Tournament Details

The easy way to put it would be to call it a David vs. Goliath confrontation, but of course, trusty WPT reader, you know it's far more complex than that. Especially when there are six wily, ultra-competitive, world-class poker players involved. Foxwoods World Poker Finals No-Limit Hold ‘Em main event provided the stage for a spectacular final table featuring one of the WPT's favorite bad-boys and truly top-notch pros, Phil Hellmuth, Jr., seemingly being assaulted from all sides by a rag-tag collection of unlikely opponents, ranging from an Alabama cowboy to a New Jersey college student. But this fascinating battle for the lion's share of a nearly 3.2 million dollar payout was much more than that.

At the final table, in seat one, was Alabama cowboy Hoyt Corkins, with $1,207,500 in chips; in seat 2, Egyptian expatriate, solid pro, Mohammed Ibrahim, $376,500; in seat 3, aggressive, fast-playing former Nutri-Systems CEO, Pennsylvania pro, Brian Haveson, $135,000; in seat 4, baby-faced, 22 year old college kid, Chris Ackerman, $333,000; in seat 5, Indian transplant, software programmer, young amateur V. Senthil Kumar, $245,000; and in seat 6, the legendary, brash and bratty, but equally deadly, 9 time world champ and poker author, Phil Hellmuth, Jr., $845,000.

Things started off well for the only other player beside Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson with 9 World Championship gold bracelets. That man, Phil Hellmuth, Jr., joined the action when he limped with Ac-Tc, head up against Corkins in the big blind with 9-3. Flop came Ac-9s-6h, check-check, and when the turn came 7h, Phil had his little exploratory $16,000 raise called. 2c on the river brought a $50,000 bump from Phil and Hoyt folded, to give Phil his first pot. So far so good, for the man who has four prior WPT final table appearances without a victory among them. Maybe this time...?

After Brian Haveson taunted the college kid for laying down a K-6 to him on a stone bluff, Mohammed provided a little payback. Hellmuth limped in with Kd-Td, Mohammed joined him with Kc-Jc, and Haveson went all-in on his A-T offsuit. Phil smelled a rat and mucked, but Ibrahim got a waft of something else, and called. A J-T-9 flop confirmed the roses Ibrahim was smelling, and when the board went 5, J, Haveson was busted out in 6th place. A $117,375 payday took a bit of the sting out of it, I'm sure.

Hellmuth jumped back in, raising $36,000 with Jc-8c, and got himself two callers, Ibrahim with 8-8, and Ackerman with Th-5h. When the flop came Qc-9d-6c, Phil checked his straight and flush draw, and Mohammed passed it through, but when Ackerman tried to play position and bluff with a $75,000 raise, Hellmuth punished him by going over the top with an equal re-raise. Ibrahim wouldn't call two raises cold, and folded the best hand. Ackerman then tossed his rags in the hamper and Phil was feeling like today just might be the day. Especially when he looked down to see A-J offsuit on the very next hand. After a brief chip check to determine what the two short-stacks, Kumar and Ackerman, had left, Phil ponied up a $55,000 raise. Hoyt cleared out with A-T, and Ackerman scotched pocket 5's. But Phil's inquiry was a bit premature: Kumar, sitting on Q-Q, couldn't wait to get all-in. Phil called, and watched with chagrin as the board went 8-8-3-9-4, and the San Francisco software programmer doubled up on him.

After the price went up, antes at $2,000, blinds at $10,000 and $20,000, Senthil's smile got even wider when he looked down to find K-K! He raised, and when Ibrahim, with A-T offsuit, went over the top all-in, Kumar called even faster than before. Good times kept rolling for him when the flop came 9-6-4, and the turn came Q, but they ended fast with a death-dealing A on the river. But his smile never flagged as he showed great class, shaking hands and going to the rail as the 5th place finisher, $164,325 richer. Ibrahim kept the heat on, doubling up with Aces to Corkins' baby pocket pair. Though Mike Sexton humorously pointed out for the TV audience that "Hoyt really stubbed his toe on this one," the next hand was to prove far more bruising for someone else...

