WPT Legends of Poker Won By Josh Hale

Josh Hale has won the WPT Legends of Poker, after defeating a field of 622 players over five days to claim the title, and collect the $500,000 first place prize.
As the $3,500 buy-in WPT event reached its final table at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, Josh Hale was in pole position on a 7.325m stack, followed by Greg Mueller (3.49m),  Raouf Malek  (3.13m), Ali Eslami (2.9m), Jeff Madsen (1.03m) and Max Steinberg (1.02m).
First to leave the arena was Jeff Madsen in 6th ($75,400), after shoving his short stack holding A-3 into Max Steinberg with pocket aces. Steinberg then followed up by eliminating Greg Mueller in 5th ($97,100), whose pocket sevens foundered against Steinberg’s A-K with a K falling on the turn.
Some entertaining dramatics then ensued after Ali Eslami was reduced to just one big blind (110k) before doubling-up four times to boost his stack to 1.59m. Eslami’s luck then run out, however, when his pocket deuces fell to the K-J of Max Steinberg, and so Ali Eslami exited in 4th for a $133,700 payday.
Next, Raouf Malek (J-6) got all his chips in on a 10-9-2-K-Q board only to discover Steinberg with A-J held the higher straight. Subsequently Raouf Malek’s departure in 3rd place ($192,400) heralded in the heads-up phase of the competition with Steinberg holding a 3-1 chip advantage over Josh Hale.
Despite eliminating every player at the final table, Max Steinberg (Q-6) then failed to close out the match after Hale (Qh-2h) made a flush on a 10c-10h-6h-4d-3h board to score a key double-up. Soon after the defining hand was played with Steinberg’s tournament at risk holding A-K to the pocket jacks of Josh Hale. The 9-8-8-5-J sealed Max Steinberg’s fate as he walked away richer to the tune of $293,490, while Josh Hale was crowned the WPT Legends of Poker.
The final table payouts were as follows:
1. Josh Hale – $500,000
2. Max Steinberg – $293,490
3. Raouf Malek – $192,400
4. Ali Eslami – $133,700
5. Greg Mueller – $97,100
6. Jeff Madsen – $75,400