Alex Yen wins 2022 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open for $975,240
For Yen, it was his first-ever major tournament win
Source PokerNews
The $3500 buy-in Main Event attracted 1982 entries to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, the $2million guarantee smashed to smithereens, an eventual $6,342,400 prizepool boasting close to $1million up top.
By the time day six arrived, the original field had been slashed to just 6 players, the likes of Ali Imsirovic, Chris Moorman, Erik Seidel and Loni Harwood all making the paid spots but unable to make the final table.
Alex Yen arrived at the final table of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Lucky Hearts Poker Open with the chip lead. He left the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with a tournament title and $975,240.
For Yen, it was his first-ever major tournament win and far and away the biggest score of his poker career. He entered the $3,500 buy-in tournament in Hollywood, Florida with just under $400,000 in lifetime live tournament cashes according to The Hendon Mob.
The Lucky Hearts Poker Open, the first event of the WPT’s 20th season, had 1,982 entrants. Entering final session only six remained, none of whom was a previous WPT champion.
Final table results
1 Alex Yen $975,240
2 Anton Wigg $650,180
3 Daniel Lazrus $482,380
4 Nicholas Verderamo $361,130
5 Josh Kay $272,830
6 Omar Lakhdari $208,025
Yen had over 130 big blinds when the final table and his chip lead was never seriously challenged outside of a brief moment during heads-up play. Daniel Lazrus, a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, won a race to bust Omar Lakhdari in sixth place ($208,025) early on.
Shortly after, Joshua Kay found himself on the short end of the 60/40 stick against Anton Wigg and was eliminated in fifth place ($272,830). A few hands later, Yen used pocket queens to bust Nicholas Verderamo, who went out in fourth place ($361,130).
Lazrus, who doubled moments earlier, lost a race against Yen and was sent home in third place ($482,380), setting up a heads-up match between Wigg and Yen.
When heads-up play began, Yen held better than a 2.5:1 chip lead, but Wigg, an accomplished pro with over $3.2 million in previous live tournament cashes, wouldn’t go away without a fight.
“I hit the dream flop and won,” explained Yen as he celebrated his WPT victory, adding: “It feels absolutely incredible.”
Yen revealed, “I’ve never won a live tournament before. I don’t even think I’ve won online, so this is a pretty unreal feeling.” When quizzed by reporters on his plans for the biggest payday of his career, $975,240, Yen replied: “I really don’t know yet. Maybe a little real estate, a little investing, and a little fun.”
