Mike Shariati Wins Legends of Poker Main Event

Sep 5, 2015

Champion Mike Shariati

When the Legends of Poker Main Event from Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, California final table got underway, Freedy Deeb was looking to join the elite company of Gus Hansen, Carlos Mortensen, and Anthony Zinno as the only players to win three WPT Titles. Standing in his way were many low-stakes grinders, most of who were guaranteed their largest career cash just by making the televised final table.

One of those players, Mike Shariati, proved to be a true adversary, taking Deeb through 117 heads-up hands before he emerged as the victor. Shariati needed two river cards through the course of the final table to save him from elimination to collect the $675,942 first place prize money becoming a first-time WPT Champion.

Here is a look at the chip counts when cards got into the air at 4 p.m. PT:

Seat 1. Aaron Kweskin – 7,675,000 (96 bb)
Seat 2. Freddy Deeb – 4,495,000 (56 bb)
Seat 3. Stan Jablonski – 1,560,000 (20 bb)
Seat 4. Mike Shariati – 5,230,000 (65 bb)
Seat 5. Craig Chait – 1,035,000 (13 bb)
Seat 6. Brent Roberts – 3,585,000 (45 bb)

The first all-in announcement came on the sixth hand of play when Craig Chait moved all-in for 855,000 with Spade AClub J. Deeb called holding Diamond AHeart K. There was a little excitement through the turn as Chait had a spade flush-draw, but when a fourth spade did not come on the river Chait was eliminated in sixth place, good for $91,523.

It took another 26 hands before the next all-in and call, this time Stan Jablonski was at risk holding Club QHeart 10, and Brent Roberts had him covered holding Spade ASpade 10. The board bricked out and Jablonski was out in fifth place, good for $117,673.

Four-handed play lasted 47 hands with the players all within a few big blinds of each other at one point. Deeb opened things up when he took a 4.7M pot from Aaron Kweskin with a bluff, taking the chip lead while leaving Kweskin the short stack.

Kweskin moved all-in a few hands later holding Spade AHeart 10, and Mike Shariati had him covered holding Diamond AClub K. The board brought no help to Kweskin eliminating him in fourth place, good for $168,664.

Only two players remained four hands later as Brent Roberts moved all-in holding Club 9Heart 9, Deeb called him holding Diamond AClub A. Roberts could not catch one of the remaining nines eliminating him in third place, good for $251,035.

Deeb took 15,585,000 into battle against the 7,995,000 held by Shariati. It took Shariati 11 hands to take the chip lead away from Deeb. Over the next 50 hands the pair traded the lead back and forth until finally Deeb got things back to where the pair started their battle.

After chipping down to under 2M in chips, Shariati doubled through Deeb in back to back hands. The first came with Deeb holding the best hand Club AHeart 3, Shariati held Club KHeart 6. Shariati was down to one final card after the Heart 8Diamond 8Club 3Diamond Q board had not brought him any help. The excitement happened when the Diamond 6 fell on the river to give Shairiati a pair of sixes to avoid elimination. The very next hand saw Deeb’s Club AHeart 5 fail to improve against Shariati’s Heart ADiamond 10.

Two hands later Shariati got another double, this time he got all his chips in the middle after the pair saw a Club JSpade 10Club 6 flop. Shariati held Club 10Diamond 10 for a flopped set of tens, while Deeb held Spade QSpade J for an open-ended straight draw. The Spade A turn provided some excitement, giving Deeb the draw to a royal flush. The Heart 6 river was a brick for Deeb, giving Shariati the double to 14.6M leaving Deeb at 9M.

Deeb took the lead back 13 hands later when his Club AHeart 10 held against Shariati’s Heart KDiamond J. Shariati chipped back into the lead getting Deeb down to under 4M at one point before Deeb got all-in holding Spade 9Club 8 after the pair saw a Club 9Diamond 6Club 4 flop. Shariati held Club 7Club 3. The Heart 8 turn gave Shariati more outs along with giving Deeb a second pair. The X XX X river gave Deeb the double to 10M, while Shariati went down to 13.6M.

Six hands later Deeb had Shariati down to around 5M, all of which Shariati got into the middle after seeing a Diamond JSpade 10Heart 4 flop holding Spade AClub 10 for middle pair, ace kicker. Deeb held Diamond 10Spade 7 for middle pair, seven kicker. The Club 8 turn gave Deeb an inside straight draw, which did not come on the Diamond 6 river. The pair’s stacks were within a big blind of each other after the hand.

The final hand of the night came when Deeb moved all-in holding Heart KSpade 10 against Shariati’s Club QHeart Q. The board was dealt Heart 10Spade 3Heart 2Diamond 9Spade 5 and Deeb was eliminated in second place, good for $383.090. Shariati collects $675,942. That amount includes his $15,400 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship. Shariati also received a Hublot Oceanographic 4000 Watch, and a WPT Champions Trophy. Shariati’s name will also be engraved on the one-and-only WPT Champions Cup, alongside all the other WPT champions from all 14 seasons.

Final Table Results:

1st: Mike Shariati – $675,942
2nd: Freddy Deeb – $383,090
3rd: Brent Roberts – $251,035
4th: Aaron Kweskin – $168,664
5th: Stan Jablonski – $117,673
6th: Craig Chait – $91,523

That concludes our coverage of the WPT Legends of Poker in Los Angeles, California. Thanks to the Bicycle Casino for hosting a great event. The next stop on the tour is the WPT Borgata Poker Open that will take place from September 20-25 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The WPT Live Updates team will be there to bring you all of the action.

Photos by Joe Giron.

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