The Comeback: Mike Sexton Survives an Epic Heads-Up Battle to Add His Name to the WPT Champions Cup

Photo:  Mike Sexton celebrates with the entire WPT crew after his victory.

There was a miracle here tonight at the Playground Poker Club, as Mike Sexton overcame a deficit of more than 10-to-1 in a heads-up battle that lasted 158 hands to win the partypoker.net WPT Montreal main event.

Sexton outlasted a field of 648 entries to get his name inscribed on the one-and-only WPT Champions Cup, which may mean more to him than the CAD $425,980 he won. That amount includes his entry into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions. In 1999, several years before the World Poker Tour was even a thought in Steve Lipscomb’s head, Sexton created poker’s original Tournament of Champions, and now he’s thrilled he’s earned a spot in the WPT’s version. “I get to play it forever now, every year!”

Few people have done more for the game of poker than Mike Sexton. He’s one of the best ambassadors of the game, and a living legend that was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009. He has millions in career earnings, a WSOP bracelet, and many more accolades on his resume, many of which are recounted in his recently released autobiography, “Life’s a Gamble.” But the one thing that was missing was a WPT title.

Sexton has been a part of the World Poker Tour since the beginning, and for 15 seasons he has been commentating as other players have won WPT titles. But now it’s his turn in the spotlight, on the show he helped create.

As the chipleader coming into this final table, Sexton was the odds-on favorite to win, but the route this final table took was completely unexpected.

Early in the first level, poker pro Jake Schwartz couldn’t catch any momentum, and he was eliminated when he got it all in blind-vs.-blind with against Nadir Lalji’s and couldn’t improve. It was the third WPT Final Table for Schwartz, but he came in with a relatively short stack and never caught any momentum.

Ema Zajmovic started the day second in chips behind Sexton, but after she briefly took over the chip lead, she fell down below 20 big blinds and got it all in with against Sexton’s . Zajmovic was out in fifth place.

Shortly after, Benny Chen limped the small blind with and Ilan Boujenah shoved his last nine big blinds with . The aces held up once again, and Boujenah was out in fourth. Chen was near the chip lead, and he would take the lead shortly after that.

Sexton scored his second knockout of the day when he flopped a set with against the of Nadir Lalji. Laljiji earned CAD $183,320 for third place.

At the start of heads-up play Sexton said, “I’m feeling the vibe, doing this for the old school players and my WPT family.”

Chen had a slight lead when heads-up play began, but quickly built it up into a big lead, eventually having Sexton against the ropes down 10-to-1 in chips. At the next break, Sexton was still down, and went outside to walk around the parking lot in the chilly fresh air to reset himself.

It took 106 hands to play down to the final two players, and then the heads-up battle went on for another 158 hands. And Sexton was the short stack (sometimes the very short stack) for all but two of them. Sexton won all five all-in situations during heads-up play.

On the final hand (Hand #264), Chen moved all in for 8.15 million, and Sexton looked down to see . Chen showed his , but this was Sexton’s night, and the poker gods were on his side. The board came , and Sexton won the pot — and made history — with a set of queens. Chen had to settle for the CAD $183,320 awarded to second place.

It was one of the most memorable nights in WPT history, and it should turn into one of the most memorable episodes of the World Poker Tour.

Congratulations to Mike Sexton!

1st: Mike Sexton – CAD $425,980*  (US $317,896*)
2nd: Benny Chen – CAD $286,110  (US $213,515)
3rd: Nadir Lalji – CAD $183,320  (US $136,806)
4th: Ilan Boujenah – CAD $132,750  (US $99,067)
5th: Ema Zajmovic – CAD $102,010  (US $76,127)
6th: Jake Schwartz – CAD $81,740  (US $61,000)

* First-prize amount includes a US $15,000 seat into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.

Photography by Joe Giron / PokerPhotoArchive.com