Mike Sexton has done it! The legendary commentator of the World Poker Tour® since its inception in 2002, Sexton scored his first WPT® title when he captured the Season XV partypoker.net WPT Montreal Main Event crown to the tune of C$425,980* ($317,896* USD).
Sexton battled through a field of 648 entries to find himself heads up with Benny Chen. The two battled for 157 hands in heads-up play, and most of it saw Sexton simply hanging on without much going his way. Sexton never gave in, though, and battled hard against Chen deep into the night. Eventually, Sexton took a slight chip lead in the match before he picked up two queens and all the money went in with Chen holding king-jack. Sexton flopped top set and faded a gutshot straight draw to capture the victory and his first WPT title.
Season XV WPT Montreal Final Table Results
1st: Mike Sexton – C$425,980* ($317,896* USD)
2nd: Benny Chen – C$286,110 ($213,515 USD)
3rd: Nadir Lalji – $183,320 ($136,806 USD)
4th: Ilan Boujenah – C$132,750 ($99,067 USD)
5th: Ema Zajmovic – C$102,010 ($76,127 USD)
6th: Jake Schwartz – C$81,740 ($61,000 USD)
*First-prize amount includes a $15,000 seat into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.
With the win, Sexton now boasts over $6.2 million in live tournament earnings.
Sexton entered the final table with the chip lead. Ema Zajmovic was second in chips, but she fell in fifth place when he ran into the aces of Sexton. With her elimination, the WPT is still searching for the first female champion of an open Main Tour event. WPT Montreal marked the 253rd WPT Main Tour event.
Jake Schwartz also reached the final table, busting out first in sixth place. Schwartz has now cashed four times in Season XV, with this result coming on the heels of his ninth-place finish in the WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble.