Vedes Conquers WPT Festa al Lago Final Table

Tommy Vedes is the WPT's newest champion! Vedes outlasted 274 players to win the Festa al Lago title and the $1,218,225 first prize. Freddy Deeb, who began the final table with the chip lead, hoped to win his third WPT title and tie Gus Hansen's record. Instead, Deeb was forced to settle for 4th place, leaving room for a new WPT champ. Click here for in-depth coverage of the action and photos from the final table.

Play began slowly and the atmosphere on the quiet set was very tense. Jason Lavallee, who had fallen from chip leader to fifth on Day 5, won several big pots from Tommy Vedes to regain the lead. Then came one of the biggest, most stomach churning hands of the night. Tommy Vedes was all in with top two pair against Shawn Cunix, who had hit bottom set. Drawing to four outs, Vedes hit on the turn, putting him back in contention and leaving a stunned Cunix crippled. He was eliminated not long after in 6th place, earning $168,970. Cunix was the only member of the final table who considered himself an amateur and now has three WPT cashes to his name.

Only a few hands later, Jason "PlastikCards" Burt hit the rail in 5th place. The $208,725 payday isn't bad for the 22-year old online pro's first WPT cash. Previously, Burt's largest live score was $5,253 for 12th place in an EPT event.

Four-handed, Jason Lavallee and Freddy Deeb battled for the chip lead for a solid hour while Tommy Vedes and Craig Crivello stayed mostly out of the way. Then Vedes got into a raising war with Deeb, eventually finding himself all in with Queens against Freddy's Kings. An uneventful flop and turn meant Vedes was one card away from elimination. But the poker gods had decided that it was Vedes' day, and a Queen appeared on the river to save him. With that hand, Vedes took the chip lead and left Deeb short stacked.

Deeb was eliminated in 4th place, picking up $278,300 but not the record-tying third title he was hoping for. Craig Crivello was out in 3rd place soon after, taking home $477,090 and leaving Vedes and Lavallee heads up.

Vedes began heads up play with a slight lead over Lavallee, but it was far from an easy match. The two traded chips back and forth for an hour and a half before Jason had Tommy on the ropes, winning a huge pot to take a 4:1 lead in the match. Not giving up, Vedes managed to double up twice and ultimately finish off his opponent and take down the title. Jason Lavallee earned $795,150 for 2nd place, while Vedes picked up more than $1.2 million, a WPT bracelet, a Rolex, and a $25,000 buy-in to the WPT championship event.

More Poker News Articles

Keikoan Captures Harvey's Lake Tahoe WSOPC Championship
12am Thu Nov 19th, 2009

This week marked the finale of the biggest annual tournament series in Northern Nevada, the WSOP Circuit championship at Harvey's Lake Tahoe. While the Main Event saw only a modest turnout, it did boast of a tough final table, and a WSOP bracelet owner as the eventual champion.

WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Cada to Appear on Letterman
12am Wed Nov 18th, 2009

The poker world will receive some late night attention tonight as "The Kid" Joe Cada, the youngest champion in the four decade history of the World Series of Poker Main Event, takes a seat next to embattled talk show host David Letterman.

First Korean Champ of Asia Pacific Poker Tour Crowned in Cebu
12am Tue Nov 17th, 2009

Another stop on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour is in the books, this time it's the APPT Cebu in the Philippines, and for the very first time a Korean player has come out on top.

Pollack Done as Commish of World Series of Poker
12am Sat Nov 14th, 2009

Just three days after crowning Joe Cada as the 2009 Main Event champion, officially closing the special 40th anniversary run of the World Series of Poker, Jeffrey Pollack has resigned his post as Commissioner of the WSOP.

Durrrr Signs as Team Full Tilt's Youngest Member
12am Wed Nov 11th, 2009

Tom "durrrr" Dwan is the newest member of Team Full Tilt, the online site's highest level of affiliation. At 23, Dwan is the youngest of the now 14-person team. The high stakes cash phenomenon was nominated for induction this year into the Poker Hall of Fame until the Hall of Fame Governing Council decided he was too young to meet the "has stood the test of time" qualification.

Joe Cada Becomes Youngest World Series of Poker Main Event Champ
12am Tue Nov 10th, 2009

History was made early Tuesday morning in Las Vegas as 21-year-old Joe Cada outlasted Darvin Moon in heads-up play to claim the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet and more than $8.5 million.

Moon and Cada Heads-Up, Ivey 7th at WSOP Main Event Final Table
12am Sun Nov 8th, 2009

After a marathon session at the most esteemed table in the poker world, a 21-year-old and a logger are set to go one-on-one for the World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet.

PokerStars Launches New UK and Ireland Poker Tour
12am Wed Nov 4th, 2009

PokerStars.com has announced the start of a new poker tour with stops throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) will kick off in Galway, Ireland in mid-December, and the first event in the UK will be held in Manchester in February.

Peerless Media Agrees to Purchase World Poker Tour Enterprises
12am Mon Nov 2nd, 2009

According to a Monday press release, WPT Enterprises Inc., mothership of the World Poker Tour, is now the rightful property of Peerless Media, Ltd., subsidiary of online giant PartyGaming.

Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho Hit the Amazing Race Rail
12am Mon Nov 2nd, 2009

After surviving six legs of the Amazing Race by the skin of their teeth, poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho were finally eliminated in the CBS reality show's most recently aired episode. Michelle and Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker Main Events, gave reality television fans another chance to watch poker personalities compete away from the felt. Annie Duke garnered quite a following earlier in the year on another reality show competition, NBC's Celebrity Apprentice.