Event #9: $1,600 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event (3-day event)

After nearly eight hours of back and forth, exciting, and grueling final table action, we have a winner here at Harrahs Chester. Kenny Nguyen outlasted the field, taking home a first-place prize of $94,901. In addition, Nguyen has earned a seat in the WSOP-C National Championship to be held at Caesars in Las Vegas later this month.

It was anything but an easy path for Kenny, going through many ups and down at the final table. At one point when the blinds and antes were at the 12,000/24,000/4,000 level, Nguyen was down to just more than five big blinds. Fortunately, he found a few double ups though Ari Engel to get back in contention.

First, it was Engel's   . Nguyen held    and survived as the board improved neither players hand. About an hour later, Nguyen doubled through Engel again. This time, Nguyen was slightly behind with    facing Engel's   . However, a ten on the flop kept Nguyen alive in the tournament. An hour and a half after that, Nguyen's    dodged Engel's    to finally give Kenny a seven-figure stack.

That wasn't it for those two, though, as Nguyen found yet another double through Engel. In what Kenny told us was the key hand of his final table, he was on the button at the 25,000/50,000/5,000 level. From the cutoff seat, Ramana Epparla opened to 130,000. Nguyen called on the button, Robert Scott folded his small blind, but Engel squeezed all in from the big blind. After Epparla folded, Nguyen spent a decent amount of time in the tank before calling for his tournament life with   . He had Engel's    dominated and held up, eliminating Engel shortly thereafter. While Nguyen gave up the chip lead briefly during three-handed play, he rebounded to earn the title.

That concludes PokerNews' coverage of the Main Event here at Harrahs Chester. Congratulations to Kenny Nguyen and be sure to join us as next week we will be in New Orleans for more exciting WSOP-C action. Good night from Chester!

From the button, Kenny Nguyen raised to 160,000, and Robert Scott took a flop from the big blind.

It came      , and Scott fired out 100,000 chips of his own. Nguyen called, and he called another 200,000 after the   turn. The river came the  , and Scott slowed down now. When he checked, Nguyen took his cue to fire 250,000 at the pot, and Scott called.

Nguyen tabled     for the open-ender-turned-second-pair. It was good. Scott mucked, and he's left with just about a million chips now as Nguyen climbs to 4.3 million.

From the small blind, Robert Scott opened to 130,000, and Ramana Epparla shoved all in for about 750,000. His two previous shoves had gotten through, but Scott snap-called this one, and the spectators leaned in as the cards were turned up.

"I don't have much," Scott admitted.

Showdown

Scott:    

Epparla:    

Epparla was well in front in his bid to double, but there were still five cards to come.

"One ace," Scott pleaded, but the dealer spread a blank       flop. The turn   was a blank as well, and both men were standing up and pacing nervously as the dealer burned the final card.

"Ace of diamonds, one time!" came a cry from Scott's cheering section.

River:  

Sheesh! That'll do it as the oracle in the stands calls the river card. Scott improves to aces up, locking up the pot and the knockout.

Ramana Epparla came into the day with a massive chip lead, but he was worked down to less than one big blind in the early going. Epparla recovered remarkably well, however, running his stack all the way to a third-place finish. That's good for more than $40,000 -- not bad for your first career cash.

From the small blind, Ramana Epparla raised to 155,000, and Kenny Nguyen defended with a call from the big.

The flop came      , and Epparla continued out with a bet of 205,000. Nguyen raised all in, and Epparla quickly folded, leaving himself with about 1.13 million chips.

We're getting to that point where every pot is significant, and the chip lead is changing hands with every pot that goes past the flop.

On the last hand, Robert Scott completed from the small blind, and Ramana Epparla knocked the table for a free flop from the big. It came      , and it went check-check to the   turn. Scott check-called a bet of 110,000 from Epparla, and that action repeated on the   river with another 160,000-chip bet and call.

Scott showed up     for three pair, and he'd been counterfeited. Epparla's     had a kicker good enough to take the pot, moving him into the lead once again with 2.07 million.

Robert Scott had been whittled down to 730,000 when he three-bet shoved behind a Kenny Nguyen raise of 150,000. Nguyen gave it a long look before folding, increasing Scott to 970,000 again.

From the small blind, Ramana Epparla raised to 135,000, and Kenny Nguyen defended from the big.

The two men checked through the       flop, and the   paired the board on fourth street. Nguyen called a bet of 150,000 this time, and he called another 250,000 after the   river.

Epparla tabled     for the backdoor flush, and Nguyen couldn't beat it. The two men have drawn very close once again, both with right around 2.25 million. Nguyen appears to have the lead by just a few small chips.

From the small blind, Ari Engel shoved his last 70,000 chips into the middle. Ramana Epparla called the extra few chips from the big, and his     was leading Engel's    .

The       flop pulled Engel into the lead, but the   turn stole it right back from him. Things changed again on the river, though, the   dropping to give Engel two pair and the baby double up. It's a start, but he's still awfully short with 160,000.

Under the gun, Ari Engel raised to 120,000, and Ramana Epparla three-bet shoved for 500,000 even. Engel folded, and Epparla climbed to 715,000.

On the next hand, Epparla was the one opening to 130,000, and Engel three-bet to 240,000 from the big blind. Epparla shoved for 710,000, and Engel made the call with a chance at the knockout. He was going to have to come from behind, though.

Showdown

Epparla:    

Engel:    

The board ran through          , and Epparla's kicker plays. He's doubled back to 1.465 million, and it's now he who's back in the top spot, just edging Engel's 1.4 million-chip stack.

It's really a dead heat between all four men, though, and it's most certainly anyone's game at this point.