Phil Ivey(credit: Phil Ivey's Official Web Site)
Phil Ivey had never won a WPT Main Event despite making more than a handful of final tables since the tour began. The “Tiger Woods of Poker”, a fearsome and aggressive player who many put on their short list of best NLHE players, entered the 2008 LA Poker Classic Main Event final table with a commanding chip lead. He had more than 4 million of them, nearly a two-to-one advantage over another Phil. Phil Hellmuth, 11-time WSOP bracelet winner and former NBC Heads-Up National champion, held 2.3 million chips.
The players wasted no time getting into the action. On the very first hand of play, Charles Moore, a resident of Texas playing in his first WPT tournament, moved all-in against Ivey. Ivey thought hard before moving all-in with his dominated A,9. Moore’s big slick held up and Ivey lost the chip lead right off the bat.
Ten hands later, Hellmuth lost some chips to Nam Le. Le is a former WPT champ – he took down the Bay 101 Shooting Stars Main Event in 2004. Le won the hand and crippled the former WSOP Main Event champion. A few hands later, Hellmuth hit the rails in a disappointing sixth place.
Quinn Do took a stand, winning a few key hands. Do, who earned a WSOP bracelet in the $2,500 Limit Hold’em tourney in ’05, doubled up twice and brought his chip stack up to more than 3 million. Unfortunately, Scott Montgomery, a newbie to the scene, hit the rails in fifth position, earning nearly $300,000 for his efforts.
At this point, Ivey, who had gotten quiet after losing the chip lead to Charlie Moore on the first hand, got a chip infusion from Nam Le with a 10-high straight. Then, he took some chips from Do with aces up. Ivey then reclaimed the chip lead after Do doubled up through Charlie Moore a few hands thereafter.
Ivey gained a great deal of momentum about thirty hands afterwards when he took Le out of the competition. In just five more hands, Ivey dispatched Charlie Moore and entered a heads-up match-up with Quinn Do with nearly 5 times more chips.
The end didn’t take long. Ivey put his opponent all-in holding the nuts, a boat with aces over eights. Do could only look on in disbelief and collect his runner-up prize. After more than four years, Ivey had his first WPT title and a seat to the Championship to be held at the Bellagio in April.
Here are the final results:
1) Phil Ivey - $1,596,100
2) Quinn Do - $909,400
3) Charles Moore - $625,630
4) Nam Le - $411,770
5) Scott Montgomery - $296,860
6) Phil Hellmuth - $229,820
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