The first stop on the sixth season of the World Poker Tour is not to be missed!

Phil Ivey makes his seventh WPT final table, and this time the feared player has the chip lead. Pro Amnon Filippi is the short stack but one of the more seasoned players of the six. Darrell Dicken, Jonathan Little, and Cory Carroll have good online reputations, but will that translate to a live table? And Richard Kirsch – the relative amateur by comparison – could be the wild card.

Tune in to catch the action and see who will come out on top and become the next WPT Poker-Made Millionaire!

At the first stop of the World Poker Tour’s sixth season, the Mirage Poker Showdown drew 309 players and a prize pool of nearly $3 million. The field was a tough one, but six players made it through to the coveted final table, and all of them hope to follow in the footsteps of previous winners Eli Elezra, Gavin Smith, and Stan Weiss.

The players and chip counts started out as follows:

Seat 1: Richard Kirsch 810,000

Seat 2: Jonathan Little 956,000

Seat 3: Cory Carroll 1,235,000

Seat 4: Phil Ivey 1,395,000

Seat 5: Darrell Dicken 1,203,000

Seat 6: Amnon Filippi 571,000

Cory Carroll came out of the gate aggressively and raised the first hand to 57,000 with only Kh4c. Phil Ivey called with Ad5h to see the flop, which was Jd6c3s. Carroll made a continuation bet of 80,000, and Ivey folded. This hand would set the stage in many ways for the rest of the action.

On the second hand, Amnon Filippi raised to 70,000 with AcQs to begin the action, Carroll called with Ah7h, and Ivey called with AsJc. The flop of KhJh10c was the nuts for Filippi, who bet 135,000. Carroll raised 220,000 more, and Ivey folded. Back around to Filippi, he reraised All-In and was called by Carroll. The turn came a 6d, but the river was a 2h to give Carroll the suck-out, the pot, and the chip lead. Amnon Filippi was quickly sent packing in sixth place with $100,865.

Ivey, the former chip leader saw his chips slowly moving away from his stacks. Anytime he made a move or tried to catch a flop, another player would raise or bet him out of the pot. Darrell Dicken did it several times until Ivey simply couldn’t take it any longer. Jonathan Little took his turn with Ivey and raised pre-flop to 120,000 with Ad8d, and Ivey called with Qc2c to see the flop. It came 8c8s3c. Ivey checked with a flush draw, and Little checked his trips to trap. Upon seeing the Jc turn, Ivey bet out 150,000 with his flush, Little raised All-In, and Ivey called for his last 420,000. To the disbelief of everyone, the Ah came on the river to give Little the full house. The flush was no longer good, and Phil Ivey was eliminated from his seventh final table, this time in fifth place for $129,684.

Immediately after, Richard Kirsch, who had been somewhat cold-decked through action thus far, woke up with As10d and raised All-In for 500,000. Little called with AdJc. The board came Kc9d2c3d9h, and Richard Kirsch was out in fourth place with a consolation prize of $172,912.

The three remaining players, all in their 20’s, would battle and exchange chip leads time and time again. Carroll seemed to be the beneficiary of numerous big pots. For instance, at one point, Little brought it in for 120,000 with Jh8h, and Carroll reraised to 340,000 with Ah5s. Little reraised All-In for 2,345,000, and Carroll called. Amazingly, Carroll flopped a full house when Ad5d5h appeared on the felt. The Kc turn and 9d river didn’t help Little, and Carroll doubled to over three million in chips.

Little came back, however, by doubling through Dicken, then through Carroll in a 2.75 million pot. Dicken, on the other hand, lost a series of pots and doubled up both of his opponents. Finally, he and Carroll saw a cheap flop of Kc4s2c. Carroll bet 100,000 with top pair, and Dicken raised All-In with 5d3d for his last 825,000. The turn and river were 9d and 7c, and the straight didn’t materialize. Darrell Dicken left the tournament in third place with $259,369.

Heads-up action began with a 10,000 ante and blinds of 50,000 and 100,000. The chip counts were very close:

Cory Carroll 3,175,000

Jonathan Little 3,000,000

Once the prize money, trophy, and WPT chip set were laid out on the table for the enticement of the players, two-handed play began. Carroll took the first hand as he held Jh7s, and Little tried to bluff it out with 10d3d. The flop gave Carroll top pair, and the turn gave him trip Jacks, and when he bet it after the river, Little couldn’t keep up the charade.

Little took the next pot after Carroll raised 300,000 pre-flop with Kc5s and Little came over the top with a massive reraise All-In of 2.160 million with only Ks3h. Carroll laid his hand down.

Carroll seemed to regain control and took the next several pots with selective-aggressive play. Until Little decided to take a stand again. Carroll raised pre-flop to 300,000 with Ad8s, and Little saw pocket 5’s in his hand and reraised All-In for 1,880,000. Carroll called, and the board produced 10d10c7dKs10s to give Little the full house, double-up, and chip lead.

Carroll was then feeling the pinch. With Ah7d, he was first to act and raised to 480,000. Little looked down at As2s and felt confident enough to reraise All-In, and Carroll called. He was covered by Little. The cards came 10d5d2h2cQh to give Little trip deuces and the victory.

Cory Carroll was forced to settle for runner-up position after a remarkable effort at the final table. He was awarded $561,966 for his performance.

Jonathan Little, who also played an amazing game of reading his opponents and knowing when to make moves, won the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown. Along with a trophy and $1,091,795 in prize money, he took a coveted WPT title. Congrats to the latest World Poker Tour Poker-Made Millionaire!