Eliot Hudon wins WPT World Championship

Eliot Hudon has won the largest World Poker Tour event in series history after taking down the WPT World Championship Main Event.

The WPT World Championship concluded at Wynn Las Vegas on Tuesday after a WPT record 2,960 players originally bought in for $10,400. That record-setting player pool led to a record-setting $29 million prize pool. Hudon’s take for winning the event was $4,136,000.

Hudon, 25 and from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has only been playing poker for just over three and a half years. He started playing solely online, so his live poker tournament experience is even shorter than that.

Eliot Hudon wins WPT World Championship

Prior to his big WPT win Hudon’s largest live cash was $113,800 which he received for finishing in 63^rd place in last year’s World Series of Poker Main Event.

At the WPT World Championship, when play began at the six-person final table the chip leader was Benny Glaser. That chip lead was short-lived as only four hands in Glaser went all-in with Ad-Js only to be called by Hudon who held pocket kings. After the board rolled out 10h-7c-5s-10d-2h Hudon doubled up to takeover the chip lead.

Naturally it came down to Hudon and Glaser heads-up for the tournament title. At the outset of heads-up play Hudon had just over 228 million chips to Glasser’s 67.5 million.

On the final hand of the tournament Hudon limped from the small blind and Glaser checked from the big blond position. The flop was 8h-6c-2d. After Glaser checked Hudon bet 2 million. Glaser called and the turn card was the 9d. After another check from Glaser Hudon bet 8 million. Glaser check-raised to 28 million and after thinking it over Hudon made the call. The river card was the 5c.

Glaser mulled it over before going all-in. Hudon made a quick call and showed 7c-4d for a nine-high straight. That easily be Glaser’s Queen-high which he held with d-Js. For second place Glaser cashed $2,830,000.