Ahead of WSOP ME Final Table, Joe McKeehen Wins Wynn Fall Classic

The 2015 WSOP Main Event final table is just over one month away, and ahead of its much anticipated resumption, the tournament’s chip leader, Joe McKeehen, has taken down the Wynn Fall Classic Main Event in Las Vegas. Whilst impressive, McKeehen’s win does seem to reflect a growing trend in which Main Event finalists produce a deep run ahead of their date with WSOP destiny, with other examples including Ivan Demidov’s third place finish at the 2008 WSOP Europe main event, or when Kevin Schaffel and Steven Begleiter both made the final table of the 2009 WPT Legends of Poker main event.
In keeping with this theme, Joe McKeehen has triumphed at the $1,600 Wynn Fall Classic Main Event, in the process overcoming a field of 267 players on his way to lifting the trophy, and collecting the event’s $90,125 first place prize. McKeehen currently boasts $2,0888,910 in live earnings, not including the money guaranteed by his November Nine status, to go with the $1,173,693 he has won online playing under the screen name Dude904.
Final Table Results:
1 Joe McKeehen $90,125
2 Seth Berger $60,992
3 Jeff Roberson $38,849
4 Dennis Phillips $27,194
5 David Levi $19,813
6 Hani Awad $15,539
7 Sean Burson $13,403
8 Guiseppe Pantaleo $11,460
9 Joey Weissman $9,712
Without a doubt, McKeehen’s latest victory will give him a huge confidence boost ahead of the 2015 WSOP Main Event final table, which he will start with 158 big blinds, representing 32.8% of the chips in play. His next nearest rival, Ofer Zvi Stern, is a fair way back on 74.5 big blinds (15.5%), while that figure trails off to 11.4% for a third placed Neil Blumenfield on 55 big blinds. Needless to say, the 2010 Risk world champion is looking forward to starting the final table in such a privileged position, but say he is also determined not to underestimate his opponents. As the 24 year-old pro explains:
“Feels good man. But there’s a lot of play left and I can’t get unfocused or else I’ll lose it fast. Ofer Zvi Stern owned me all of day seven, he’s tough. They’re all tough. I haven’t played with a few of the guys so it’ll be interesting to see how they play.”