Tournament Details

The Borgata is one of the most prestigious stops on the World Poker Tour, and 571 players showed up at the Borgata Poker Classic in Atlantic City to be a part of it. The result was a $5,538,700 prize pool and one of the most exciting final tables of the WPT's fifth season.

The players and chip counts at the final table were as follows:

Seat 1: Joe Simmons Chips: 5,500,000
Seat 2: John Gale Chips: 4,830,000
Seat 3: Chuck Kelley Chips: 1,610,000
Seat 4: Michael Sukonik Chips: 1,305,000
Seat 5: John Hennigan Chips: 3,255,000
Seat 6: Jon James, Jr. Chips: 535,000

The shortest stack at the table needed to make a move, and Jon James was ready to do so on the first hand when he looked down at pocket 9's. He moved All-In, and everyone folded to him. Picking up the blinds and antes allowed him to wait for another good hand.

Several hands later, John Gale raised to 130,000 with Jh8d, and when James saw his KdQc hole cards, he moved All-In for 540,000. Gale considered it and called. The board came 8c7s5h7h10s, and a disappointed James was eliminated in sixth place for $276,935.

Gale was suddenly up to 5,580,000, a close second to Joe Simmons' 6.135,000. So when Gale saw pocket 10's in his hand, he raised to 130,000, but Chuck Kelley moved All-In with his pocket Q's for 640,000. It wasn't much of a decision for Gale, who called. What Gale didn't know was that the other two 10's in the deck were folded by other players, so his only out was a straight that didn't come. The board was 6s6h3c8sQs, and Kelley doubled up with his full house.

Gale began to lose momentum, and John Hennigan was ready to capitalize on it. With AhJh, Hennigan raised to 225,000, Simmons called with pocket 3's, and Gale called with 10h7h. The flop came KhKs4h, Hennigan and Simmons checked to Gale who bet 400,000 on his flush draw, Hennigan just called, and Simmons folded. When the turn brought the 5h to complete the flush, Hennigan merely checked, Gale bet 1 million into the pot, and Hennigan raised All-In. Gale called to see Hennigan's nut flush. Hennigan doubled up and took the chip lead with nearly 7 million.

Michael Sukonik had been trying to make a move for some time, and with pocket 8's, he moved All-In for his 430,000. Hennigan called with 10h9c, and the board brought Qd9h5c3cQs to eliminate Sukonik in fifth place with $332,322.

Simmons had been trying to make a few moves and picked up some small pots but none were big enough to regain his original chip lead. Hennigan and Kelley were becoming more aggressive, and he looked for a spot. With KhJh, Simmons came in for 250,000, Gale called with AdJc, and Hennigan also called with 4c3c. The flop came Kc9c3d, and Hennigan checked, Simmons bet 600,000 with top pair, and Gale folded. Hennigan considered his flush draw and bottom pair and reraised All-In; Simmons called. The turn was an insignificant 10d, but the river was the Ac to complete Hennigan's flush and send Simmons home in fourth place with $387,709.

Hennigan entered three-handed action with 10,345,000 in chips, but it was Gale and Kelley who battled it out, leaving Gale as the short stack among the three. Kelley then came after Hennigan when he again saw pocket Q's and raised to 310,000. Hennigan called with Jc10c. When the flop showed Qc9s4c, Kelley bet 325,000, and Hennigan called. On the 2h turn, Kelley bet 500,000, and Hennigan called. Kelley's 1 million chip bet on the 10h river brought another call, and Kelley turned the tide by winning a significant pot.

Several hands later, Gale was feeling squeezed and raised to 275,000 with As6d, and Hennigan called with Ad9s. The flop came KsAc4s. Gale bet 400,000 with his A's, Hennigan raised 1.1 million more with his A's and the better kicker, Gale reraised All-In, and Hennigan called. The turn and river were 5s and 7d, and Gale was eliminated in third place with $443,096.

Going into heads-up action, the chip counts were as follows:

John Hennigan 11,530,000 Chuck Kelley 5,505,000

Hennigan began the action aggressively and took down the first two pots with the worst hand. Kelley caught on and took the third pot with aggressive action and a bluff.

In the fourth hand of heads-up play, Kelley raised to 420,000 with AhKc, and Hennigan called with Jd10h. The flop was 10d8h7s, Hennigan checked, Kelley bet 500,000, and Hennigan called. The turn brought an As for Kelley, who bet a million chips, causing Hennigan to fold. Kelley was closing in on the chip lead.

For the sixth hand, Kelley looked down at Qh7h and raised to 550,000. Hennigan called with Ac5h. The flop came 7s3s3d, Hennigan checked, Kelley bet 700,000 with his two pair, and Hennigan called with only the small pair on the board. The turn was Ah, and after Hennigan's check again, Kelley bet another 700,000, and Hennigan called.

Amazingly, at this point, Kelley turned over his cards! Whether he mistook the turn for the river or simply wasn't aware of the rules about exposing cards, his move was given a warning for exposing a live hand, and Hennigan knew that he had Kelley beat. When the river showed a 3h, Hennigan moved All-In knowing that he had a higher full house, and Kelley called.

Chuck Kelley lost the hand and the tournament, finishing in second place for $849,082.

John "Johnny World" Hennigan took down the WPT title, the first place prize of $1,606,223, and a seat into the season-ending WPT Championship. Congratulations, John!