Chris Leong wins World Poker Tour Borgata Main Event for $816,000

The American player defeated a tough final table that included Yevgeniy ''Jovial Gent'' Timoshenko and 2015 WSOP Main Event champ Joe McKeehen.

The 6-handed final table of the $3,500 buy-in WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open kicked off on Friday. The chip leader was Rafael Yaraliyev with 9,945,000 chips.

Seat 1. Matthew Wantman – 5.545.000 (55 bb)
Seat 2. Chris Leong – 4.230.000 (42 bb)
Seat 3. Yevgeniy Timoshenko – 6.555.000 (66 bb)
Seat 4. Rafael Yaraliyev – 9.945.000 (99 bb)
Seat 5. Joe McKeehen – 4.825.000 (48 bb)
Seat 6. Liam He – 4.910.000 (49 bb)

Play started on Level 30 (50,000/100,000 - 15,000 ante) and we had to wait 29 hands for the first elimination.

Yaraliyev raised to 285,000 from the cutoff (Level 31: 60,000/120,000 - 20,000 ante), Wantman 3bet to 700,000 from the big blind, Yaraliyev shoved and Wantman snapcalled with Q-Q. Yaraliyev had A-K and he spiked an Ace on the A-8-7-6-8 runout.

Yaraliyev was a huge chipleader during 5-handed play but McKeehen also increased his stack with a big pot against Liam He. Leong and Timoshenko were both playing short stacks, in the end it was Timoshenko who was eliminated after running his 4-4 into Leongs Q-Q.

During Level 33 (100,000/200,000 - 25,000 ante) the weakend McKeehen was also eliminated. Yaraliyev raised to 400,000 with A-T and McKeehen shoved all-in for 3,125,000 with K-Q. The board ran out A-K-J-9-7 and the Main Event champ was gone in fourth.

Rafael Yaraliyev - 21,950,000
Chris Leong - 11,100,000
Liam He - 2,950,000 

Liam He shoved all-in the first hand after McKeehen busted and was called by Leong. Leong held 5-5 but was dominated by Hes 7-7, unfortunately for him Leong hit a five.

Rafael Yaraliyev - 21.725.000 (109 bb)
Chris Leong - 14.275.000 (71 bb)

The lead changed hands several times during the heads-up and the tournament didn't finish until Level 39 (400,000/800,000 - 100,000 ante). Leong shoved from the button and Yaraliyev called all-in for 10,100,000. Yaraliyev was way ahead of Leongs A-8 with his Q-Q, unfortunately for him the board ran out A-6-J-4-5.

Chris Leong won $816,246 and the title, but Yaraliyev has nothing to be sad about either, he added $487,288 to his previous lifetime cashes of $8,782.

Final table results

1. Chris Leong – $816.246
2. Rafael Yaraliyev – $487.288
3. Liam He – $297.995
4. Joe McKeehen – $249.267
5. Yevgeniy Timoshenko – $206.160
6. Matthew Wantman – $166.803