David Chiu Wins WPT Championship

David Chiu was able to come back from a big deficit and win the World Poker Tour Championship and a first place prize of just over $3.3 million dollars. Chiu made the big comeback against noted poker pro Gus Hansen.

When it came down to heads-up play, Hansen had almost a 6-1 lead in chips.

Hansen really dominated the final table of the World Poker Tour Championship until the heads-up battle with Chiu. He took out Jeff King, Tommy Le, Cory Carroll and John Roveto in just 22 hands. Hansen had everything go his way as he won a lot of races in which he trailed. He was badly down to Jeff King with his 10-9 versus King’s A-Q but a 10 hit on the river sending King home.

Hansen did win a set over set battle against Tommy Le when is set of 10’s was better than Le’s set of fives. Hansen was able to eliminate Cory Carroll in another race when his flush draw came through against Carroll’s second pair. It was a river card again that saved Hansen.

The last of the fortunate suck-outs by Hansen came against third place finisher John Roveto. It was Roveto that had pocket Kings against Hansen’s A-10. Hansen hit a river 7 to complete a straight and send Roveto home in third place with almost $1 million from the World Poker Tour Championship.

The heads-up battle did not go Hansen’s way and Chiu battled his way back and eventually took Hansen out when his A-9 trailed Hansen’s 10-8 on a board of A-10-8. A third ace hit on the river and Hansen was eliminated in second place. Hansen’s river luck finally came back to bite him in the final hand when the ace hit.

WPT Championship 2008 Final Results

1st David Chiu $3,389,140
2nd Gus Hansen $1,714,800
3rd John Roveto $923,355
4th Cory Carroll $593,645
5th Tommy Le $395,725
6th Jeff King $263,815

Chiu also won a $25,000 buy-in to the WPT Season 7 World Championship for his first place finish.