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Epic Poker League Main Event Final Table

Rheem wins inaugural Main Event

Topics: Epic Poker League, David Rheem, Erik Seidel

No matter the outcome today, history would be made. We would know the identity of the first Epic Poker League Main Event champion who would have to defeat some of the top players in the world to earn the title. Six players began the day but only one walked away with the Champion's Ring and $1,000,000.

The Matt Savage designed structure left plenty of room for the players to make moves and play their games, this was not an all-in or fold final table. Despite the action-inducing 6-Max format, only one player was eliminated prior to the dinner break.

Huck Seed began the day with the smallest chip stack by a significant margin. He worked his way back into the game and was a realistic threat until he ran into Jason Mercier. Nearly 80 hands were dealt at the final table before Seed was the first eliminated, losing a race to Mercier. Pocket jacks were outflopped by ace king and Seed was out in 6th place for $107,980.

Seed's knockout began a long series of hands which stretched past the dinner break before the table was narrowed to four players. The lead changed several times, the momentum shifting from one player to another, before Gavin Smith was eliminated in 5th place. Smith made several big comebacks but was unable to find a miracle when he pushed his chips in the middle with pockets nines before Jason Mercier called with queens. Smith is always a crowd favorite and was entertaining until his knockout. He collected $154,260 for his finish.

We were down to 3 players just 10 hands later when Hasan Habib was eliminated. Habib began final table with the chip lead but lost it early in the day to David "Chino" Rheem and it was Rheem who provided his knockout. Pocket jacks were no good versus the pocket aces of Rheem. Habib came into the day with a great chance at the big prize but will take home $237,560.

That left the table with two of the hottest players in the game in Jason Mercier and Erik Seidel along with 2008 November Nine member Chino Rheem. The three took shots at each other until Mercier was the first to succumb.

Erik Seidel began the process by taking nearly all of Mercier's chip stack with a pre-flop race and ace king was good versus Mercier's pocket fives. Just a few hands later and Seidel finished Mercier's tournament with a 3rd place result and $360,970.

Erik Seidel is having one of the best years of his poker career and no one was counting him out even with the chip lead belonging to Rheem. The two went at each other for nearly 50 hands, trading the chip lead several times along the way, until eventually Seidel was all-in ace king. A rock solid hand in a heads up match but he was behind the ace king of Rheem and did not get any help from the board.

After 4 tournament days, 35 hours of playing, and 212 hands at the final table, David "Chino" Rheem has won the inaugural Epic Poker League Main Event. He was awarded the first Champion's Ring along with $1,000,000.

1st - David "Chino" Rheem - $1,000,000
2nd - Erik Seidel - $604,330
3rd - Jason Mercier - $360,970
4th - Hasan Habib - $237,560
5th - Gavin Smith - $154,260
6th - Huck Seed - $107,980