Bayou Poker Challenge -- Allen Kessler Wins Main Event

The Bayou Poker Challenge $3,000 no-limit hold’em main event crowned a champion on Sunday, Dec. 20 at the Harrah’s in New Orleans and that champion is poker professional Allen Kessler (pictured right). Chainsaw beat 79 opponents during the three-day tournament to win $70,796 in prize money and a $10,000 seat in the 2010 World Series of Poker main event. The tournament created a total prize pool worth $221,798 and each player at the final table walked away with prize money.

Phil Hall was the first player to fall 20 minutes into the final table when his pocket fives lost in a race against A-K and he hit the rail in ninth place ($8,317). Will Souther was the next player to fall in eighth place ($9,426). He moved all in with pocket jacks but his opponent held pocket kings and the board did not affect the outcome. Seventh place ($11,090) went to Ben Mintz, who was all in at the wrong time with Q-J. His opponent held pocket queens to win the hand.

Justin Allen finished in sixth place ($13,308). Allen has now made the final table in three straight championship tournaments at the Harrah’s New Orleans but he was never able to grow his chip stack into a contender on Sunday. After Michael Schneider was eliminated in fifth place ($16,080), four-handed play continued for four hours without losing a single player.

The final four then took a break and discussed the terms of a deal to chop up the remaining prize pool and crown a winner. After the discussions concluded, Kessler became the champion of the event. Along with the prize money he received, Kessler was awarded a gold ring, and a $10,000 seat in the WSOP main event. “I really like supporting these events, these are great structures. It’s one of the best tournament structures I’ve seen for this buy-in amount,” said Kessler after the victory.

Here are the final results, which do not reflect the actual numbers made in the deal:

1st: Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler — $70,976
2nd: Ed Corrado — $44,360
3rd: Moutray McLaren — $28,279
4th: Jim McBride — $19,262
5th: Michael Schneider — $16,080
6th: Justin Allen — $13,308
7th: Ben Mintz — $11,090
8th: Will Souther — $9,426
9th: Phil Hall — $8,317

The $3,000 no-limit hold’em tournament was the final event to conclude on the 2009 Bayou Poker Challenge schedule. Here is a look at all of the winners:

Event 1 — $200 NLHE…212 players — Santiago Prats (Mandeville, LA) — $9,973
Event 2 — $300 NLHE (6)…123 players — Ali Jafari (Houston, TX) — $11,274
Event 3 — $300 NLHE…198 players — Jay Dill (Donaldsonville, LA) — $15,268
Event 4 — $500 NLHE…173 players — Michael Catt (Orange, TX) — $22,234
Event 5 — $300 NLHE…102 players — Tripp Donaldson (Baton Rouge, LA) — $7,895
Event 6 — $300 PLO…66 players — Michael Gebhardt (Boulder, CO) — $6,145
Event 7 — $300 NLHE…144 players — Mike Silvas (Youngsville, LA) — $11,104
Event 8 — $300 PLO (RB)…37 players — Fred Scott III (Fairbanks, AK) — $10, 670
Event 9 — $300 HORSE…32 players — A.B. Suthoff (St. Rose, LA) — $3,724
Event 10 — $1,000 NLHE…124 players — John Dolan (Bonita Springs, FL) — $31,874
Event 11 — $3,000 NLHE…80 players — Allen Kessler (Las Vegas, NV) — $70,796
Event 12 — $500 NLHE…45 players — Bronson Tucker (Round Rock, TX) — $8,730
Event 13 — $300 NLHE…52 players — Michael Husar (New Orleans, LA) — $4,842
Event 14 — $300 LADIES…41 players — Trish Marks (Covington, LA) — $4,772

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