Home / Poker News March 2011 / WPT LA Poker Classic – Brooks wins
WPT LA Poker Classic – Brooks wins
Posted by: James Carter. - Mon, 2011-03-07 03:55
The final table of the LA Poker Classic featured a rather formidable lineup indeed: there were no fewer than 2 players at the table who already had a WPT title under their belt. Vivek Rajkumar had one, and Carlos Mortensen had an impressive 3 titles going into the final stretch of the poker tournament.
It would so happen though that none of them would be able to add another one to the trophy case. Gregory Brooks was the last player standing when it was all said and done, a $1,654,120 prize in his possession.
Darryll Fish was the first victim of the final table. He decided to shove all-in holding Q,10 and got a caller in Carlos Mortensen, who had pocket Qs. The board fell a bunch of bricks and Fish was bounced.
The next elimination was that of Steve Gross. Gross’ J,10 went up against Vivek Rajkumar’s Ac,3c. Again, no help came on the board for either of the involved hands, and Gross was out.
Amit Lehavot’s elimination in 4th place also came courtesy of Rajkumar. The chips went into the middle on the flop and Rajkumar’s Q,Q wasn’t even really challenged by Lehavot’s K,Q.
As the three-handed stage of the action was reached, both Rajkumar and Mortensen were still in contention, and it looked inevitable that one of them would proceed to win it. Brooks had other plans though. He bounced Mortensen when he made a flush on the river of a hand in which Mortensen had flopped a top pair. That deed thrust Brooks into a massive lead heading into the heads-up stage. Rajkumar did put up a decent fight, but in the end he couldn’t put off the inevitable anymore. The end came after 30 hands of heads-up action. When the chips went into the middle for the last time, Brooks had 8,7 on a board of 7,3,2 against Rajkumar’s Jh, 10h. A deuce fell on the turn and an A on the river to seal the deal in Brooks’ favor.
