Pete Yanhan Chen Wins WPT Beijing for $300k

Back in 2012, the World Poker Tour held a WPT National event on the island of Sanya in Southeast China, but this year the tour consolidated its presence in the vast country by organizing its first ever official WPT Main Event in Beijing. The country’s capital is home to 21.5 million people, making it the third-most populated city on the planet, with Macau-based pro Pete Yanhan Chen eventually capturing the WPT Beijing title for a US$299,485 payday.
A total of 400 players turned out for the $3,500 freezeout main event, resulting in a prize pool of roughly $1,393,324. The final table was then reached on the tournament’s fifth day, with Pete Yanhan Chen starting proceeding with over half the chips still left in play, and about four times the chips of his nearest rival.
Pete Yanhan Chen (Q-Q) subsequently eliminated Zhang Wenbin (K-J) in 4th, before being dealt A-2 and doing likewise to a short-stacked Lu Yingqi (J-8) in 3rd to set up the final phase of battle against Chen Ke for the coveted WPT title.
At this stage, Chen held a 5 to 1 chip lead over his remaining opponent, and 20 deals later, when the deciding hand was played, Chen had managed to extend his advantage further to a commanding 10 to 1 lead. Chen Ke subsequently decided to get his last 10bbs in the middle of the table with Q-3, and after Chen made the call holding K-4, the dealer laid out an A-10-10-7-9 board to relegate Chen Ke to a runner-up finish worth $199,278.
As well as becoming the first ever WPT event winner on Chinese soil, and boosting his career earnings to almost $1 million, Pete Yanhan Chen also was awarded free entry into the Tournament of Champions, scheduled to take place next year.
Final Table Results:
1: Pete Yanhan Chen $299,485
2: Chen Ke $199,278
3: Lu Yingqi $128,101
4: Zhang Wenbin $84,974
5: Tan Yancheng $65,401
6: Bryan Huang $54,168