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The Thrilla for Failla: Will Failla Wins the Legends of Poker Main Event
Level 37: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante
As Will “The Thrill” Failla’s rail of friends will tell you, you can’t stop destiny. And at this first televised final table of Season X, you certainly couldn’t stop Failla. The East Coast grinder came into the final table with the chip lead, got low on chips early, and rallied back to win his first WPT title with a performance that can be summed up in one word: thrilling.
It only took a single orbit of play at the Legends of Poker final table for Failla to lose the chip lead after dropping a pot to Joshua Pollock. He bled some more chips in a hand where he flopped trip queens to Jeff Vertes’ full house, but somehow managed to avoid the catastrophe that tends to come with flopping a monster when your opponent flops a bigger one.
Failla jumped back to the top of the counts when he eliminated Owais Ahmed in sixth place. The California poker pro moved all-in from the small blind with J
7 and Failla called out of the big blind with A
5
. Failla’s hand held and Ahmed was the first player to hit the rail. Adam Aronson would take some of Failla’s chips off his hands when he doubled thru him, but he would be the next player to head home for the night. The short stack at the table, Aronson moved all-in with 66 only to run into Jeff Vertes’ A
A. Aronson hit the 863 flop hard, but Vertes backdoored a winning flush as the turn brought the 7 and the river the 9 to eliminate Aronson in fifth.
Fourth place honors went to Pollock, who busted out when his flush draw couldn’t get there against Ken Aldridge’s top pair after they got it all-in on an AK4 flop. That hand propelled the man known as “Teach” up the counts, while Pollock made an abrupt exit.
Failla took a chunk out of Aldridge’s bounty when his 66 held up against Aldridge’s 910 after an all-in preflop confrontation, and Failla doubled again when his A5 got lucky against Vertes’ A9. When the flop paired up Failla, his rail began to cheer, “You can’t stop destiny.”
After a long stretch of three handed play, Vertes and Failla would clash again in a similar situation, this time with Vertes getting it all-in for his tournament life holding a dominating AQ to Failla’s AJ. Again, destiny seemed to be on Failla’s side as the AJ10 board gave him two pair, which held up to send Vertes home in a disappointing third place exit.
Busting Vertes gave Failla a slight chip advantage over Aldridge going into heads-up play and Aldridge willingly admitted that he was just an amateur compared to his opponent. The affable Teach assured the cameras that they had both already won. Even though there was still money and a title on the line, the smiles on both players’ faces attested to that fact.
Aldridge drew first blood heads-up, raking in a nearly 10 million-chip pot to take the chip lead, but there was a sudden reversal of fortune that swung all the momentum in Failla’s direction. After a raise from Aldridge preflop, he two saw a flop of J52. Failla checked, Aldridge bet 500,000, and Failla called. Once the turn brought the 9, Failla checked a second time. Aldridge bet 2 million and, again, Failla called. After the 7 came on the river, Failla bet out 4 million and Aldridge quickly moved all-in. Failla called in a flash, tabling 68 for a flush that bested Aldridge’s overpair, AA.
Left with just six big blinds after the hand, it took just minutes for Aldridge to call all-in for the last of his chips. Unforunately for him, his 46 was dominated by Failla’sJ6. The board ran out clean for Failla, who threw his hands skyward, elated to be the latest WPT Champion.
Failla told Mike Sexton that the win was one of the greatest moments of his life, second only to the birth of his son. In addition to the $758,085, Failla earned the recognition and respect that come with being a WPT title holder. Even though Failla has been on the grind for years, his moment in the WPT spotlight got him a little choked up. After years of hard work and perseverance, Failla finally showed the world that you can’t stop destiny and you most certainly can’t stop the man known as The Thrill.
Here are the results from the final table of the Legends of Poker Main Event:
1st: Will Failla - $758,,085
2nd: Ken Aldridge - $365,800
3rd: Jeff Vertes - $186,400
4th: Joshua Pollock - $128,500
5th: Adam Aronson - $102,800
6th: Owais Ahmed - $77,100
02:37 AM, 08/31/11
Hand #178: Will Failla Wins the WPT Legends of Poker
Level 37: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante
Will Failla moves all in for 20,650,000 and Ken Aldridge thinks for a little while before he calls with 64. Failla turns over J6, and Aldridge is dominated as he faces elimination.
The board comes KK7Q9, and Will Failla wins the pot -- and the tournament -- with his jack kicker.
Ken "Teach" Aldridge finishes as the runner-up, earning $365,800.
Will "The Thrill" Failla wins the 2011 WPT Legends of Poker, earning $758,085, a WPT Champions trophy, a Wild Bill Hickock trophy from the Bicycle Casino, and his prize money includes a $25,500 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship at Bellagio.
Congratulations to Will Failla!
1st: Will "The Thrill" Failla - $758,085
2nd: Ken "Teach" Aldridge - $365,800
3rd: Jeff Vertes - $186,400
4th: Joshua Pollock - $128,500
5th: Adam Aronson - $102,800
6th: Owais Ahmed - $77,100
12:18 AM, 08/31/11
Hand #177: Will Failla
Level 37: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante
Ken Aldridge folds, giving Will Failla a walk.
Will Failla - 20,700,000
Ken Aldridge - 3,025,000
12:13 AM, 08/31/11
Level 37 Begins
Level 37: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante
Level 36 comes to an end, and Level 37 begins with increased blinds of 250,000-500,000 and a 50,000 ante. Play continues without a break.
12:12 AM, 08/31/11
Hand #176: Will Failla
Level 36: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Will Failla moves all in for 19,900,000, and Aldridge thinks for more than a minute before he folds.
Will Failla - 20,400,000
Ken Aldridge - 3,325,000
12:11 AM, 08/31/11
Hand #175: Will Failla Doubles Thru Ken Aldridge
Level 36: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Ken Aldridge raises to 900,000, and Will Failla calls. The flop comes J52, Failla checks, Aldridge bets 500,000, and Failla calls.
The turn card is the 9, Failla checks, Aldridge bets 2,000,000, and Failla thinks for about a minute before he calls.
The river card is the 7, Failla bets 4,000,000, Aldridge quickly says "All in," and Failla insta-calls with 86 for an eight-high flush. Aldridge turns over AA for an overpair, and Will Failla wins the pot.
Will Failla - 19,950,000 (49 BBs)
Ken Aldridge - 3,775,000 (9 BBs)
When the dust settles, Aldridge says, "It looks like destiny."
12:09 AM, 08/31/11
Hand #174: Will Failla
Level 36: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Will Failla min-raises to 800,000, and Aldridge folds.
Will Failla - 9,875,000
Ken Aldridge - 13,850,000
12:01 AM, 08/31/11
Hand #173: Ken Aldridge
Level 36: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Ken Aldridge raises to 900,000, and Failla folds. Aldridge shows 6-6 as he collects the chips.
Will Failla - 9,425,000
Ken Aldridge - 14,300,000
12:00 AM, 08/31/11
Hand #172: Will Failla
Level 36: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Will Failla completes to 400,000, and Ken Aldridge checks his option. The flop comes A95, Aldridge checks, Failla bets 500,000, and Aldridge folds. Will Failla takes the pot.
Will Failla - 9,875,000
Ken Aldridge - 13,850,000
11:59 PM, 08/30/11
Hand #171: Will Failla
Level 36: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Ken Aldridge folds, giving Will Failla a walk in the big blind.
Will Failla - 9,425,000
Ken Aldridge - 14,300,000
11:57 PM, 08/30/11
