With accomplished poker pros Gavin Smith, Kathy Liebert, and Marc Karam all seated at the final table of the World Poker Tour’s North American Poker Championship (NAPC), few people likely gave 67 year-old Glen Witmer any shot at winning. A regular patron at the Fallsview Casino, the site of the NAPC, Witmer entered final table play as the chip leader and held 75% of the chips in play three-handed. Needless to say, his dominating performance will go down in WPT lore.
Entering final table play, Witmer was the chip leader with 3.7 million, the only player at the table with more than three million:
Glen Witmer – 3,710,000
Gavin Smith – 2,815,000
Ryan Fisler – 2,285,000
Marc Karam – 1,850,000
Kathy Liebert – 1,620,000
James Trenholm – 1,365,000
Trenholm was sent packing from Fallsview when his pocket sevens ran into Smith’s pocket jacks. A 4:1 underdog pre-flop, Trenholm’s hand failed to improve and he was bumped from the NAPC in sixth place, cashing for $153,107 CAD. It took 38 hands of final table play for a player to be sent home, as the blinds started at a scant 15,000-30,000 with a 5,000 chip ante, meaning that the lowest stack in the room, Trenholm, still had 45 big blinds.
Two years ago, Karam finished sixth at Fallsview, cashing for $150,114 in his first ever WPT final table. Last year, he finished 25th in this tournament, piling on an additional $48,633. This year, he was back at the final table of the NAPC and was busted in fifth place by Witmer in a race holding queens against Witmer’s big slick. An ace came on the flop, putting Witmer’s hand out in front for good and sending Karam home.
Ryan Fisler, who plays online under the name “gotskillz,” finished fourth, taking home $262,469 CAD. Fisler shoved on a jack-high board holding A-K, only to be instantaneously called by Witmer, who held A-J. Another jack came on the turn, sealing Fisler’s fate.
Three-handed, play was down to two established poker pros against a veteran amateur. Witmer held 75% of the chips in play and quickly disposed of World Series of Poker bracelet holder Kathy Liebert, who took home $319,337 CAD for third place. She had become short-stacked after earlier losing a big pot to Smith.
Heads-up, Witmer held a 2.5:1 advantage in chips over his fellow Canadian poker player Gavin Smith. The Full Tilt Poker pro held a decisive edge in WPT final table experience over Witmer, however. Smith won the Season IV Mirage Poker Showdown and also made the televised six-handed final tables of the Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship and World Poker Open. He was the WPT Player of the Year during Season IV and holds over $1.7 million in lifetime WPT earnings. However, as it comes down to in many tournaments, a coin flip would ultimately decide the winner. On the final hand of the NAPC, Witmer held A-K against Smith, who was all in with pocket fives. The flop came Q-J-2, leaving Witmer rooting for an ace, king, or ten. The turn came another jack, giving Smith hope for a double up. However, Witmer hit lightning in a bottle, as an ace hit on the river, sealing his tournament win.
He told WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman after the NAPC concluded, “This morning when I got up, I thought if I made it to the last two, [Gavin Smith] would be the one I would probably be playing. He’s a very good player and I actually got to like him as a person.” On his momentum, he stated, “I was just getting cards and had some luck on my side.” In addition to his $1.2 million CAD payday, Witmer also received a $25,000 buy-in to the WPT Championship, which is held at the Bellagio at the end of every season.
Here were the final results from the North American Poker Championship:
First Place: Glen Witmer, $1,254,152 CAD
Second Place: Gavin Smith, $612,427 CAD
Third Place: Kathy Liebert, $319,337 CAD
Fourth Place: Ryan Fisler, $ 262,469 CAD
Fifth Place: Marc Karam, $196,851 CAD
Sixth Place: James Trenholm, $153,107 CAD
