Event #31: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship

Frank Maggio capped off a four-and-a-half-hour final table to win his first WSOP gold bracelet and $617,303. Maggio is the winner of Event #31: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship. This year's event was the largest ever. Maggio sealed the win after only eight hands of heads-up play against runner-up William Murray. Two hands before the final hand, Maggio gained the chip lead when he five-bet shoved on Murray.

"I had tens," said Murray. "I just decided I wasn't going to back down."

Two hands later, the two players got all in on a queen-high flop. Maggio three-bet shoved and Murray called with middle pair against Maggio's pocket jacks.

"I wasn't that concerned with the three. I was just worried about spades," said Maggio about the hand.

By the time the board ran out, the spades didn't come and Maggio was $617,303 richer. Maggio won his first WSOP bracelet on his third-ever WSOP cash.

"I've been coming out here every year since I turned fifty," he said, "to play the Senior's event and some other stuff."

"I cashed a couple years ago and this year's a big surprise."

Below are the final-table finishers for this record-breaking event:

The final table started when Dan Heimiller was eliminated on the very first hand of play. He four-bet shoved pocket jacks from the big blind and Murray, who had three-bet from the small blind, called with pocket kings.

Paul Spitzberg busted nine hands later in eighth place when he got it all in with ace-king versus the pocket tens of eventual third-place finisher Dieter Dechant.

It only took six more hands to lose the seventh-place finisher, Lewis Leclair. He was eliminated by Murray when the two got all in on an eight-high flop. Murray had a pair of sevens with an ace kicker and Leclair had pocket queens. Murray rivered an ace and took the chip lead with over 9,000,000 chips.

Gina Bacon was the next to go. Her stack had dwindled down to a little over three big blinds before she shoved with ace-jack and ran into the pocket queens of Mark Lillge.

"I got good hands at just the right moments," said Maggio.

The hand that sent Anthony Licastro to the rail in fourth place was the second-biggest pot of the final table — second only to the final hand. Licastro had been very aggressively raising big amounts and he played a massive 14,000,000 pot with Maggio. The single pot was worth more than half the chips in play and set Maggio up for the eventual win.

"I smooth-called with ace-king suited and [Licastro] shoved for a rather large amount. I hit an ace and a king on the flop and I really needed to hit that hand or I would have been out the door."

Mark Lillge was the short stack and busted seven hands after Licastro. He got it all in against Murray with eights and Murray paired one of his two overcards on the flop.

Murray earned his fourth knockout of the final table when he got all in against third-place finisher Dieter Dechant with a set of fives. Dechant had flopped a wheel but couldn't fade the board which paired on the river and was eliminated in third place.

Maggio is a "union sprinkler fitter in Chicago" and says he plans on continuing to play WSOP Circuit events at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana.

He will also likely be back next year to defend his title. This closes the book on the largest Senior's Event in the history of the World Series of Poker. The series is in full swing and you can follow the rest of the action on PokerNews.com.

Congratulations to Frank Maggio for outlasting 5,389 players on the way to his first WSOP bracelet.

Hand #110: William Murray raised to 400,000 and Frank Maggio reraised to 1,360,000. Murray took a second, then counted out a raise and four-bet 2,400,000. Maggio shoved all in for 10,700,000 and Murray folded.

Hand #111: Murray got a walk.

William "Bill" Murray and Frank Maggio are back in their seats and the action has resumed.

Hand #104: Dechant raised to 650,000 from the button and Murray called from the small blind. Maggio called. The flop came     and Murray bet 900,000 and Dechant shoved all in, Murray called.

Dechant had a made wheel with    and was up against the    of Murray. The turn was the   and the river was the  , pairing the board and sending Dechant to the rail in third place.

Dieter Dechant

0

-4,000,000

Hand #99: Mark Lillge moved all in first to act and William Murray announced call on the button. Dieter Dechant in the big blind asked for a count and Lillge was all in for 1,355,000.

Lillge:   
Murray:   

"You got a pair?" Lillge asked and Murray shook his head before the cards were tabled.

