

Kiriopoulous survived to the final six with a middling stack before going on the run that would see him claim the title. He surged into the lead with five players remaining, making the nut flush on the river against the turned nine-high straight of Andrew Pantling on an A957K board. Kiriopoulous fired a sizable bet of 1.7 million on the river and Pantling quickly called with his 8-6, only to muck when he was shown the AJ.

Jake Schwartz’s fourth WPT final-table appearance came to a close when he got all-in with the QJ against Kiriopoulous’ A8. Both players paired their highest card, but Kiriopoulous’ aces were enough to secure him the pot and the title. Schwartz took home $123,867 USD as the fourth-place finisher.

Three-handed play continued for 47 hands. Andrew Pantling began with the lead, but after losing a few key pots to Kiriopoulous, ultimately ended up hitting the rail in third place. He got his last chips in good, but his pocket kings did not hold up against the pocket deuces of Wing Yeung, who flopped a set and rivered a full house. With that Pantlin was sent to the rail with $172,671 USD.

Kiriopoulos took just over a 2-to-1 chip advantage into heads-up play against Yeung. The two players battled it out for 36 hands, but Kiriopoulos’ lead was never threatened as he was able to steadily wear his opponent down until the final hand arose. Yeung moved all-in for just over 9 big blinds from the button with the J6. Kiriopoulos quickly called with 1010. The board ran out A93710, giving Kiriopoulos a set on the river to lock up the pot and the title. Yeung earned $268,511 USD as the runner-up finisher.

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

Winner photo credit: WPT / Joe Giron.

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