Chino Rheem Wins WPT World Championship ($1,150,297)

Level 30: 125,000-250,000, 25,000 ante

The final table of the World Poker Tour World Championship had many intriguing storylines in play among the final six that emerged from the field of 146 players here at Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada. There were many big-names with big stacks in the hunt and Jonathan Roy had a chance to surpass Matt Salsberg in the WPT Season XI Player of Year race tonight if he won the tournament. It was Chino Rheem who came in with the chip lead though and there were just a few minutes during the final table where he relinquished that lead en route to his second WPT title (His first victory came at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Season VII). He defeated Erick Lindgren in a heads-up final that was loaded with poker experience and stretched late into the night. Rheem has experienced both highs and lows during his poker career but tonight is definitely one of those high points. He won $1,150,297 to take his career tournament earnings up to $7,116,471.

Here is a look at the final table when cards got into the air at 4 pm PT:

Seat 1.  Jonathan Roy  -  1,900,000  (47 bb)
Seat 2.  David Peters  -  1,085,000  (27 bb)
Seat 3.  Erick Lindgren  -  3,355,000  (83 bb)
Seat 4.  Brandon Steven  -  1,210,000  (30 bb)
Seat 5.  Matt Hyman  -  1,560,000  (39 bb)
Seat 6.  Chino Rheem  -  5,495,000  (137 bb)

No time was wasted reducing the amount of players at the final table to five. David Peters busted out on the 14th hand of play in the first all-in confrontation of the night. The hand began with Roy raising to 80,000 under the gun. Peters reraised to 165,000 from middle position and Roy called. The flop was dealt J62 and Roy checked. Peters bet 140,000 and Roy moved all in. Peters made the all-in call with 1010 but Roy held the lead with J9. The turn and river were dealt AQ and Peters was eliminated in sixth place, good for $173,993.

There was an extended stretch of play without one elimination after that but the next time a player moved all in they hit the rail. This time is was Brand Steven who reraised all in preflop from the button for 520,000 and Roy called after initially raising to 100,000 under the gun. Roy held A4 and Steven held the lead with 1010, but that all changed when the board fell A5354. Steven was eliminated in fifth place, good for $223,203, and Roy moved into second in chips after scoring his second knockout punch of the evening.

Roy continued his hot streak when Matt Hyman raised under the gun preflop to 175,000 on Hand 92. Rheem reraised to 475,000 from the button and Roy four-bet to 1,025,000. Hyman then shoved all in for 1,910,000, Rheem folded, and Roy called with AA. Hyman held KK and after the board was dealt QQ973 Roy won the pot to grow his stack to 6.1 million and pull nearly even with the perennial final table chip leader Rheem. Hyman was out in fourth place and he took home $289,988 in prize money.

Lindgren was the short stack when three-handed play began but the experienced pro doubled up twice thru Roy to take back second chip-position, where he began the final table. Roy doubled up once as well for good measure so it wasn’t until Hand 161 that we had our final match set. In the hand Rheem raised to 250,000 on the button and Roy reraised to 670,000 from the small blind. Rheem called and the flop fell K108. Roy bet 620,000 and Rheem called before the turn brought the Q. Roy bet 1,170,000 and Rheem tank-called. The river delivered the 3 and Roy moved all in. Rheem snap-called and flipped over A10, which was enough to top the 88 of Roy, who was eliminated in third place ($421,800). Roy’s elimination also crowned Matt Salsberg as the Season XI WPT POY.

The chip counts at the start of heads-up play had Rheem out front with 11,020,000, good for a 3-1 chip advantage over Lindgren, who held 3,585,000. Lindgren was able to score a double up in the long final battle that lasted close to 100 hands, but Rheem never lost the chip lead he held for so long at this final table (there were only five of the 259 hands tonight when Rheem was not the chip leader). On the final hand of the tournament Rheem moved all in and Lindgren called. Rheem held the lead with K9 and Lindgren held Q9. The board was dealt AJ438 and that made Rheem the champion. Lindgren took home the runner-up prize worth $650,275. Rheem was awarded $1,150,297 in prize money as the winner and he has etched his name on the WPT Champions Cup for a second time.

