Dong Le Captures First-Ever WPT500 Los Angeles Title

Photo: Dong Le with his WPT500 Los Angeles trophies

The inaugural WPT500 Los Angeles event drew a huge crowd of 3,266 entries to easily surpass the $1 million guaranteed prize pool. Only nine players remained for the Day 3 final table, which was broadcast via the WPT live stream and included the Action Clock from Protection Poker.

Peter Hengsakul began the final table with the chip lead, but it was first-time WPT player Dong Le defeating Owen Crowe in heads-up play to capture the title along with $224,500.

WPT500 Los Angeles Final Table Results

1st: Dong Le – $224,500
2nd: Owen Crowe – $130,000
3rd: Peter Hengsakul – $100,000
4th: Richard Tae Kim – $81,000
5th: Ilya Shpiner – $65,000
6th: Deepinder Singh – $49,000
7th: Mike Eskandari – $36,000
8th: Alex Fayneshteyn – $28,000
9th: Greg Roberts – $21,000

Hengsakul extended his lead in the first orbit, but it was Ilya Shpiner making the first big move. He doubled up against former WPT final tablist Mike Eskandari on Hand #11 of the final table to go from short stack to contender.

Greg Roberts was eliminated six hands later when he ran his pocket kings into Eskandari’s pocket aces. Roberts was eliminated in ninth place and earned $21,000.

Two hands later, Alex Fayneshteyn was all in with his short stack holding the , but Hengsakul turned a four with his  to send Fayneshteyn out in eighth place for $28,000.

Keeping up with the fast pace, Eskandari was all in less than an orbit later and was unable to win a race with the against Hengsakul’s  to exit in seventh place.

Deepinder Singh was down to three big blinds and shoved on the very next hand. He was in great shape with against Crowe’s , until the  turn sent him packing in sixth place.

Le made his big move when he doubled up with the against Shpiner’s  to slide into second in chips. Shpiner was knocked down to just six big blinds, and two hands later he was out in fifth place.

Richard Tae Kim was the next to hit the payout desk, his fourth-place finish coming at the hands of Le to set up the evenly matched three-handed action.

Hengsakul’s day came to an end when he made a move with the , but Crowe was better with the . Hengsakul started the day as chip leader, but hit the rail in third place to set up the heads-up match between Le and Crowe.

The two battled it out for 15 hands, with Le taking the majoring of the pots, including the first eight in a row. Crowe bounced back a little, but it was over when Crowe put in his last chips drawing to a chop with top pair and a gutshot straight draw against Le’s turned king-high straight. The tournament ended when Crowe couldn’t catch on the river.

Crowe earned $130,000 for his second-place finish, while Le took the title, the trophy, and $224,500.

This was the first World Poker Tour event for Le, and he walked away as the winner of the inaugural WPT500 Los Angeles.