Paul Klann Wins WPT L.A Poker Classic

The World Poker Tour's L.A Poker Classic is one of the most prestigious events around attracting some of the biggest and the best players from around the globe. This years event proved no different as six quality players going to the final table, including Toby Lewis of the UK who is already an EPT winner, veteran player Danny Fuhs, final day chip leader Volpe, two 'stars' of the future in David Fong and Jesse Yaginuma and the eventual winner Paul Klann. The L.A Commerce Casino was the venue for what panned out to be a grueling final table with a monumental heads up battle to round it off.

From Six Down to One

It didn't take long to get to the first elimination of the day, just the thirteen hands is all it took before the short stacked Englishman Lewis was sent to the rails. He was a tad unlucky up against Fuhs with the veteran holding A, 9 against the A, 10 of Lewis. The 9 came on the flop and the ten never showed meaning the table was down to five. After that elimination there was a period where Volpe and Klann dominated the action steadily building their stacks and after 80 hands we saw the next player drop. It was Fong that walked taking on Fuhs in a pretty standard queens v kings and we were down to four. The field was now tightly bunched together with Klann leading the way as we headed into the night session. It was the most experienced player at the table that went next and the Pro Fuhs got his stack in against Volpe. Fuhs holding a Q,9 against Volpe's K, J and Fuhs was never in it with nothing on the board adding to anyone's hand and Fuhs left in fourth spot adding to his career winnings. The action heated up with just the three players left and when Yaginuma pushed all in, it didn't take long for Volpe to make the call. Yaginuma was holding a Q,J up against the A,10 of Volpe and again nothing came to change either hand with Volpe winning with his Ace high meaning that we were down to heads up play to determine who would become the WPT L.A Poker Classic champion. At this stage Volpe had a huge chip lead but Klann had his mind on playing the hard game slowly eating away at his opponents stack and at the break around midnight he had the lead down to just 500K.

Klann Come From Behind

Klanns dominance meant that he had won 16 out of the last 20 hands and had now taken the lead however Volpe came back and doubled up giving him a 6 to 1 chip lead and looked well on his way to taking the title. That lead however didn't last too long and Klann fought back hard in this enthralling period of play that eventually led to Klann taking the title in stunning fashion. Now more or less equal in chips Klann made a small raise and Volpe moved over the top and called all in. Klann made the call with just a K,10 while Vople, surprised everyone by showing just a J,9. The board came with no jack or nine meaning that Klann had double up and on the very next hand, Vople with just 600K in chips remaining bowed out giving Klann the title. Klann bagged just over $1,000,000 in prize money and the WPT L.A Classic Poker crown.