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Markholt picks up his first WPT bracelet

March 30, 2008

Lee MarkholtAmerican Lee Markholt achieved his 15th career cash on the WPT, although his latest win was by far the most impressive as he cleared up at the 2008 World Poker Challenge.

Markholt had arrived at the final table in second position and found himself up against fellow pro and current CardPlayer Player of the Year, David Pham and four other players looking to make their name on the tour.

Seat Player’s Name Starting Chips
1 Zachary Hyman 285,000
2 Jeff DeWitt 249,000
3 David “The Dragon” Pham 406,000
4 Jason Potter 1,156,000
5 Bryan Devonshire 674,000
6 Lee Markholt 1,137,000

It was DeWitt who crashed out first when his J 10 was called by Markholt’s pair of Queens. The ladies held up to send DeWitt home in 6th place with a cheque for $84,297.

With this win, Markholt took the chip lead which he grew shortly afterwards when he was able to pick up a pot worth 407,000 from Pham with a pair of Jacks. For Pham though the loss of so many chips was a big blow and it put him in the position of short stack and it was something he never really recovered from. Having been able to pick up a pot on an all-in move without showing his hand, Pham tried the same ploy again with A 2.

However, this time he was called by Markholt who had Pham dominated with A 10. with a 10 and a 2 on the turn and river, both players finished with two pairs, but Pham was eliminated in fifth place earning himself $93,664 while Markholt lived to fight on while increasing his chip stack to over 1.9 million.

Pham was visibly frustrated as his search for a first WPT title continues.

Jason Potter was the next player to be eliminated as he crashed out in fourth place ($103,030) when Zac Hyman got some help on the river to complete his flush, but it was Hyman who would go on to lose a couple of big hands and eventually finish in third place.

The player from San Fransisco moved all in from the second blind and was called by Bryan Devonshire who had found himself a pair of nines. Hyman turned over K J but received no help from the board and was eliminated in third spot, earning $149,862.

Devonshire attempted to take this aggressive stance into the heads-up battle, but ultimately it just served to make the final stage a short-lived affair. After just two hands, risked it all on a pair of fours only to find Markholt had him drawing dead with two pair.

Devonshire left the tournament with a cheque for $271,625 while Markholt walked away with his first WPT bracelet, the winners prize of $493,815 and a $25,000 seat at the WPT championship to be held in the Bellagio later on this year.

Written by ShortStack · Filed Under Poker News 

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