Ivey Wins his First World Poker Tour Title at his Record Eighth Final Table

By Ryan Lucchesi

Phil Ivey - Phil Hellmuth - Nam Le - A World Poker Tour final table - And a $1,596,100 first-place prize set the scene tonight at Commerce Casino. The final table of the L.A. Poker Classic usually features the best players in the game, but this year it managed to exceed itself. Action began shortly after 5 p.m. PST, and here is how the chip stacks looked:

Seat 1: Quinn Do - 1,450,000
Seat 2: Nam Le - 1,180,000
Seat 3: Phil Hellmuth - 2,380,000
Seat 4: Phil Ivey - 4,100,000
Seat 5: Charles Moore - 1,510,000
Seat 6: Scott Montgomery - 2,680,000

No time was wasted reaching major action, and on the first hand of play Charles Moore moved all in for 1.5 million against Phil Ivey. Ivey studied the stacks and pondered the situation for more than five minutes before making his call. The call brought the crowd to its feet and they opened up their hands. Moore showed down AK, and he dominated Ivey's A9. The board ran out 632JQ and this set back Ivey early; he was down to 2.6 million, while Moore soared to over 3 million.

The other Phil at the table took his lumps ten hands later when Nam Le bet 140,000 on a flop of J63. Hellmuth thought for about 15 seconds before making the call. The turn card was the K, Nam bet 350,000, and Hellmuth announced, "All in." Nam immediately called with K3 for two pair, and Hellmuth was not happy. He showed J8 and said, "I can't believe you caught a king." The river brought the 10 and Nam won the pot.

This confrontation ultimately led to Hellmuth’s elimination a while later, when he moved all in preflop on a short stack against Moore. They turned up their hands and Moore had Hellmuth dominated with AQ against A9. The board hit the table AJ27Q. Hellmuth was eliminated in sixth place, and he earned $229,820. Hellmuth also received a standing ovation from the crowd as a consolation prize.

Quinn Do then made his present felt at the final table by doubling up not once, but twice. The first time he made a pair of queens against Scott Montgomery, and on the second hand he used Moore to grab even more chips. After the second hand, where Quinn made a jack-high spade flush, he was up to 3.1 million, and he could breathe a little easier.

Montgomery on the other hand could not; he was below 1 million and was knocked down even further before he was able to double up a few hands later, the 50th hand at the final table. His victory with jacks up over Moore gave him momentary relief, but on the very next hand Montgomery was all in yet again. This time things did not go as smoothly:
Nam raised from the cutoff to 350,000, and Montgomery moved all in from the big blind for 800,000. Nam thought for about 10 seconds before he called with KJ. Montgomery showed down J8, and he was dominated. The board came 75533 and Montgomery was eliminated in fifth place, earning $296,860.

Ivey had been relatively quiet after Moore doubled up through him on the first hand, but after Montgomery was eliminated he went on the offensive. Ivey picked up 3.14 million off of Nam thanks to a ten-high straight. He followed that score up by grabbing an additional 1.84 million on the next hand. This time, Ivey defeated Quinn with aces up. This not only put him back in contention, but back on top as the chip leader after Quinn managed to double up through Moore a few hands later.

The four remaining players then fell into a holding patter for the next 30 odd hands, trading punches and pots with a variety of regularity that sustained the four player’s stack. That all changed on hand 97 though, when Nam and Ivey got it all in preflop. Nam held pocket aces against Ivey’s pocket threes, and the large group of Nam’s supporters voiced their approval. There cheers turned to jeers after a flop of 1062 was joined by the 3 on the river. The set held up for Ivey and Nam was eliminated in fourth place. He received $411,770 for his strong showing, and he now has $4,324,127 in career tournament winnings.

Ivey was on a roll now, and he wasted no time in claiming another victim five hands later. This time, it was his early antagonist, Moore, who moved all in with 62 on a board of 8527. Ivey held 87 and he sent Moore home with eights up after a J fell on the river. Moore finished his tournament run in third place to take home $625,630.

Heads-Up Chip Counts:

Phil Ivey - 10.82 million
Quinn Do - 2.48 million

The stacks were uneven at the start of heads-up play and that point was only punctuated when Ivey bet 700,000 on a flop of A86. Quinn made the call, leaving himself just 1.02 million behind. There was already 2.92 million in the pot when the A paired the board on the turn. Ivey then moved all in and Quinn made the call after four minutes of contemplation. Ivey turned up A8 for a full house, aces full of eights, and Quinn dejectedly showed down 98 for two pair, aces and eights (the dead man’s hand). Quinn was also drawing dead, and after the meaningless river brought the 4 Quinn was eliminated in second place, earning $909,400. And with that, Ivey completed his quest for a WPT title by winning the 2008 L.A. Poker Classic. This was his record eighth WPT final table, more than any other player in history. Ivey won $1,596,100, a $25,000 entry in the WPT Championship, and a huge Cowboy trophy for the victory. Ivey now has $8,742,652 in career tournament winnings.

Hand #99: Phil Ivey has the button, he limps for 160,000, and Quinn Do checks. The flop comes A65, Quinn checks, Ivey bets 160,000,

One more look at the official chip counts:

Quinn Do - 2.48 million
Phil Ivey - 10.82 million

Ivey has a 4.36-to-1 chip lead, but Quinn Do still has room to maneuver. And here's some interesting trivia: In Phil Ivey's previous seven WPT final tables, he has never eliminated a single player.

He has just eliminated his first two players, and now he's heads up with a huge chip lead. If he can bust just one more, he'll finally have the WPT monkey off his back.

It ain't over until the fat lady sings, but she may be warming up in the hall somewhere here at Commerce Casino. Ivey comes into the heads-up match with a 4-to-1 chip advantage, and he is widely regarded as the most intimidating heads-up competitor in poker. Don't count Quinn Do out though, he has a World Series of Poker gold bracelet, and a handful of tournament victories to his name. Do will need to make his move quick though if he hopes to even the odds against Ivey, and claim the $1.596 million first-place prize.

Hand #98: There is a dead button in seat 2, Ivey completes the small blind for 160,000, and Moore checks his option. The flop comes 852, Ivey bets 160,000, and Moore calls. The turn card is the 7, Ivey bets 400,00, Moore moves all in, and Ivey quickly calls with 87 for two pair, eights and sevens. Moore shows 62 for an open-ended straight draw, and he needs a nine or a four to stay alive.

The river card is the J, and Ivey wins the pot with his two pair. Woody Moore is eliminated in third place, earning $625,630.

There will be a short break before heads-up play begins.