Final Table Results:

1: Chino Rheem - $1,150,297
2: Erick Lindgren - $650,275
3: Jonathan Roy - $421,800
4: Matt Hyman - $289,988
5: Brandon Steven - $223,203
6: David Peters - $173,993

This concludes Season XI of the WPT. Congratulations to tonight’s champion Chino Rheem and Season XI WPT Player of the Year Matt Salsberg. We will see you in a few months for the start of Season XII on the World Poker Tour.

Hand #259: Erick Lindgren Out in 2nd Place ($650,275)

Level 30: 125,000-250,000, 25,000 ante

Chino Rheem moves all in, and Erick Lindgren says, "This is so close," and counts his chips. Lindgren thinks a bit and calls all in for 2,525,000 with Q9. Rheem turns over K9, and turns to tell his friends, "I got him."

The board comes AJ438, and Chino Rheem wins the pot -- and the WPT World Championship -- with king high.

Erick Lindgren finishes as the runner-up, earning $650,275.

Chino Rheem wins the Season XI WPT World Championship, earning $1,150,297, which includes his $25,500 entry into next season's WPT World Championship. Rheem also receives a WPT Champions Trophy, and gets his name engraved (for a second time) on the one-and-only WPT Champions Cup.

Congratulations to Chino Rheem, the Season XI WPT World Champion!

1st:  Chino Rheem  -  $1,150,297
2nd:  Erick Lindgren  -  $650,275
3rd:  Jonathan Roy  -  $421,800
4th:  Matt Hyman  -  $289,988
5th:  Brandon Steven  -  $223,203
6th:  David Peters  -  $173,993

Hand #258: Chino Rheem

Level 30: 125,000-250,000, 25,000 ante

Erick Lindgren limps for 250,000, Chino Rheem moves all in, and Lindgren folds.

Erick Lindgren  -  2,550,000
Chino Rheem  -  12,050,000

Level 30 Begins; Official Chip Counts

Level 30: 125,000-250,000, 25,000 ante

The players return from break to begin Level 30, with increased blinds of 125,000-250,000 and a 25,000 ante. Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Erick Lindgren  -  2,825,000  (11 bb)
Chino Rheem  -  11,775,000  (47 bb)

10-Minute Break

Level 29: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Level 29 comes to an end, and the players take a 10-minute break. Official chip counts from the table will be posted soon.

Hand #257: Chino Rheem

Level 29: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Chino Rheem limps for 200,000, and Erick Lindgren checks his option. The flop comes KQ5, Lindgren checks, Rheem bets 200,000, and Lindgren calls.

The turn card is the 2, Lindgren bets 300,000, and Rheem calls. The river is the 8, Lindgren bets 400,000, Rheem moves all in, and Lindgren stops to think for a while.

Lindgren folds, and Rheem takes the pot.

Erick Lindgren  -  2,825,000
Chino Rheem  -  11,800,000

Hand #256: Chino Rheem

Level 29: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Erick Lindgren min-raises to 400,000, Chino Rheem moves all in, and Lindgren folds.

Erick Lindgren  -  3,950,000
Chino Rheem  -  10,675,000

Hand #255: Chino Rheem

Level 29: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Chino Rheem min-raises to 400,000, and Erick Lindgren folds.

Erick Lindgren  -  4,375,000
Chino Rheem  -  10,250,000

Hand #254: Chino Rheem

Level 29: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Erick Lindgren folds, giving Chino Rheem a walk.

Erick Lindgren  -  4,600,000
Chino Rheem  -  10,025,000

Hand #253: Erick Lindgren

Level 29: 100,000-200,000, 25,000 ante

Chino Rheem folds, giving Erick Lindgren a walk.

Erick Lindgren  -  4,725,000
Chino Rheem  -  9,900,000