The WPTDeepStacks Maryland Main Event found a winner on Monday, with Jason Eisele topping a field of 389 entries to capture the $108,921 top prize. Included in Eisele’s first-place prize was a $3,000 package to the tour’s season-ending championship event. Eisele defeated Scott Hall in heads-up play to earn the trophy.
Eisele’s previous best live tournament score, according to his HendonMob.com profile, was just shy of $73,000. His WPTDeepStacks Maryland Main Event win is now his best, plus it’s his first live tournament victory.
WPTDS Maryland Final Table Results
1st: Jason Eisele – $108,921*
2nd: Scott Hall – $73,962
3rd: Yoon Cheon – $47,670
4th: Mark Benardo – $31,105
5th: Kevin Grabel – $24,114
6th: Arkadiy Tsinis – $19,960
7th: Scott Blumenfeld – $16,717
8th: Patrick Lacey – $13,678
9th: Duane Hunton – $10,588
*First prize includes a $3,000 package to the tour’s season-ending championship event.
Yoon Cheon started the final table fast, eliminating Duane Hunton as the first player out at the final table and then busting Patrick Lacey next. Eisele scored a double up with seven players left, but the Yoon Cheon show continued to take center stage as he knocked out the next two competitors on the same hand, sending both Arkadiy Tsinis and Scott Blumenfeld to the rail.
Someone else finally earned a bounty when Mark Benardo busted Kevin Grabel in fifth place and play moved to four-handed action with Eisele last in chips. Eisele was able to secure a double up through Hall during four-handed play, then Hall busted Benardo in fourth.
Eisele was again at the bottom of the pack with three players left, but his patience paid off. Hall did most of the work chopping out the legs of Cheon, and then Eisele busted Cheon in third place when his 
held against Cheon’s 
. Although Hall had the lead going into heads-up play, Eisele did close the gap significantly with the elimination of Cheon. To start the final duel, it was Hall’s 4.96 million to Eisele’s 4.79 million.
Early in the match, Eisele picked off a bluff from Hall to take the lead. Later, the two exchanged double ups as the chips went back and forth. Then, about 90 minutes into the match, it was all over with Eisele taking the victory.
On the final hand, Hall limped in from the button with the blinds at 100,000-200,000 with a 30,000 ante. Eisele moved all in from the big blind, and Hall called off about 4 million with the 
. Eisele had the 
. The dealer fanned the 
flop and wasted little time in giving Eisele a commanding lead. The turn was the 
to leave Hall drawing dead.
WPTDeepStacks Hits Thunder Valley Next
Next up for WPTDeepStacks, poker’s premier mid-major tournament circuit heads to Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Northern California for WPTDS Thunder Valley. The full festival kicks off Wednesday, March 28, with the first of 12 events.
Headlining the schedule is the WPTDS Thunder Valley $1,100 Main Event. The $1,100 Main Event kicks off Thursday, April 5, and features three starting flights. The tournament has a $500,000 guarantee on the prize pool and will be played in the brand new poker room at Thunder Valley.
The WPTDS Thunder Valley schedule also features the two-day, $3,000 buy-in 3K Diamond event starting Sunday, April 8.
For more information on WPTDS Thunder Valley, click here.
Stay tuned to WPT.com for the latest news and updates from the World Poker Tour, including WPTDeepStacks. Don’t forget to follow WPTDeepStacks on Twitter, like the tour’s page on Facebook, and check it out on Instagram, too!