Luis Cruz had a heck of an uphill climb at the final table, but he defied the odds and chip stacks to beat Christopher Yong heads-up and claim the partypoker World Poker Tour (WPT) Nottingham Main Event title this weekend, along with a £200,000 first prize.
Cruz began the six-handed final table with the second-smallest chip stack. Holding just 1.64 million chips, he had a long way to go to catch the chip leader, Nabil Cardoso, who had 4.965 million. During the very first orbit, though, Cruz was able to add a chunk of chips to his collection. Alex Lindop, the shortest stack at the table, moved all-in with A-4, only to get called by Cruz and his A-5. Fortunately for Cruz, his kicker held – a chopped pot was avoided – and Lindop was out in sixth place, while Cruz added about three-quarters of a million chips to his stack.
On Hand 22, Seamus Cahill was the next to hit the rail. Cardoso raised pre-flop to 175,000, Yong re-raised to 450,000, and Cahill moved all-in for 2.05 million. Cardoso got out of the way and Yong made the call. Cahill was in deep trouble from the get-go, seeing his A-Q up against A-K. He did river a Queen, but that was after a Ten and Jack had been dealt, which meant Yong had a straight and Cahill’s pair was useless.
Just nine hands later, Maxime Swennen moved all-in with A-9 and Cruz called with K-Q of hearts. Cruz made his flush on the turn to eliminated Swennen in fourth place.
The tournament got to heads-up thanks to a horribly timed bluff. On Hand 45, Cardoso limped pre-flop with 7-4 and Yong checked from the big blind with 9-6. The flop was K-T-6 and Cardoso tried to take it right there with a 150,000 chip bet. Yong called and it only got worse for Cardoso when a 9 was dealt on the turn, giving Yong two pair and all but assuring he wasn’t going to fold. Cardoso, of course, had no idea, so he fired out 500,000 chips on that turn with air and Yong naturally called. Another 6 landed on the river, giving Yong a full house. Cardoso bluffed all-in, perhaps thinking Yong was chasing a flush, but obviously Yong called and Cardoso was left to ponder what had just happened.
Going into heads-up, Yong was way ahead of Cruz by about a 2-to-1 chip lead. Cruz was able to take some nice pots within the first ten hands, but so was Yong, so Cruz didn’t make up much ground. It was during the next ten hands, though, that Cruz made his move. The key hand was Hand 63 of the final table. Cruz had Q-T in the hole, while Yong held 7-5. Cruz raised to 250,000 pre-flop and Yong called to deliver a flop of 6-3-K. Yong checked, Cruz bet 300,000, and Yong called. Another Six was dealt on the turn and both men checked. When an Ace came on the river Yong bet 850,000 and with nothing but Queen high, Cruz called, sniffing out Yong’s bluff and pulling almost even in chips.
Cruz took the lead on the next hand and never looked back, taking control of the match.
On the final hand, Hand 86 of the final table, Yong moved all-in for 540,000 chips with rags and Cruz called with K-2. Cruz hit a 2 on the river and that was good enough for his first WPT title.
partypoker World Poker Tour Nottingham Main Event – Final Table Results
1. Luis Rodriguez Cruz – £200,000 (plus $15,000 to season-ending Tournament of Champions)
2. Christopher Yong – £135,000
3. Nabil Cardoso – £90,000
4. Maxime Swennen – £67,080
5. Seamus Cahill – £50,000
6. Alex Lindop – £40,000