Hellmuth, in the small blind, limped with J-9, and Corkins did likewise with J-7. A rainbow 9-6-2 flop gave Phil top pair, and he semi-slowplayed it with a $25,000 bump. Hoyt sensed something weak, and went over the top, doubling it. Phil called, and after a 7 on the turn, checked. Hoyt happily took the free roll, and hit the jackpot with another 7 on the river! Phil, with a hand of petrified wood, raised $80,000, and once again Hoyt doubled it. Hellmuth called, and literally jumped out of his seat when Hoyt flipped up the third hockey stick.

Next it was Ackerman's turn. He doubled up on a still simmering Hellmuth when his flush draw didn't come in. Phil took a hand to regroup, and Hoyt took the opportunity to sting Ibrahim and his two pair, with yet another set of 7's, this time on the flop, once again with two of them on the board. Climbing back into the ring, the bloodied former world champ took another swing at Corkins...

With a suited K-9, Hellmuth raised $25,000, and Hoyt called with offsuit A-J. Flop came A-K-T, and Phil checked, then called Hoyt's $80,000 raise. A K on the turn was Phil's joker, but perhaps seeking to exact some revenge, checked. As he had before, Hoyt gladly accepted a free card, or should I say, wild card, as an A came down the river. Hellmuth checked, then called Corkins' $125,000 bet, and once again Hoyt crushed him by flipping up the ace, playing the hand to absolute perfection. Phil bounced back gamely in the next hand, busting out the young truant, Ackerman, with a set of aces. Chris walked off with a warm ovation from his east coast fan section, and a pocket full of $226,925 for his 4th place finish.

Yet again, Corkins and Hellmuth would clash, Phil with offsuit K-Q on the button, Hoyt limping with T-8. A J-J-8 flop brought an investigatory $40,000 raise from the Alabama cowboy, and Phil went right over the top, making it $160,000 to go. Corkins coolly called. His boat complete, Hoyt checked, worried about a possible J, then called Phil's smallish $70,000 bet. After a blank on the river, a rattled Hellmuth checked, and once again was whacked when Corkins turned over the 8. Lying about his holdings, Phil claimed to have had queens, to which a sly Corkins quipped knowingly, "played it mighty slow if you had two queens..."

At this point, with a massive chip lead, Hoyt started trying to steamroll both opponents, but only Ibrahim seemed able to pick the spots to catch him stealing, as he did with wired 4's, making a gutty call on Corkins' 8-3 stone bluff all-in dare. With the price again going up, antes to $5,000, blinds to $25,000 and $50,000, it was now or never for the desperately short-stacked Hellmuth. He got a decent chance with A-6 offsuit, and pushed it all-in, and found a caller in Ibrahim and his J-T. After a K-Q-7 flop gave him the open ended straight draw, Ibrahim then shut the door on Hellmuth's fifth chance to win a coveted WPT title when the turn came A to make his nut straight. A clearly stunned Phil Hellmuth, Jr. took his place on the rail, none happier, but $281,700 to the positive.

Now heads up, and with more than a 4-1 chip advantage, Corkins tried to squeeze Ibrahim, going all-in with Q-T, but after a board full of blanks, the young Egyptian showed a lot of poise, calling him down with A-7 to double up. After almost evening the chip count, one hand would prove critical to Ibrahim's chances, and will likely be second guessed for some time. Hoyt limped with K-Q, Mohammed with K-8. Flop came J-8-7 and two spades, check-check. The turn came Ks, giving him two pair, and Ibrahim checked, laying the trap. Hoyt fell in, raising a measly $50,000, and Ibrahim raised him $200,000. To everyone's surprise, Corkins re-raised him, going all-in over the top. After a long deliberation, during which he must've replayed in his mind a similar bad beat with two pair to Hoyt's trips, Ibrahim folded! Even though he would double up one more time, this was the end for him. He had knocked out three players with the worst hand, played a good, smart game, but that night in Connecticut, luck sided with Hoyt. A pair of aces would hold up, sending Mohammed Ibrahim home with a fat paycheck of $563,400, minting yet another WPT millionaire in the process.

And that's how Hoyt Corkins, slow-drawling, cattle-ranching, Texas Hold 'Em mastermind, headed back to his hideout in tiny Glenwood, Alabama with $1,089,200 in feed, and a seat at the $25,000 seat at the WPT Championship. So don't worry, y'all be seeing him again...

This tournament is included in the World Poker Tour Season Two DVD Collection. Special features include commentary by Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu and Erik Lindgren.