Congratulations to Our Winner: Yorane Kerignard ($182,292)

What a fantastic fun-filled feast of frivolity we have had in the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta this week. It has been crammed full of excitement, drama, tears, anguish, spidermen, hotdogs and even a triathlon between two of pokers greatest ambassadors. What more could a poker fan ask for?

169-players entered the event and the last man standing was Yorane Kerignard. It was a sweet moment in the career of Kerignard, after reaching no fewer than three-major final tables, despite failing to convert just one of those opportunities. But that is all in the past, right here – in the present – Kerignard is a WPT Champion and $182,292 the richer after one of the most dramatic and emotion-packed final hands we have ever witnessed.

Here is a recap of the WPT Malta Final Table

Alessio Isaia celebrated his birthday within the first few orbits after doubling through the chip leader Jackson Genovesi. It was a three-bet pot with the chips going in on a flop of [6d] [4h] [2s]. Isaia held [8s] [8c], Genovesi held [Ah] [Kd] and Isaia managed to fade the necessary cards to receive his birthday present.

Then the biggest hand of the tournament, and one that pushed Genovesi into a big lead. The Italian opened the pot before calling a three-bet from the Finnish player Sampo Ryynanen and after much raising and re-raising the pair ended up at the river on a board of [Qs] [Tc] [2c] [5s] [Ts]. It was a huge pot by this time and Genovesi put Ryynanen all-in. After much deliberation and an exceedingly long time in the tank Ryynanen made the call that would see him crashing out of the tournament. Genovesi was holding pocket queens for the full house and Ryynanen was holding pocket kings.

Then just before the level ended, five became four when Alessio Isaia capped off his fine level by eliminating the short stack, Zeljko Krizan. It was all-in pre flop with Isaia winning a flip to push himself just behind the leaders in third place.

Level 23 saw the final table become an all-male affair when Hui Chen Kuo was eliminated in fourth place. It was a pre flop all-in encounter versus Yorane Kerignard and she was in a dominating position [Ad] [Kh] v [Ks] [Js]. The flop brought the sweat that Kuo didn’t want to see – [Ts] [4s] [4h] – and the [6s] on the turn was even worse, as the made flush sent Kitty out of the competition.

Three-handed action started with a little lull, followed by a storm. Jackson Genovesi and Yorane Kerignard going to war whilst a very happy Alessio Isaia looked on with arms folded. After a fight and a scrap on every street, we ended up at the river on a board of [8d] [6d] [5d] [9c] [2c] and Kerignard moved all-in. It was a bold move and one that resulting in the longest dwell time the final table had experienced. Finally, Genovesi laid down [Qh] [7h] for the straight and then promptly asked the dealer for somewhere to vomit! That hand propelling the Frenchman into a dominating position.

It took four-hours of three way action before we lost our third place finisher, and it turned out to be our birthday boy. WPT Champions Club member Alessio Isaia moved all-in and was called by both Jackson Genovesi and Yorane Kerignard. It looked like the pair were going to check it down to the river on a board of [Ks] [Jh] [8s] [Kh] [8h] until Genovesi bet 200,000 to chase Kerignard away from the pot. To be betting at this moment meant he must have been strong, and he did indeed show [Kc] [7h] for the full house, and all Isaia could produce was a lowly [7d] [5d].

So our heads-up encounter fell between Jackson Genovesi and Yorane Kerignard. Genovesi started with the chip lead and then Kerignard ripped it out of his grasp, before it all ended in amazing scenes that can be recapped in the post below.