"I gotta call, right?" Murray replied.

Lillge said, "You can get away from it."

The flop fell     and Murray immediately improved to a pair of kings. He stayed in the lead on the   turn and the   river was a blank as well to eliminate Lillge in fourth place for $209,715. The remaining three players have $281,691 guaranteed.

William Murray	9,200,000	2,300,000
Dieter Dechant	4,000,000	-400,000
Mark Lillge	0	-1,800,000

Hand #92: William Murray raised to 500,000 and Maggio called from one seat over. Anthony Licastro immediately moved all in out of the big blind and Murray folded. Maggio announced call and the cards were tables.

Licastro:   
Maggio:   

The flop of     provided both overcards for Maggio and the   turn and   river failed to improve Licastro. Both stacks were counted and Licastro had 6,500,000, which Maggio had covered by just a few big blinds.

Licastro takes home $157,321 and the remaining four players have $209,715 locked up. Mark Lillge, especially, was happy about that and joked, "Bless you, Frank."

Frank Maggio	14,000,000	8,000,000
William Murray	6,900,000	-100,000
Mark Lillge	1,800,000	-150,000
Anthony Licastro	0	-7,000,000

Hand #84: Frank Maggio got a walk.

Hand #85: Anthony Licastro raised to 650,000 and everyone folded.

Hand #86: Maggio raised to 650,000 from the button and everyone folded.

Hand #87: Mark Lillge shoved all in from the small blind for about 2,500,000 and Licastro folded.

Hand #88: Maggio raised to 550,000 from under the gun and everyone folded.

Hand #89: Licastro raised to 650,000 on the button and everyone folded.

Hand #80: Mark Lillge raised to 310,000 from under the gun and Dieter Dechant called out of the big blind. The flop of     was checked by both players to see the   on the turn. Again neither player bet and the   appeared on the river. Dechant bet 325,000 and Lillge called.

Dechant showed    for two pairs and raked in the pot.

Hand #81: Dechant raised it up to 360,000 from the small blind and Lillge forfeited his big blind.

Hand #82: Lillge raised to 310,000 and Anthony Licastro immediately three-bet to 1,000,000, forcing a fold from Lillge.

Hand #83: Dechant raised to 275,000 and William Murray three-bet to 650,000

William Murray	7,000,000	950,000
Anthony Licastro	7,000,000	-700,000
Frank Maggio	6,000,000	-100,000
Dieter Dechant	4,700,000	900,000
Mark Lillge	2,530,000	-970,000

Hand #68: William Murray raised to 400,000 and all opponents folded.

Hand #69: Frank Maggio started the hand with a raise to 350,000 and claimed the blinds and antes.

Hand #70: Mark Lillge raised to 290,000 and Maggio called out of the big blind. On the flop of    , Maggio checked and Lillge continued for 375,000. Maggio gave him a little staredown and elected to fold.

Hand #71: Lillge raised to 310,000 and claimed the second pot in the row after all opponents folded.

Hand #72: Maggio raised to 500,000 from the button and won the blinds and antes.

Hand #73: Murray's raise to 400,000 from under the gun and Anthony Licastro quickly three-bet to 1,200,000 when the action was on him. Murray called and the flop showed     and Licastro immediately moved all in. Murray folded and was shown the  .

Anthony Licastro	7,700,000	1,400,000
William Murray	6,050,000	-1,250,000

Hand #62: Frank Maggio opened to 350,000 on the button and everyone folded.

Hand #63: Mark Lillge limped from the small blind and Anthony Licastro raised to 625,000. Lillge folded.

Hand #64: Maggio opened to 325,000 from under the gun. Dieter Dechant called in position and William Murray called from the big blind. The flop came     and Maggio was the first to bet, he made it 550,000. Dechant and Murray both folded.

Hand #65: Licastro opened 650,000 and everyone folded.

Hand #66: Dechant got a walk.

Hand #67: Dechant raised to 335,000 from the small blind and Lillge called from the big blind. The flop came     and Dechant bet 350,000. Lillge folded after about 40 seconds.