Yorane Kerignard Wins WPT Malta

Yorane Kerignard Wins WPT MaltaYorane Kerignard has won the World Poker Tour Malta, after defeating a field of 169 players on his way to lifting the title, and collecting the €120,000 ($182,292) first place prize.
By the time the €3,300 buy-in tournament reached its final table at the Portomaso Casino, Jackson Genovesi was lying in pole position, followed by Yorane Kerignard in 2nd spot and Sampo Ryynanen in 3rd. Also at the six-seated final table was Alessio Isaia, Hui Chen Kuo and Zeljko Krizan.
First to leave the arena was Sampo Ryynanen in 6th (€23,300), who had his pocket kings cracked on a Q-10-2-5-10 board with Jackson Genovesi holding Q-Q. A few minutes later,  a short-stacked Zeljko Krizan (A-10) pushed all-in over the top of Alessio Isaia’s (3-3) preflop raise and soon found himself out in 5th (€29,300) after the cards rolled out 2-J-8-3-4.
Next, it was the turn of last woman standing Hui Chen Kuo to take her leave having got it in good preflop holding A-K to Yorane Kerignard’s Ks-Js. Unfortunately for Kuo, Kerignard made a flush on the 4h-4s-10s-6s-6c board and so she exited the tournament in 4th for a €39,200 payday.
With three players remaining, both Yorane Kerignard and Jackson Genovesi (K-7) called Alessio Isaia’s short-stack shove (7d-5d), and after he departed in 3rd (€52,500) on a K-J-8-K-8 board the heads-up phase of the tournament got underway with Italian Jackson Genovesi holding a slight lead over his French opponent.
However, Yorane Kerignard then managed to pull ahead to a 2 to 1 chip advantage before the defining hand was played with Genovesi holding 10h-9h against Kerignard’s As-3c. After Kerignard continue bet the 4-2-10 flop, and Genovesi moved all-in, Kerignard deliberated for a couple of minutes before eventually making the call. Fortunately for Kerignard the next two cards were a 3 and an ace, and so an emotional Genovesi finished the runner-up for €82,370, while Yorane Kerignard was crowned the 2012 WPT Malta champion.
The final table payouts were as follows:
1 Yorane Kerignard €120,000 ($182,292)
2 Jackson Genovesi €82,370 ($108,024)
3 Alessio Isaia    €52,500    ($68,981)
4 Hui Chen Kuo    €39,200   ( $51,409)
5 Zeljko Krizan    €29,300    ($38,425)
6 Sampo Ryynanen €23,300 ($30,556)


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