Alexander Lakhov is a big fan of the Merit Cystal Cove Hotel & Casino resort. He can’t get enough of it. Two months ago, Lakhov walked away with the title of World Poker Tour National (WPT) Merit Cyprus Main Event champion and on September 10 he won that tournament’s bigger brother when he took down the 2014 partypoker WPT North Cyprus Main Event.
Lakhov was one of 404 entries in the $4,400 buy-in Main Event, which happens to be the largest-ever WPT Main Event held in sunny Cyprus. He entered the final table second in chips, played a patient game early on and emerged a worthy winner during the 31st level played.
2014 partypoker WPT North Cyprus Main Event Final Table
Seat | Player | Chips |
---|---|---|
1 | Ori Miller | 2,270,000 |
2 | Nicolas Chouity | 4,390,000 |
3 | Igor Devkin | 435,000 |
4 | Dmitry Gromov | 815,000 |
5 | Toby Lewis | 1,085,000 |
6 | Alexander Lakhov | 3,130,000 |
It didn’t take long for the first elimination to occur and it was the short-stack Igor Devkin who was the first player out of the door. Devkin managed to double on the first hand of play, but then then ran his pocket queens into the kings of Nicolas Chouity and didn’t improve.
Chouity claimed another tournament life with a monster hand when he sent the talented cash game pro Ori Miller to the rail. Miller raised all-in from the cutoff for around one million chips during the 40,000/80,000 blind level with what turned out to be . Miller’s move was one that should have won the blinds and antes, however, Chouity was sat on the button with a pair of aces in front of him and he re-shoved to force out the blinds.
The blinds quickly folded and the dealer spread the onto the felt and Miller was gone in fifth place.
Fourth place went to the popular British pro Toby Lewis who crashed out in a blind-versus-blind battle with former WPT Vienna champion Dmitry Gromov.
Lewis and Gromov fought numerous battles while the tournament was four-handed, but it was Gromov who had the last laugh.
Gromov raised to 200,000 from the small blind and Lewis jammed all-in for 2,100,000. Gromov called with and had Lewis’ outkicked. The five community cards provided no drama and Lewis was eliminated.
The Gromov-versus-Lewis hand may have been void of drama, but that cannot be said of the next major pot that Gromov contested. Chouity raised from the button and then called when Gromov three-bet to 550,000 from the small blind.
A flop reading saw Gromov continue with a 620,000 bet and Chouity call. The turn was the and Gromov checked. Chouity took up the role of aggressor and made it 950,000 only to see Gromov check-raise all-in. Chouity called.
The Lebanese star flipped over while Gromov sheepishly turned over the lowly . Only the could come to Gromov’s rescue because the would have improved Chouity to a flush. Guess what happened? That’s right, the peeled off on the river to send a stunned Chouity home in third place.
Thanks to that last hand. Gromov held a 3-to-1 chip lead over his fellow countryman, Lakhov. It was a lead that Gromov didn’t hold for long, raising preflop with pocket aces and then calling when Lakhov three-bet all-in for 3,500,000. Gromov obviously called and Lakhov was at risk of elimination.
Lakhov spiked a jack on the flop, with the on the turn giving him a few extra outs to a Broadway straight. It wasn’t the straight outs that came to Lakhov’s rescue, but the on the river. Lakhov would not relinquish his lead from this point on.
The final hand of the tournament saw Lakhov open from the button, Gromov re-raise all-in for 1,800,000 and Lakhov call.
Gromov showed and Lakhov the . By the river the board read , which left Lakhov’s jacks as the best hand. Gromov exited in second place and Lakhov was crowned the 2014 partypoker WPT North Cyprus Main Event champion.
2014 partypoker WPT North Cyprus Main Event Final Table Results
Place | Player | Prize |
---|---|---|
1 | Alexander Lakhov | $325,400 |
2 | Dmitry Gromov | $215,000 |
3 | Nicolas Chouity | $140,000 |
4 | Toby Lewis | $102,820 |
5 | Ori Miller | $77,000 |
6 | Igor Devkin | $62,000 |
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