Season IX Winner: Moritz Kranich

The US WPT Season IX schedule kicked off with a bang as Bellagio Cup produced a top notch final table that included Phil Ivey making his ninth WPT final table appearance and Justin Smith making his second consecutive Bellagio Cup final table appearance. While Smith improved upon his third place finish in Season VIII, it was Moritz Kranich who walked away with the victory. The German pro bested Smith heads-up to pick up the first domestic WPT title of the season as well as $875,150.