WPT Malta just wrapped up from the Casino at Portomaso and Frenchman Yorane Kerignard has emerged victorious to take home the first-place prize of €140,000, including the $25,500 WPT World Championship seat, and will have his name etched onto the prestigious WPT Champions Cup. Kerignard has final tabled not one but four EPT Main events in the last 2 years, the latest one being Deauville in January this year.
Here’s a recap of the final table:
We lost two players in the very first-level. The very unfortunate Finnish player Sampo Ryynanen finding pocket kings against Jackson Genovesi’s pocket queens. Genovesi flopping a set and then rivering a full-house to eliminate Ryynanen. Next we had the short stack Zeljko Krizan who was eliminated in a flip versus WPT Champion Alessio Isaia. The only girl on the table- Kitty was the next player to be eliminated. She was all-in with ace-king versus the king-jack of Yorane Kerignard, but the Frenchman hit a flush on the turn to send her out in fourth place.
The battle for the right to play heads-up lasted four-hours before WPT Champions Club member Alessio Isaia was busted in third. He moved all-in and was called by both remaining players: Yorane Kerignard and Jackson Genovesi. Genovesi hit a full-house and the heads-up match-up was set.
The heads- up encounter revolved around one hand full of emotion, happiness and pain. Jackson Genovesi moved all-in on a flop of [Tc] [4d] [2s] holding [Th] [9s] and Yorane Kerignard called holding [As] [3c]. Genovesi was about to take a huge lead when the ace on the river sent him sobbing out of the competition. In fact, both players were in tears post that final hand.
Jesse May was joined in the commentary booth by Tony G, Phil Hellmuth and Marvin Rettenmaier and the great line-up attracted a huge number of viewers.