Darryll Fish has won the Season XVI WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship!
One of 911 entries in the $3,500 buy-in event held at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Fish emerged victorious following a four-hour marathon heads-up match against Aleksandr Shevelev and took home the $511,604 top prize.
“I’ve played poker here since I was 18 years old,” Fish said of winning a WPT title at Seminole. “[Seminole Hard Rock Tournament Director] Tony Burns is a longtime friend of mine. We went to dealer school together. We used to work together. For him to get the job here and for me to end up winning a tournament here, it feels like everything came full circle. To be supported in this place feels great. For it to happen here more than anywhere is extra special.”
Earlier in the event, Fish spoke with WPT.com and mentioned it’s not necessarily about the title more so than winning in poker is about the money. That said, Fish says he stills feel great about it all.
“It’s a relief,” Fish said. “Like I said, I don’t play for titles but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it. I’ve spent a lot of years playing WPTs, so it feels really good. I’m going to feel good for the next couple of mornings.”
Season XVI WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship Final Table Results
1st: Darryll Fish – $511,604*
2nd: Aleksandr Shevelev – $331,116
3rd: Andy Frankenberger – $244,342
4th: Ness Reilly – $182,249
5th: Brett Bader – $137,440
6th: Alan Krockey – $104,784
*First-place prize includes a $15,000 seat into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.
Fish entered the final table third in chips. Shevelev had the chip lead to start, and Ness Reilly was in second. WPT Champions Club member Andy Frankenberger was the shortest stack remaining in the final six, but he wasn’t the first player to bust.
First to go was the oldest player to reach the final table, 68-year-old Alan Krockey. After that it was Brett Bader to bust in fifth.
Reilly was next to go out in fourth, falling at the hands of Fish on the 57th hand of the final table. Reilly, who had just finished eighth from a field of 1,366 entries in the WPTDeepStacks Hollywood event a few days prior, got the last of her money in with two jacks. Fish had the 
and spiked and ace on the flop to knock her out. She earned $182,249 for the result, and $211,836 total when you add in her $29,586 score from the WPTDeepStacks Hollywood event.
Frankenberger’s quest to win a second WPT title ended on the 87th hand of the final table, and he too was busted by Fish. This time it was Fish’s 
winning a flip against Frankenberger’s pocket sevens thanks to a jack on the turn. Frankenberger walked away with $244,342 in prize money for his third-place finish and left Season XVI of the World Poker Tour still searching for a champion from a prior season to return to the winner’s circle.
Heads-up play began with Shevelev in the lead. He had 15.875 million to Fish’s 11.44 million. Shevelev held the lead in the early portion of the match, but then Fish jumped out to the lead with a pot of 8.4 million in chips on the 111th hand of the final table. The two went back and forth a couple more times after that and the match extended to more than three hours in length.
Right around four hours into the match, on the 209th hand of the final table, all the money went in with Fish holding the 
against Shevelev’s 
. The flop, turn, and river ran out 
and Fish secured the victory.
Shevelev earned $331,116 for his runner-up performance.
For Fish, the result marked the first World Poker Tour title of his career and largest live tournament result to date. Fish had five prior appearances at official WPT final tables, but in the past he had always come up short. Now he is welcomed into the prestigious WPT Champions Club and will have a chance to compete against the best of the best in the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.
Photography by Joe Giron / PokerPhotoArchive.com
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