Besting a field of 275 players, amateurs and pros alike, Tommy Vedes went straight to the very top and won the Festa al Lago Title. But that’s not all he won, Vedes also won a whopping $1,218,225 first-place prize. This is his biggest and most notable win to date, though he has managed to finish in the 19th place during the WSOP 2009’s main event.
The Final Table
Though the Festa al Lago event was so star-studded that it was almost blinding, what with the participation of pros like Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth, it was Tommy Vedes who made it to the top. It wasn’t an easy climb, however, as his opponents were a sturdy bunch. Jason Lavallee, Craig Crivello, Freddy Deeb, Jason Burt, and Shawn Cunix all put up a good fight. In fact, it took more than an hour for the first player among the six in the final table to be eliminated. Shawn Cunix, who went out with a sizable $168,970, was offed by none other than Vedes himself, a premonition for things to come. Jason Burt was next to go, courtesy of Freddy Deeb. Burt was able toearn $207,725 so it was by no means a loss. Deeb was one of the favorites for this tournament, as he was vying for his third WPT this time around. Alas, it was not meant to be. Deeb, who was arguably the most famous player in the final table, had to exit at fourth with $278,300. Crivello followed shortly after, exiting with $477,090. Finally, it was a match up between Lavallee and Vedes, both formidable players in their own right.
Heads Up with Lavallee and Vedes
With the other four players eliminated, it was Lavallee and Vedes who went on a heads up match. Vedes had a very impressive chip lead against Lavallee, and this was ultimately what defeated the latter. Lavallee had a 7.3 million chip stack while Vedes had 9. Despite putting up a very good fight, Lavallee still couldn’t overcome Vedes’ chip lead. His stack dwindled rapidly, and after some misplaced all-in bets, Vedes was given the victory when Vedes’ lucked out on a queen on the river, giving him a set of queens – more than enough to beat Lavallee’s 8H6H. Lavallee, however, did not go home empty handed, as he won a very sizable $794,150.
Vedes went home a million dollars richer, with the title of Festa al Lago Champion tucked firmly under his belt.
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