Gary Miller Wins WPT500 London for £114,000 ($159,600)

Gary Miller took down the $1,000,000 GTD 888poker WPT500 London for £114,000 ($159,600) after seeing off a field of 1,810 other players.

This score is the biggest of his career and is his first cash at a WPT event since he finished runner-up in a £200 side event at the 2015 WPT National in Newcastle for £14,000. This time he went one further, beating Getnet Hailu heads-up for the title, trophy and prize money. For runner-up Hailu, this is also the biggest cash of his career so far.

Miller came into the final day as chip leader, and although he relinquished it to Hailu on a number of occasions throughout the final table, he emerged triumphant at around 9pm local time.

Here is the full final table results:
1. Gary Miller (£114,000 / $159,600)
2. Getnet Hailu (£79,830 / $111,762)
3. Dwayne Bradley (£51,470 / $72,058
4. Charles Akadiri (£38,075 / $53,305)
5. Sang Leung (£29,000 / $40,600)
6. Richard Hoadley (£23,035 / £32,249)
7. Kevin O’Donnell (£19,075 / $26,705)
8. Adrian Petrus (£15,175 / $21,245)
9. Sunil Mistri (£11,390 / $15,946)

Sunil Mistri was eliminated on the first hand of the day, after his tens were cracked by the ace-jack of Sang Leung. Dwayne Bradley would then double through Adrian Petrus, before Leung sent her second player to the rail in the form of Petrus.

The Romanian got ace-three in against the sevens of his opponent and was eliminated.

By this stage Getnet Hailu had moved ahead of Gary Miller in the standings. After the break it was a rollercoaster for Kevin O’Donnell. First, Charles Akadiri doubled through the American, only for the American to triple up. The very next hand O’Donnell picked up queens, and lost out to Leung’s ace-king when all the money went in pre-flop.

O’Donnell was left with less than one big blind and was eliminated by Richard Hoadley in the next hand. Miller and Hailu would continue to tussle for the chip lead, before Hoadley was eliminated in sixth place. Hoadley was unfortunate to move all in with jack-nine from the small blind, and to get snapped by the aces of Miller in the big blind.

Bradley had been playing relatively solid, and secured a vital double with kings against the threes of Leung, with Leung eliminated soon thereafter at the hands of Miller.

Miller would extend his chip lead after sniffing out a bluff from Hailu, moving four million clear of his three opponents, only for Hailu to claw back that advantage. Akadiri was unfortunate to be sent to the rail next; he held ace-nine against the ace-five of clubs of Miller, but the flop gave Miller a straight flush, coming deuce-three-four of clubs.

It didn’t take long after that for Bradley to be eliminated, jamming jack-five suited into the aces of Hailu and our final pair was confirmed. Miller managed to grind Hailu down to ten big blinds, only for his opponent to double.

Miller then got sevens in against the king-ten of his opponent. A ten on the flop handed Hailu a lifeline, but the seven on the turn meant Miller was crowned champion shortly after 9pm local time.