Close finish to L.A. Poker Classic

02/27/2009

The finale of the 2009 WPT Los Angeles Poker Classic this week saw a final table to daunt all but the strongest hearts - Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, hot Internet player Mike Sowers, Chris Karagulleyan, Cornel Andrew Cimpan, Pat Walsh and Binh Nguyen faced each other at the Commerce Casino, California.

It took a tough 12 hour session to finally reach a winner - Cimpan - who took home the main prize of $1 686 760, a WPT bracelet and a $25 000 seat sponsorship into the WPT's World Championship this April after an excitingly close, 117 hands, heads up with Binh Nguyen, whose second placing was accompanied by a check for $935 424. Nguyen had entered the heads up with almost double the chips of his opponent from Texas, but it was not his day.

Third place went to Sowers, who earned $654 797 for his time and trouble.

It was Cimpan's biggest win yet - prior to the LA Classic he had only won $170 242 in career live tournament play, and the big win this week brings his career earnings to $3 373 520.

The LA Poker Classic carried a $10 000 buy-in, generated a total prize pool of $6 681 000 and attracted 696 entrants.