WPT WPO Champion Chris Leong and his ever faithful, ever boisterous rail closed out the 2016 Winter Poker Open.
On behalf of fellow bloggers Kaelaine, Tropical Steve and Matt Clark, we thank you for following the Borgata Poker blog during the Winter Poker Open. In total, close to $8,000,000 in prize money was distributed over the course of 22 main events, including two massive ‘Borgata Million’ events, which both boasted a live streamed final table.
The series culminated with the WPT WPO Championship, with over 1,170 players building up a nearly $3,500,000 prize pool. The WPT WPO Championship, which was also live streamed was won by Chris Leong, good for a career best $816,000 score and a WPT victory. On top of the WPT Champions’ Cup that Chris won, there were 22 Winter Poker Open trophies, or “tiny glass Borgatas” as we’ve been calling them, awarded over the last three weeks. This has truly been another amazing series here at the Borgata and once again this poker room has set itself apart as the pre-eminent poker destination in the country.
Thank you to the players, who made it easy and enjoyable to watch and follow throughout each and every tournament.
Thank you to friends, families and poker fans that followed the blog; we hopefully put out a product that was easy to read, informative, and gave you the feeling that you were right in the middle of the high octane action.
Thank you to the tournament staff, dealers and tournament directors, who again proved why the Borgata is so successful. Every tournament was run like a well oiled machine and there really are no better people in the poker world than here at Borgata.
And lastly, a huge thank you to the people behind the scenes throughout the Winter Poker Open. The marketing team, the social media team, the IT department, the XPress HD live stream crew, the WPT production and live updates team. Without everyone mentioned above, the WPO would not have been what it was.
Everyone played a role in making this another spectacular series, which is what you have come to expect from the Borgata.
We wish you luck, both on and off the felt, and look forward to seeing you at the next Borgata Poker Open.
Thank you again,
Throughout this Winter Poker Open series, we’ve added to our already thorough blog coverage of every trophy event with a WPO video series. With all due respect to the previous players that we’ve caught up with over the last two weeks, we think we saved the best for last.
Chris Leong just became the most recent World Poker Tour champion, going through a massive and stacked field en route to etching his name on the WPT Champions Cup. We caught up with the New Yorker to talk about what this win means, how supportive his friends were during today’s live streamed final table and how he knew this kind of breakthrough score was not far away.
That officially concludes our coverage of this WPT final table and the BPO blog will now pick up coverage of Event 22, which is the final trophy event of the series currently playing down to a winner in the Event Center.
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 38 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 1,171
Players Remaining: 1
Average Stack: 35,000,000
Chris Leong – 2016 WPT Winter Poker Open Champion
When the final card fell, there was no stopping Chris Leong’s supporters to break through the live streamed final table barriers to congratulate the newest World Poker Tour champion. That not stopping attitude was a recurring theme throughout the New Yorker run to the top of the poker world, as Leong outlasted a stacked field to claim not only his best career score but also his first career WPT title.
No matter the obstacle, no matter the situation, Leong found the right hands and cards at all the right moments and, when you break down the game of poker, that is what’s needed to win. That was what was needed to breakthrough here today but for Leong, this result, this victory, is a long time coming. After the fanfare and wild celebration ended, Leong talked about how he’s been waiting for a run like this, in a tournament like this.
Wait no further, as Leong put together the run of a lifetime to etch his name in the WPT Champions Cup, joining his good friend Asher Conniff on one of poker’s most prestigious pieces of hardware. In his closing interview, Leong talked about the support that his friends, who including Conniff are some of the best up and coming players on the East Coast, as they were there for him through every hand, every beat and every moment at this once and a lifetime final table.
Something tells us that this won’t be a once in a lifetime experience though. Chris Leong opened his 2016 with a World Poker Tour title, good for a $816,000 score and while he’ll certainly spend the rest of the night celebrating with that supportive cheering section, we imagine that this won’t be the last time we see him on poker’s biggest stage.
That concludes our coverage of this WPT final table and the BPO blog will now pick up coverage of Event 22, which is the final trophy event of the series currently playing down to a winner in the Event Center.
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 38 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 1,171
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 17,565,000
Rafael Yaraliyev’s pocket queens couldn’t hold, eliminating him in 2nd place for a $487,000 WPT score.
