Ensan pockets $10M with pocket kings at WSOP
LAS VEGAS — Hossein Ensan defeated Dario Sammartino heads as much as clinch the 2019 World Sequence of Poker foremost occasion title and the $10 million first-place prize.
Ensan, 55, began every of the three days of the ultimate desk nicely forward of everybody else, and regardless of ceding that result in Sammartino early of their heads-up battle, Ensan fought his means again into the lead, and held it by means of the previous couple of hours of the match
On the 301st hand of the ultimate desk and 100th hand between Ensan and Sammartino, Ensan raised to 11 million and Sammartino known as. The flop fell Ts-6s-2nd, Sammartino checked and Ensan guess 15 million. Sammartino checked once more on the 9c flip, Ensan guess 33 million and Sammartino moved all in for 140 million. With king hearts-king golf equipment, Ensan known as rapidly; Sammartino’s 8s-4s was behind, however may nonetheless hit a straight or flush with one card to return.
With the Qc river, Ensan’s followers and pals within the crowd exploded into celebration, as a pair of kings was sufficient to win the pot and the match.
Hossein Ensan, middle, of Germany, celebrates with supporters after successful the World Sequence of Poker foremost occasion, AP Picture/John Locher
“It is unbelievable, I can not perceive this second… I need to fall asleep and get up, after which possibly I do know I’ve the bracelet,” stated Ensan. “Possibly it is a dream. I do not know.” e The 2019 WSOP foremost occasion ultimate desk was not like any that got here earlier than it, with loud, boisterous chants happening all through play. Such was the extent of respect and good spirits that after the occasion concluded, each units of supporters chanted in unison for every participant.
“He is a very good man,” Sammartino stated of Ensan shortly after the match concluded. “I met him a very long time in the past, we’re pals and I actually love him, so I am actually completely happy for him. In fact I needed to win this, however he’s the winner, so bravo.”
Early on in Tuesday’s motion, the match swung in Sammartino’s path throughout a key hand in opposition to Alex Livingston, during which Sammartino turned two-pair, tens and sixes, and doubled up for the second time on the day in opposition to Livingston’s pocket kings. Livingston would quickly be eradicated in third place, when his ace-jack did not defeat Ensan’s ace-queen. Livingston settled for third place and $four million.
After two dominant days in a row to begin, Ensan noticed his benefit slip. He ceded the highest place to Livingston briefly, earlier than regaining it in brief order going into heads-up play. On the second hand of that battle, Sammartino hit two working pairs on the flip and river to win a pot value over 180 million to say the lead — and he would not give it again for a while.
Ensan fought his means again to the highest, although, and have become simply the second German champion in WSOP foremost occasion historical past, following within the footsteps of Pius Heinz, the 2011 champion who took residence $eight.7 million. He’s additionally the third Iranian-born participant to seize the primary occasion title; Mansour Matloubi (1990) and Hamid Dastmalchi (1992) are additionally earlier winners. At 55, Ensan can be the oldest world champion since 1999, when Eire’s Noel Furlong received on the age of 61.
The 2019 WSOP foremost occasion drew eight,569 gamers, the second-largest subject within the match’s historical past, with a complete prize pool of $80,548,604
2019 WSOP foremost occasion – ultimate outcomes
1. Hossein Ensan (Germany) – $10 million
2. Dario Sammartino (Italy) – $6 million
three. Alex Livingston (Canada) – $four million
four. Garry Gates (United States) – $three million
5. Kevin Maahs (United States) – $2.2 million
6. Zhen Cai (United States) – $1.85 million
7. Nick Marchington (England) – $1.525 million
eight. Timothy Su (United States) – $1.25 million
9. Milos Skrbic (Serbia) – $1 million