Joe McKeehen wins $7.6 million at the WSOP

The professional American poker player, Joe McKeehen won the most prestigious poker tournament in the world. He is the new champion of the World Series of Poker.

The final table was delayed of this $10.000 buy-in tournament to November according to the traditions. 6.420 player started to battle for the 'World Champion' title in July in Las Vegas, and only nine remained. Joe McKeehen had the biggest chance to win with an overwhelming chiplead: he had about 1/3 of the chips in play. McKeehen had twice bigger stack than Zvi Stern, who started the final table from second place. While in the last years only young guys were at the final tables, this year two older player made the 'November Nine'. Neil Blimenfield was 61 and Pierre Neuville was 72 years old.

Seat 1 - Zvi Stern - 29.800.000 (74 bb) - 2nd
Seat 2 - Pierre Neuville - 21.075.000 (52 bb) - 4th
Seat 3 - Joshua Beckley - 11.800.000 (27 bb) - 7th
Seat 4 - Max Steinberg - 20.200.000 (50 bb) - 5th
Seat 5 - Thomas Cannuli - 12.250.000 (30 bb) - 6th
Seat 6 - Joe McKeehen - 63.100.000 (160 bb) - 1st
Seat 7 - Patrick Chan - 6.225.000 (15 bb) - 8th
Seat 8 - Federico Butteroni - 6.200.000 (15 bb) - 9th
Seat 9 - Neil Blumenfield - 22.000.000 (55 bb) - 3rd

First day of the final table

Patrick Chan, who was one of the short stacks, didn't lasted long as he knocked out in the second hand. McKeehen pushed all-in from the button with A-4, and Chan made the call from the small blind with K-Q. Butteroni folded from the big blind, and McKeehen's hand won at the showdown. This was a standard move from both players. Chan needed to double up, unfortunately for him luck wasn't on his side.

After this elimination, Blumenfield was the most active player at the table for a while. He made three 3-bets in a row which is quite unusual. Nobody expected this kind of aggressive play from the second oldest player who ever made the November Nine. It worked for him, he won four pots in a row, and he earned some respect from other players at the table. He increased his stack by almost fifty per cent in the first couple of hands, while he didn't show any of his hands.

The first player who was able to win a pot against Blumenfield was the chipleader. McKeehen played small-ball poker, he didn't risk too much money on one hand while he won a lot of smaller pots .

Butteroni lost most of his stack by putting the blinds and antes. He had less than only three big blinds when he moved all-in with A-J offsuited after McKeehen's openraise. The chipleader called him with A-K suited and he won at the showdown, so the Italian knocked out in eight place.

Neuville lost two big pots, one against Cannuli's flush, and later he run into Blumenfield's full house. He was quite passive all day and he was very unlucky, especially in his last hand. He moved all-in with his last 5 big blind after McKeehen's steal attempt, and the chipleader had the odds to call with almost any two cards. Neuville had dominated McKeehen's hand as he had A-J suited against J-6 suited, but McKeehen made a flush on the river. Neuville finished in seventh place.

Second day of the final table

Players had a rest and came back to play until the last three remaining players. Cannuli was the next who eliminated in an extremely unlucky hand. He had aces, and it was a big chance for him to double up when he called Steinberg's reraise all-in. Steinberg had tens, but he made a set on the flop and it was enough to knock out Cannuli in sixth place.

Stern put his tournament life on A-J from under the gun. With 15 big blind he couldn't do anything better, but Blumenfield, who had A-K, made a pair of kings and sent home Stern in fifth place.

There still wasn't so much post flop action on the table: when a player opened the pot, he usually won the blinds and antes. There were a few reraises, but no big pots really. McKeehen won the most of the pots with his small-ball strategy, and he looked unstoppable. He increased his chiplead with knocking out Steinberg. McKeehen raised from under the gun, and Steinberg pushed all-in with his last 16 bb from the big blind with A-J. Against the chipleader's wide range it could be a good decision, however, this time McKeehen had dominated Steinberg's hand with A-Q. Steinberg finished fourth.

Last day of the final table

Joe McKeehen still had a huge lead: he earned almost 129 million chips, which was more than 2/3 of the remaining chips. Blumenfield had 40 million and Beckley, who survived an all-in with Aces versus T-9 suited had 23 million in chips.

After a couple of hands, Blumenfield tried to make a move against the chipleader. He opened from the small blind, and he triple barelled on a ten high board. McKeehen made a top pair on the flop, and he called him on every street. Blumenfield lost half of his stack in this hand, and he couldn't come back. Blumenfield knocked out with a marginal decision. After a raise and a reraise, he moved all-in with his last 12 big blind with deuces. It was almost guaranteed that McKeehen, who had to put only 7 million more to the pot will call, and Blumenfield will have maximally 50% to win the pot. While McKeehen had queens, Blumenfield needed a miracle. The board was 10-7-4-4-K so Blumenfield eliminated in third place. Blumenfield played excellent in the first two days, but in three-handed he made some mistakes.

Joshua Beckley and Joe McKeehen played for the bracelet, but there was a significant difference between their stacks. McKeehen had more than 80% of the chips. They played only 12 hands, when the last hand arrived of the night. Beckley had fours and pushed all-in with his last 19 million, McKeehen called him with A-T offsuited. The flop was Q-T-5 so McKeehen was only two cards away to win the title. The turn was a five, and Beckley needed a four to survive. The river was a jack, which means McKeehen won the 2015 WSOP Main Event.

McKeehen dominated the final table in all three days. He used his monster stack pretty well, and he deserves to be the champion without any question.

1. Joe McKeehen ($7.683.346)
2. Josh Beckley ($4.470.896)
3. Neil Blumenfield ($3.398.298)
4. Max Steinberg ($2.615.361)
5. Ofer Zvi Stern ($1.911.423)
6. Thomas Cannuli ($1.426.283)
7. Pierre Neuville ($1.203.293)
8. Federico Butteroni ($1.097.056)
9. Patrick Chan ($1.001.020)