Rafael Yaraliyev doubled through Chris Leong, cracking his pocket pair at the start of Level 38 and the final all-in encounter at this WPT WPO Championship final table saw Leong crack pocket queens to claim his first WPT title. That hand was picked up pre flop, with Leong using his big stack to apply pressure to Yaraliyev’s short stack.
That application resulted in a call from Yaraliyev, who had just over 10,000,000 in front of him. He also had a monster, as he tabled {Qh}{Qc} and the short stack needed his pair to hold against Leong’s {Ac}{8s} to keep this heads up battle alive.
Just like the last time we saw a pair and an ace run into each other, the ace was right in the window, as the {Ad}{6d}{4s} flop paired up Leong and nearly blew the roof off the Event Center. The cheers for Leong only got louder as the {Jd} fell on the turn and with one card to come, the announcements of “Let’s see the river.” could barely be heard.
That river was the {5c} and before anyone could react, Leong’s faithful and loud cheering section had stormed the live stream area to embrace the new WPT Champions Cup winner. Leong shook his friends and family off to give Rafael Yaraliyev a well deserved handshake, as he battled through a stacked field, just like Leong, to finished one spot short of WPT glory.
He will take home $487,000 for his runner-up finish and a complete winner’s feature and interview will be posted shortly.
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 38 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 1,171
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 17,565,000
“Sam’s friend” Chris Leong laughs with his supporters after a double up, to regain the chip lead at the WPT WPO Championship final table.
In back to back hands, each player has doubled up, resulting in a slight net gain for for Rafael Yaraliyev. The first hand was picked up pre flop, as Yaraliyev moved all-in for just over 12,600,000. Chris Leong called in the big blind and quickly tabled {9c}{9d}, needing to hold to score the knockout and claim the WPT WPO Championship title.
Hew as up against Yaraliyev’s {Ad}{7h} but after the {As}{8s}{8h} flop, it looked like Yaraliyev had found the double. That double was confirmed after the {5s} and {8d} completed the board, moving Yaraliyev up and over the 25,000,000 chip mark.
Order was restored for Leong in the very next hand though, as Yaraliyev barely finished stacking his chips before Leong moved all-in for 10,800,000 from the button. Yaraliyev went into the tank and peered down at his newly assembled stack before he eventually called, shaking his head as he tabled {Ac}{4d}.
Leong held {As}{Jc} and almost simultaneously, his supporters screamed “Hold!” He did but it wasn’t easy, as the {10d}{9d}{5d} flop gave Yaraliyev a flush draw. That draw bricked out though, last the {6h} and {Kc} completed the board and confirmed the double.
While the dealer cut out Leong’s stack, his supporters started cheering, “Sam! Sam! Sam! Sam!”, referencing Samuel Taylor, who finished 26th in this event and is rooting his friend on at the final table. When the dust settled, and Taylor finished “dabbing”, Leong was playing just shy of 22,000,000 to Yaraliyev’s 14,200,000.
It should also be noted that we are just over 10 minutes from Level 39, where the big blind will be worth 1,000,000 chips.
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 37 (300,000/600,000/75,000)
Total Entries: 1,171
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 17,565,000
Chris Leong, pictured in an unreported hand moving all-in, just won a sizable pot with pocket kings. He’s now controlling a 2:1 heads up advantage with just a few minutes remaining in Level 37.
We feel like we’re flip flopping from Leong Leading and Yaraliyev Leading posts but with the blinds and antes set to go up in just a few minutes, this could be our final chip lead swing post of the WPT WPO Championship final table. That’s because Christ Leong just won a sizable pot with pocket kings, to again give himself a sizable heard up chip lead.
That action was picked up pre flop with Yaraliyev opening to 1,500,000 from the button. Leong defended his big blind and then check-called a bet of 1,800,000 on the {10h}{8h}{6c} flop. The {6d} came on the flop and the same betting pattern occurred, with Leong check-calling 2,500,000.
The {jd} completed the board and both players checked, with Leong turning over {kh}{Kd}. The huge pocket pair was good to take the pot, as Yaraliyev flashed {Ks}{10s} before sending his inferior two pair hand into the muck.
When the dust settled, Leong was playing just over 24,000,000, while Yaraliyev is down below the 20 big blind mark.
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 37 (300,000/600,000/75,000)
Total Entries: 1,171
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 17,565,000
Rafael Yaraliyev (Brooklyn, NY)
We said that Rafael Yaraliyev would need to make a move and make it quick in Level 37 and a few hands after the restart, he did. Yaraliyev moved all-in from the button for 8,200,000 and Leong didn’t even need an official count, as he snap called and turned over {8h}{8d}.
