The World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Tampa has ended after six days of intense play. Corey Wade beat 1,164 entrants to win $471,686. The payouts changed on Wednesday after three players were left at the table.
Brock Wilson was the most experienced live tournament player, but he left the event in third place with $411,678. It was his second six-figure score in the poker series. Also, he finished second in Event No. 18:$25,500 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller and took home $154,800.
Wilson had a huge stack lead for a while before using {9-Hearts}{7-Hearts} to jam on a {j-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{k-Diamonds} board. But Wade called while holding {k-Spades}{q-Clubs}. Unfortunately, the river {8-Clubs} didn't improve his hand.
The Final Table's Results
- Corey Wade – $471,686
- Fred Paradis – $441,686
- Brock Wilson – $411,678
- Steven Mckoy – $226,000
- Seth Berger – $170,000
- David Tuthill – $130,000
Action on the Final Day
Steven McKoy was the chip lead when the final table was set at noon ET, while Fred Paradis was second. No one had left the table after three hours of play. But, two finalists got busted within 10 minutes.
David Tuthill's {k-Spades}{k-Diamonds} lost to Paradis' {a-Diamonds}{a-Clubs}. The former missed hitting a king on the board and finished sixth with $130,000. Wade busted Seth Berger in fifth place shortly, earning him $170,000.
The remaining four players deliberated on a four-way chop that didn't materialize. McKoy followed Berger in fourth place with $226,000 after Wade busted him. Wilson followed him later in third place.
His elimination set up a heads-up battle between Paradis and Wade, with the latter having a chip advantage of almost 2:1. Paradis, a regular Foxwoods visitor when he resided in Connecticut, got a $550 satellite at SHR Tampa for a WPT Main Tour tournament seat.
Paradis got a chance to extend his run despite having a 5:1 chip disadvantage in heads-up action. Still, the odds changed against him after a short while.
Paradis used {a-}{3-} to go all-in and faced Wade's {q-}{9-} after a jam and preflop raise while blinds were at 400,000/800,000. Both of them landed top cards on the flop, and Wade had to double up Paradis.
Wade got {q-} on the river to take down the event and a hand. He stated after the tournament that it was amazing, and he visualized it in his mind as he avoided bluffing it off. The pro played lighter in the event than he often does, and he believed this extended his run.
Wade's Reaction After Winning
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Tampa was Wade's first major poker title as he played for the largest stake in his life. The Hendon Mob states that his previous lifetime poker earnings were $300,000 before the latest victory. He surprised his supporters after being calm throughout the tournament despite having a huge stack most of the time.
The event had a $60,000 difference between the first and third position prizes. Poker experts claim that it partially helped Wade remain composed after three players remained at the final table.
Wade admitted that the slim margin in the top three prizes relaxed him as he was determined to clinch the title. He got several spots that would have been difficult to pick if the first-place prize was $615,000.
The initial first place prize was $615,050, while the second and third place prizes were $410,000 and $300,000, respectively, before Wade suggested they chop the payouts.
