WPT® Crowns Two Millionaires To Celebrate 15 Years at Iconic Venue
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Las Vegas, NV (December 12, 2016) — World Poker Tour® celebrated 15 spectacular years of the WPT® Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas with a record-breaking Main Event. The largest field size in WPT Five Diamond’s storied history was created when 791 entries were tallied, and it was James Romero, 27, of Portland, Oregon winning his first WPT title to become a member of the illustrious WPT Champions Club.
Romero scored a life-changing $1.938 million in first-place prize money, defeating Ryan Tosoc in heads-up play. Tosoc also scored seven figures, winning $1.124 million for his runner-up performance.
Prior to the Season XV WPT Five Diamond $10,400 Main Event, Romero had won just $4,700 in live poker tournaments. He mentioned that he has been playing poker for six years, listing Chris Moneymaker as his favorite poker player and the reason he took up the game.
Romero’s victory includes a $15,000 entry into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions, a WPT Champions Trophy, a Hublot King Power Unico Carbon and Red watch, and a pair of Rose Gold Wireless Over-Ear Element Headphones from Monster.
Season XV WPT Five Diamond Final Table Results
1st: James Romero – $1,938,118*
2nd: Ryan Tosoc – $1,124,051
3rd: Jake Schindler – $736,579
4th: Alex Condon – $494,889
5th: Justin Bonomo – $345,272
6th: Igor Yaroshevskyy – $268,545
*First-prize amount includes a $15,000 seat into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.
“Together with World Poker Tour, Bellagio has now awarded more than $85 million in total prize money through 15 seasons of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event,” said Craig Lumpp, Director of Poker Operations at Bellagio. “We are proud to have once again hosted the world’s greatest players as they descended upon Bellagio to cap off the year in historic fashion.”
“We could not imagine a better way to celebrate 15 years of the World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio than this year’s memorable, record-breaking event,” said Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour. “The world-class Bellagio in Las Vegas was home to the very first WPT event in the tour’s rich history, and we are proud to welcome James Romero alongside legendary WPT Five Diamond champions such as Gus Hansen, Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, and Antonio Esfandiari.”
The field of 791 entries in the Season XV WPT Five Diamond $10,400 Main Event generated a prize pool of $7.672 million. In addition to the event being the largest WPT Five Diamond Main Event in World Poker Tour history, it tied the record for largest field size in a $10,000 buy-in WPT event.
The top 72 places reached the money, with impressive finishes from WPT Champions Club members Taylor Paur (8th), JC Tran (10th), Tommy Vedes (16th), Jared Jaffee (20th), and Taylor von Kriegenbergh (25th).
Three-time Super Bowl champion Richard Seymour placed 18th in the Season XV WPT Five Diamond Main Event, earning $52,174 in his fifth career WPT cash.
Three former WPT Five Diamond Main Event champions — Dan Smith (30th), Antonio Esfandiari (43rd), and Joe Hachem (63rd) — also placed in the money.
Season XV of the World Poker Tour rolls on with the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open, with the festival kicking off on January 17, 2017, at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ. The $3,500 Championship Event will take place January 29-February 3. The Championship Event boasts a $3 million guaranteed prize pool.
For more information, visit www.WPT.com.
WPT Media Contact
Donnie Peters – [email protected]
About Bellagio
Inspired by the beautiful villages of Europe, the AAA Five Diamond Bellagio Resort & Casino overlooks a Mediterranean-blue, 8 ½-acre lake, where fountains perform a magnificent aquatic ballet choreographed to music and lights. Within Bellagio are award-winning dining experiences including two AAA Five Diamond restaurants, Julian Serrano’s Picasso and Le Cirque from the renowned Maccioni family. Bellagio is home to an impressive collection of luxury retailers including Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., Breguet, Prada, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Hermès and OMEGA. A world-class art gallery, the exquisite Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, the stunning “O” by Cirque du Soleil, a luxurious spa and salon, dynamic nightlife at The Bank, Hyde Bellagio and Lily Bar & Lounge and an elegant casino all add to the extraordinary Bellagio experience. Bellagio is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit bellagio.com, call toll free at (888) 987-6667 or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
About World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour (WPT) is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 15th season, which airs on FOX Sports Regional Networks in the United States. Season XV of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com and PlayWPT.com. ClubWPT.com is a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 35 states across the United States. PlayWPT.com is a social gaming platform offering free-to-play poker and slots with innovative features and state-of-the-art creative elements inspired by WPT’s 15 years of experience in gaming entertainment. WPT also participates in strategic brand license, partnership, and sponsorship opportunities. WPT Enterprises Inc. is a subsidiary of Ourgame International Holdings, Ltd. For more information, go to WPT.com.
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