Yaraliyev tabled {10d}{9d} and he’d need to hit to score the double. It was a flip for the early final table chip leader’s tournament life and that flip went his way after the {10s}{7h}{2d} flop. Leong could only shake his head but he picked up a straight draw after the {Js} fell on the turn.
Leong now needed one of three remaining nines in the deck to close out this WPT WPO Championship but he couldn’t find any of them, as the {As} completed he board and Yaraliyev’s double. When the dust settled, the stacks were relatively close again, pushing this heads up battle on even further.
Chris Leong still holds a slight advantage with 19,500,000, while Rafael Yaraliyev is playing just over 16,500,000.
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 37 (300,000/600,000/75,000)
Total Entries: 1,171
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 17,565,000
We’re still locked in a heads up battle and while the pictured ‘wolverine’ 100,000 value yellow and blue chips used to be extremely valuable, both stacks are getting shorter thanks to the increased blinds and antes.
After a back and forth stretch of play, it looks like Chris Leong has moved himself into a commanding position as play moves into Level 37. As it stands, Rafael Yaraliyev is playing just over 10 big blinds and when play resumes, he’ll be forced to utilize a more or less fit or fold strategy, as Chris Leong has him out chipped nearly 4:1.
A complete update of the heads up counts is provided below:
Chris Leong – 28,025,000
Rafael Yaraliyev – 7,975,000
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 36 (250,000/500,000/75,000)
Total Entries: 1,171
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 17,565,000
After a back and forth heads up battle, Chris Leong, with some of his supporters behind him, now controls the chip lead heading towards next break.
We’ve seen a few changes to the top of the leaderboard during this heads up battle and now, midway through Level 36, Chris Leong has regained that top spot. He previously held the heads up chip lead right when one on one play began but he’s now holding that advantage again, after winning two sizable pots.
The first saw Leong limp the button for 500,000 and Rafael Yaraliyev check his option in the big blind. Yaraliyev checked the {Ks}{6h}{5h} flop and Leong bet 600,000, only to see Yaraliyev check-raise to 1,500,000. Leong called and after the {5d} paired the board on the turn, Yaraliyev checked for a second time.
Undeterred by his opponent’s flop raise, Leong bet 1,800,000 and Yaraliyev quickly folded, an action that brought a loud roar from Leong’s growing rail. They barely had a chance to settle down before Leong officially took the chip lead, with that hand being picked up with Yaraliyev limping the button.
Leong bumped it up to 1,500,000 and Yaraliyev called to see the {Ah}{Ac}{9c} flop. Both players checked and the {2d} fell on the turn, bringing another check from Leong. Yaraliyev bet 1,700,000 and after some thought, Leong called to see the {5s} complete the board.
Both players checked and Leong tabled {8c}{8h}, with his pocket pair good enough to win the pot. We thought the previous roar was loud but this one was even greater, as the collection of regionally based players started yelling their support for Leong and, we’re not sure what this means, “TIM!”.
Whatever it means, it seems to be working for Leong, who is now playing just shy of 23,000,000 of 35,000,000 chips in play.
‘WPT WPO Championship’
Level 36 (250,000/500,000/75,000)
Total Entries: 1,171
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 17,565,000
Chris Leong, left, has won a few pots without showdown, bringing himself closer to Rafael Yaraliyev, who still controls a slight chip lead. These New York based players are now heading into Level 36, which drops the total big blind count to just over 60 and should increase the action in this heads up battle.
The blinds and antes have gone up again and the quick 30 minute levels are starting to play a big role in this heads up battle. With the big blind costing 500,000, that means that there are just over 60 total big blinds in play and that kind of stack size means that the action could be picking up over the next few hands.
Before the level jumped up, Chris Leong was the driving force of that action, winning a few small pots without having to go to showdown, pots that have brought him dangerously close to chip leader Rafael Yaraliyev.
We’ve yet to see Leong’s holdings throughout those hands but that doesn’t seem to matter to his supporters, who are starting to get a little rowdy on the rail. They’re cheering Leong on in every pot and if he’s able to retake the chip lead, their support could be what pushes him towards this WPT WPO Championship.
As it stands, Rafael Yaraliyevis playing 19,100,000 to Leong’s 16,900,000.