WPTDeepStacks Main Event champion Jeff Trudeau and friends (Photo Credit: WPT/Eric Harkins)
The WPTDeepStacks returned to Seminole Hard Rock Tampa for the fourth straight year June 5th through 19th. In that time, 10 new champions were crowned including Jeff Trudeau who took down the $1,100 buy-in Main Event.
For the first time in series history, the guarantee in the finale was raised to $500,000 and the turnout surged accordingly. A total of 659 entries blasted past the half-million dollar target for a total prize pool of $639,230. For the win, Trudeau pocketed better than $120,000 — a figure inclusive of a $3,000 season-ending WPTDeepStacks Championship package where he’ll represent the Seminole Hard Rock.
2019 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Florida Event 8 $1,100 Buy-in Main Event (Re-Entry) $500,000 Guaranteed Entries: 659 Prize Pool: $639,230 June 13-17, 2019
(Photo Credit: WPT/Eric Harkins)
(Tampa, FL) — The WPTDeepStacks Main Event concluded Monday evening at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa. Claiming an outright win in the $1,100 buy-in series finale was Jeff Trudeau, a Seminole regular, earning $120,842. That prize figure is inclusive of a $3,000 package into the season-ending WPTDeepStacks Champions where Trudeau will represent the Seminole Hard Rock.
Trudeau was a man of few words following the win.
“Pretty good,” he laughed when asked how it felt to be a WPTDeepStacks Tampa champion.
Running over the course of three starting flights and two restart days, Trudeau’s win was a marathon that went deep into the structure. His Day 2 bag came in Flight C and he stayed toward the top of the list before bagging the second biggest stack at the final table.
Monday’s final session action was fast, losing the first six players in just over two hours. Trudeau was a spectator for much of that and could only watch as tablemate Fabian Foster built a huge stack. Following Wendy Vo’s third-place elimination, it was heads and Trudeau was a 2-to-1 underdog. He doubled to level the stacks, but gave up a double a few hands later was a 4-to-1 chip underdog. In the end, he overcame Foster to be crowned a WPTDeepStacks champion. Foster, who was born and raised in Jamaica, earned $82,627 for his second-place finish.
Trudeau is a 25-year-old poker professional from nearby Mount Dora. His WPTDeepStacks victory is a career highlight, but the winner’s circle is familiar territory for the accomplished pro. Dating back to 2011, he’s recorded more than 170 tournament cashes including 19 tournament wins and totaling more than $1,500,000. Monday’s six-figure score marks his second-largest cash to date behind only a 26th-place finish in last year’s $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event.
The WPTDeepStacks Main Event marked the eighth of 10 trophy events on the Tampa schedule which began June 5. With 659 entries, the $500,000 prize pool was easily surpassed topping out at $639,230. Additionally, the turnout marked a notable year-over-year attendance increase of nearly 40 entries.
It was Trudeau that got the best of it, but a slew of other notables finished in the money; Jonathan Hilton (12th, $9,792), Jordan Joeckel (13th, $7,794), Steve Trizis (30th, $3,118), Wally Maddah (39th, $2,736), Tony March (40th, $2,736) and Anthony Astarita (68th, $1,934). Astarita’s 68th-place finish might not seem like much, but he won the inaugural WPTDeepStacks Tampa in 2016 and has recorded cashes every since.
Thank you to everyone who played this event and see you next year!
(Photo Credit: WPT/Eric Harkins)
WPTDeepStacks Tampa results:
1st: Jeff Trudeau – $120,842 + Trophy 2nd: Fabian Foster – $82,627 3rd: Wendy Vo – $53,259 4th: Saj Illikal – $38,765 5th: Dan Chalifour – $29,712 6th: Mark Scacewater – $23,776 7th: Peter Walsworth – $19,704 8th: Ryan Anderkin – $15,689 9th: Alex Kimpel – $11,783
Complete tournament results available by clicking the link below
$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event $500,000 Guarantee | Structure | Payouts Level 35: 200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 659
Fabian limped the button the Jeff Trudeau raised it to 1,000,000. Foster called and the flop fell . Trudeau lead for 1,050,000 and Foster shoved. Trudeau called off 7,650,000 total and the cards were up.
Trudeau: for top pair, king kicker Foster: for top pair, six kicker
Turn and river:
Trudeau improved even more and doubled through Foster. Foster was left with only 2,150,000.
Jeff Trudeau – 17,620,000 Fabian Foster – 2,150,000
. Trudeau lead for 1,050,000 and Foster shoved. Trudeau called off 7,650,000 total and the cards were up.
for top pair, king kicker
