Main prize at the WPT Bay 101 send’s earnings graph soaring
US poker pro Sam Panzica (24) scored his second World Poker Tour title over the weekend, following a $1,373,000 victory in the $7,500 buy-in WPT Bay 101 main event.
In an exciting finish Panzica and runner-up Anthony Spinella agreed a chop before a five-hand heads up concluded the event.
806 hopefuls, many of them respected names in the game, entered the tournament to create a prize pool worth $5.7 million that would ensure 81 places cashed.
When the final table formed it looked as if seasoned pro Chino Rheem was on course for his fourth WPT title; he had half the chips in play and was comfortably ahead of his nearest rivals, German ace Rainer Kempe and Panzica.
Kempe fell on hard times and was the first to leave the final table, and Rheem also lost his momentum about halfway through final table action, dropped several major pots and was eliminated at third for $521,660.
That left Panzica and Anthony Spinella facing each other heads up, with the former holding the lead.
With such big money on the table the duo paused to discuss a chop, and it was agreed that Panzica would take $1.2 million and Sinella $786,610, leaving $173,000 and other rewards on the table.
After that it took only five hands for Panzica to finish off his last opponent and claim the $1,373,000 main prize, along with a $15,000 place in the WPT Championship later this year, a Hublot watch and the champion’s cup.
However, because Panzica had already won a place at the Championship in his WPT victory five months ago, he was paid out the $15,000 current place in cash.
Panzica, who can also boast three WSOP Circuit winner’s rings, now has two WPT major tourney wins to his credit and career earnings of over $3 million.
Other final table cashes were:
Dennis Stevermer $243,090
Rainer Kempe $188,460
Online Casino News Courtesy of Infopowa
