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Buy-In: $9,800 + $200
Prize Pool: $4,607,500
Entrants: 485

No-Limit Hold'em (WPT) Championship Event 29

  • Aug 25, '07 - Aug 30, '07
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Updates on Final Day (Aug 30, 07)

 
 

Dan Harrington Wins the 2007 Legends of Poker!

The final six players at the World Poker Tour Legends of Poker took their seats at 5 p.m. and action got under way to determine which among them would join the ranks of the legends before them. All were hungry for the win and no time was wasted in the early going. Here is a look at how things looked when they grabbed their seats:

Seat 1 - Shi Jia 'Jack' Liu - 1,305,000
Seat 2 - Dan Harrington - 2,230,000
Seat 3 - Tom Schneider - 3,495,000
Seat 4 - Thu Nguyen - 1,475,000
Seat 5 - David 'The Dragon' Pham - 470,000
Seat 6 - Michael McClain - 725,000

Over the course of the first four hands Liu dropped below 300,000 after a crushing sequence of events. Both Mick McClain and David Pham doubled up through Liu and he was short 1 million. Things were looking dire for the young player. Liu moved all in on the next two hands, but received no calls. He continued to hang on, but the end was near. On the eleventh hand at the final table Liu had the button. Pham raised from middle position to 120,000, and then Liu moved all in for 360,000, Dan Harrington reraised from the small blind to 750,000, and Pham mucked. Liu showed AJ, but Harrington flipped up pocket queens. The flop came J55, and Liu picked up some additional outs when he paired his jack. The turn card was the 6, and the river card was the 4. Harrington won the pot with two pair and Liu was eliminated in sixth place, taking home $137,175.

A short time later, Thu Nguyen raised from the cutoff to 200,000, McClain reraised from the small blind to 600,000, and Nguyen moved all in. McClain called all in for 1,045,000 with AQ. Nguyen showed pocket jacks, and the race began. The flop ran out KJ2, and Nguyen jumped out to a larger lead with a set. McClain picked up a gutshot straight draw, and was looking for a come-from-behind victory down the back stretch. The turn card paired the board with the 2, and Nguyen made a full house to take victory circle. The meaningless river card was the 4, and Nguyen won the pot with jacks full of deuces. McClain was eliminated in fifth place, earning $182,900.
It would be a full 60 more hands before the next elimination fell, but that didn’t mean there was a lack of action:

Pham scored a large pot off of Schneider and the two tangled again a few hands later when Pham raised to 180,000 from the button, and Schneider called from the big blind. The flop came 643, and both players checked. The turn card paired the board with the 3, and they both checked again. The river card was the A, Schneider checked, Pham bet 200,000, and Schneider raised to 500,000. Pham went into the tank for about two minutes before he made the call. Schneider showed down 109 for ten-high, and Pham showed down A10 for a pair of aces. Pham won the pot and made the call of the tournament by picking off Schneider’s bluff.

Schneider was wounded but still kicking when he once again jumped into action five hands later. Schneider doubled up with a full house, sevens full of aces, against Harrington to save his tournament life. The action then slowed down for the next 30 hands or so, and the audience began to grow impatient. Chants of 'Let’s go Dragon,' and 'Har-ring-ton!' were heard throughout the crowd. Schneider silenced such chants when he moved all in under the gun for 1.7 million. Pham called from the small blind with pocket kings. Schneider showed A9. The flop brought J109. The turn card was the 10, and the river card was the 6. The Dragon took down the pot with two pair, kings and tens and Schneider was eliminated in fourth place, earning $228,625.

Nguyen was the next to take his leave a few hands later. As had become the custom pre-flop, 'The Dragon' raised to 400,000. Nguyen moved all in from the big blind for a little over 1 million, and Pham thought for a bit before he called with AQ. Nguyen showed A5. The flop brought J73, and Pham kept out in front with his queen kicker. The turn and river brought the K3. Pham won the pot with his queen kicker and Nguyen was eliminated in third place, earning $388,660.

The action was now head’s up, and the match-up everyone had come to see was a reality. Here is how the chip stacks looked before the initial battle of this heads-up war:

David Pham: 5,805,000
Dan Harrington: 3,895,000

Round One: Point - Harrington

In the first major confrontation between these two Pham had the button, and he limped for 120,000. Harrington raised to 420,000, and Pham made the call. The flop came Q73. Harrington bet 350,000 and Pham called. The turn card paired the board with the 7, Harrington checked, Pham bet 450,000, and Harrington thought for a minute before he called. The river card was the 4, Harrington checked, Pham bet 1.5 million, and Harrington quickly called. Pham said, "You've got it," and Harrington showed Q-10 for two pair. Pham mucked and Harrington won the massive pot worth 5.47 million.

