Luis Cruz Triumphs at WPT UK Main Event

Luis Cruz has won the 2016 WPT UK Main Event, after topping a field of 522 players over five days on his way to capturing the coveted title, and walking away with a first place prize worth £200,000 ($244,699).
The Spaniard has now won $352,116 from cashing in at eight live tournaments, with all but $27,749 of that amount having been won in 2016 alone. Cruz’s latest cash also beats his previous biggest score, which he earned after finishing runner-up at the £2,200 UKIPT London High Roller 8 Handed for £37,600 ($53,560).
The £2,200 WPT UK Main Event was held at the Dusk Till Dawn casino in Nottingham, and featured a prize pool of £1,044,000 ($1,277,330). Amongst the recognizable pros seeing a return on their buy-ins was Niall Farrell in 51st (£4,500), Padraig Parkinson in 34th (£6,000), and Tony Dunst in 17th (£12,000).
After the final table of six got underway, Cruz (A-5) sent Alex Lindop (A-4) to the rail in 6th, while sixteen hands later Chris Yong (A-K) did likewise to Seamus Cahill (A-Q) in 5th. Cruz (K-Q) subsequently took care of Maxime Swennen (A-9) in 4th, and following Cardoso’s exit in 3rd at the hands of Yong, the heads-up phase of the competition go underway.
At this stage, Yong held a 2-to-1 chip advantage over his remaining opponent, but after Cruz managed to redress the balance, he subsequently sniffed out a huge bluff in which he took the pot holding just queen high to take Yong off his rythm. With a new-found hold on the game, Cruz  eventually reduced Yong to just 4bbs when the deciding hand was played with Yong going all-in preflop holding A-6. Cruz made the call with K-2, and after a 2 was dealt on the river Christopher Yong was eliminated in a runner-up position worth £135,000, while sealing the victory for Luis Rodriguez Cruz.
Final Table Results:
1: Luis Rodriguez Cruz £200,000
2: Christopher Yong £135,000
3: Nabil Cardoso £90,000
4: Maxime Swennen £67,080
5: Seamus Cahill £50,000
6: Alex Lindop £40,000