Geoffrey Hum won the World Poker Tour (WPT) Montreal Main Event this week, the first WPT title of his career. For his victory, hum won $380,648 or CAD $500,000.
Winners of major poker tournaments are usually pretty humble as they bask in the glow of their success, but Hum has got to be one of the most humble champs we have ever seen. He only had a bit more than $51,000 in live tournament earnings going into the tournament and had to face off with the likes of 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Martin Jacobson, WPT Champions Club member Mike Watson, Kristen Bicknell, and Joseph Cheong at the final table, plus Champions Club member Mike Leah and Kelly Minkin on the final day.
“Playing against such a tough field is probably something I’ve learned a lot from,” Hum told WPT.com after the tournament. “Yesterday was such a crazy day where I started with 380,000 and I got aces and kings four times in one orbit, which really catapulted me.”
Hum was well aware that emerging triumphant over a field of more than 1,100 requires some luck.
“It was somewhat smooth sailing, and obviously got lucky picking up aces against Kristen’s kings, and then got lucky versus Joe with the eights versus jacks when it was three-handed. You need that to win tournaments,” he recounted.
A lot of amateur players would quit their day jobs and start traveling to poker tournaments for a living upon winning a big one, but no Hum. He sounds comfortable being a surprise victor.
“In terms of traveling around to other WPT’s, as much as I would like to, the work schedule is set and the vacation days have run out,” Hum said. “I look forward to the Tournament of Champions. I’ll put in the vacation day request for then.”
Hum went into Day 4 third in chips out of ten players with 5.990 million. By the time the six-handed final table began, he was still in third, but had picked up almost 2 million chips. Joseph Cheong, the chip leader to start the day, was in the same position with 11.410 million. Everybody had at least 36 big blinds, so there was nobody only clinging to hope.
It was not Cheong, though, but Adedapo Ajayi who went heads-up against Hum. Hum started one-on-one play 8 million chips ahead, 26.150 million to 18.150 million.
And in eight hands, it was all over.
Ajayi raised to 800,000 pre-flop and Hum called. The flop was 4♥-6♥-K♦ and Hum check-raised Ajayi’s 800,000 chip bet to 2.600 million. After using a time extension chip, Ajayi re-raised to 6.900 million. Hum then used a time extension chip himself before four-betting all-in for about 25 million. Ajayi called all-in for 17.500 million in total.
Ajayi had a flush draw with J♥-9♥, but was in deep, deep trouble because Hum also had a better flush draw plus top pair with K♥-7♥. The A♥ on the turn clinched the flush and the hand for Hum, as he became the newest World Poker Tour champion.
2019 World Poker Tour Montreal Main Event – Final Table Standings
- Geoffrey Hum – $380,648
- Adedapo Ajayi – $255,034
- Joseph Cheong – $179,126
- Mike Watson – $137,034
- Kristen Bicknell – $106,582
- Martin Jacobson – $83,743