Harrington took over the chip lead, but his paramount position was chipped away at by Pham over the next collection of hands. Pham grew his stack to over 6 million and controlled the match with aggressive play, but Harrington picked his spots, and chose them well. He managed to score the second major point of the match after

Round Two: Point - Harrington

Harrington limped for 200,000, Pham raised to 700,000 and Harrington called. The flop rolled out J93, Pham checked, Harrington bet 700,000, Pham moved all in, and Harrington quickly called with 109. Pham showed KQ for a gutshot straight draw with two overcards. Pham is looking for a king, a queen, or a ten. The turn card was the A, and Pham had nine outs to win the tournament right then and there. The river card was the 8, and Harrington won the pot with a pair of nines to double up in chips and take a commanding lead. It looked like things were about to end and Harrington would be crowned the champion…

That was, until the Dragon doubled up twice to not only jump back into the championship conversation, but almost even out the chip counts once again. The merry-go-round continued to mixed reactions in the crowd as the hour passed 1 a.m.

Round Three: Point, Set & Match - Harrington

Action seemed like it might go until the morning until Pham limped for 300,000, and Harrington checked. The flop came 1054, Harrington bet 400,000, and Pham called. The turn card was the A, Harrington bet 1 million, Pham moved all in, and Harrington quickly called with 105 for two pair, tens and fives. Pham showed 75 for a pair of fives, and he was drawing dead. The meaningless river card was the 3 and Dan Harrington was the 2007 Legends of Poker Champion! He took home $1,634,865 in prize money, a $25,000 WPT Championship seat, and a $10,000 seat in the 2008 Legends of Poker. Pham took home $800,185 for his second place and jumped into first place in the Card Player Player of the Year race with the solid finish.

 

Dan Harrington Wins the 2007 Legends of Poker ($1,634,865)

The chips are counted down, and Harrington has Pham covered! David Pham is eliminated in second place, earning $800,185.

'Action' Dan Harrington wins the 2007 WPT Legends of Poker, earning $1,634,865, including a seat in the Season VI WPT World Championship next April and a seat in next year's Legends of Poker.

This is Dan Harrington's first WPT title, and he becomes the fifth player to win both the WSOP Main Event and a WPT title. (The others are Doyle Brunson, Joe Hachem, Carlos Mortensen, Scotty Nguyen.)

 

Hand #153: Dan Harrington Wins an All-In Situation; Chips Being Counted

Hand #153 - David Pham has the button, he limps for 300,000, and Harrington checks. The flop comes 1054, Harrington bets 400,000, and Pham calls. There is already 1.46 million in the pot.

The turn card is the A, Harrington bets 1 million, Pham moves all in, and Harrington quickly calls with 105 for two pair, tens and fives. Pham shows 75 for a pair of fives, and he is drawing dead. (The meaningless river card is the 3.)

The chips are being counted down, but it looks like Harrington has David Pham covered.

 

Hand #152: David Pham

Hand #152 - Dan Harrington has the button, he limps for 300,000, Pham moves all in, and Harrington folds.

 

Hand #151: David Pham

Hand #151 - David Pham has the button, he raises to 700,000, and Harrington folds.

 

Hand #150: Dan Harrington

Hand #150 - Dan Harrington has the button, he raises to 1,000,000, and Pham folds.

 

Blinds Increase

The blinds increase to 150,000-300,000, with a 30,000 ante. Play continues without a break.

 

Updated Chip Counts

Here are the updated chip counts:

Dan Harrington - 4,680,000
David 'The Dragon' Pham - 4,320,000

 

Hand #149: David Pham Doubles Through Dan Harrington -- Again

Hand #149 - David Pham has the button, he limps for 200,000, and Harrington checks. The flop comes Q75, Harrington checks, Pham bets 250,000, Harrington moves all in, and Pham quickly calls with Q7 for top two pair. Harrington shows K7 for a pair of sevens, but he can win the tournament if he catches a king.

The turn card is the 8, the river card is the 7, and Pham wins the pot with two pair (queens and sevens) to double up to 4,320,000.

 

Hand #148: David Pham

Hand #148 - Dan Harrington has the button, and he folds.

 
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