ATS Consultants posted on July 05, 2012 15:35
Poker player wins richest prize ever
On July 3 in Las Vegas, Antonio Esfandiari prevailed in a daylong battle against Sam Trickett on the final day of the $1-million buy-in Big One for One Drop Texas Hold’em event and won $18,346,673, the richest top prize in poker history.
On the 85th and final hand in the three-day event, Esfandiari held on to win with three fives he acquired before the turn and overcame Trickett’s flush draw.
Neither Trickett, who had gone all in, nor Esfandiari were able to improve their hands during the turn and the river. Esfandiari finished with 143,975,000 chips.
Esfandiari and Trickett were the high stack twosome after Day 2 and remained ahead of their six opponents during the early stages of this three-day event at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino.
Esfandiari, of Las Vegas, also won a diamond and platinum champion bracelet. Trickett, of Britain, received $10,113,001. Eight players at the final table returned for the final day to split $41,557,339.
Third-place finisher David Einhorn, a hedge fund manager from Rye, N.Y., said he plans to donate his entire prize of $4,352,000 to City Year, an education-focused non-profit organization.
Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 12 WSOP champion bracelets, was eliminated in fourth place with a $2,645,333 prize. Trickett had an ace-high flush draw on hand No. 69 that put him in a position to win over Hellmuth.
Trickett earned his fourth career seven-figure tournament score. The only other players with four or more seven-figure scores are Michael Mizrachi, Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen.