Event #9: $1,600 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event

After a speedy five and a half hours from the beginning of final-table play, we have a winner here at Harrah's New Orleans. Jonathan Poche outlasted the field, taking home a first-place prize of $121,017. In addition, Poche has earned a seat in the WSOP-C National Championship to be held at Caesars in Las Vegas later this month. The final table was as by the book as can be. Except for two overcards beating a pair on a few occasions, the best hand held every time there was an all in and a call.

Poche started the final table sixth in chips with 656,000 and thanks to a few won races and best-hand holds, he rose to the top. With seven players left, Poche doubled with    against Jacob Bazeley's    to give Poche a seven-figure stack. Shortly after that, Billie Payne shoved a 13bb stack with   . Unfortunately for Payne, Poche woke up with    in the big blind. Another big hand in the big blind worked well for Poche with five players left as his    held against Scott Zakheim's   .

The key hand for Poche came with three players remaining when he was the short stack.. His    defeated Josh Evans'    when an ace hit the flop. The next hand he eliminated Evans, leaving Bobby Toye as the lone opponent standing in his way. Heads-up play began with both players having nearly identical stacks, but they would only go one direction from there. Poche dominated his opponent with relentless aggression, including two four-bet shoves that really lopsided the chips in his favor. It wasn't long before Toye shoved with    and ran into Poche's   . As was the case for all the dominating favorites at the final table, the best hand held up and the title was clinched for Poche.

That concludes PokerNews' coverage of the Main Event here at Harrah's New Orleans. Congratulations to Jonathan Poche and be sure to join us as tomorrow as the $10,000 WSOP-C Regional Championship kicks off at noon local time. Until then, good night from New Orleans!

It's another pot to Poche.

This one started with Bobby Toye opening to 150,000 and Poche defending his big blind. The two men checked through the       flop, and the   landed on fourth street. Poche took his cue to bet 185,000 at the pot, and Toye made the call to see the final card. It was the   to double-pair the board, and Poche fired out again with 285,000 chips. Toye under-raised to 550,000 (?), and Poche quickly called with    .

It was good, and Toye's muck forces him all the way down to about 1.1 million.

The heads-up match began nearly even in chips, but Jonathan Poche has begun to open up a small lead.

On the last hand, it was he who opened to 185,000 from the button, and Robert Toye reraised to 550,000. Poche shoved all in, and the crowd rose to their feet. Toye surrendered, though, and he'll drop to 2.94 million.

That gives Poche the other 4.7 million chips and a decent edge in this match.

On Hand #101 of the day, another big pot broke out.

It began with Josh Evans opening to 180,000, and Jonathan Poche's answer was a three-bet shove for 1.775 million. Evans made the call, and the two men were close in chips as the cards were tabled.

Showdown

Evans:    

Poche:    

The       flop was just what Poche was looking for, pairing up to take a commanding lead with two cards to come. The turn   was a blank, and the river   meant no change, either.

With Big Slick doing the work, Jonathan Poche has doubled up to 3.65 million. When the stacks were counted down, Evans was left with just 250,000 lonely chips with which to try and mount a comeback.

The players are on a break, so here is an update on their stacks.

Bobby Toye	3,905,000	5,000
Jonathan Poche	1,985,000	-15,000
Josh Evans	1,750,000	50,000

First into the pot from the cutoff, Josh Evans opened to 115,000, and Bobby Toye reraised to 250,000 next door. Undeterred, Evans four-bet right back to 580,000. Toye's response? All in for 1.9 million, and Evans made the call to put nearly 4 million chips up for grabs. Let's see 'em:

Evans:    

Toye:    

The       flop was no good for Evans, but the turn   gave him a little crack with two more outs to Broadway and the knockout. He was looking for a king or an ace, but the river   was a blank. The kings hold up for Toye, and he's skyrocketed all the way up to 3.915 million.

Evans is left with 875,000 after that monster pot was pushed away from him.

From the button, Todd Wood raised to 110,000, and Josh Evans three-bet to 265,000 next door. Wood responded by reraising right back to 715,000, and he was pretty much priced in when Evans shoved for 1.22 million all in. Evans was at risk as the cards were tabled, and he was well ahead.

Showdown

Wood:    

Evans:    

Wood got some small help as the       flop opened up two more outs to the win. The turn   was a blank, though, and so was the   river. That sends the biggest pot of the tournament into Evans corner, leapfrogging him from short stack to chip leader with 2.53 million now.

After dropping that double up, Wood is all the way down to just 820,000.

Under the gun, Jonathan Poche raised to 110,000, and Josh Evans three-bet all in for another 935,000 on top. Poche gave it a look before surrendering, and Evans stacks an additional 180,000 chips into his pile.

Scott Zakheim raised to 90,000, and Jonathan Poche three-bet all in with the covering stack. Zakheim called all in for about 700,000 total, and he was flipping for double or nothing.

Showdown

Zakheim:    

Poche:    

Zakheim could not connect with the board as the dealer ran out          . Unable to improve, his day has come to an end in 5th place, good for more than $30,000.