The first event of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Season XVI, the $3,500 buy-in WPT Beijing, wrapped up this week after Peter Chen topped a capped field of 400 players for $299,485 and a $15,000 Tournament of Champions seat.
The WPT Beijing win saw Chen, a poker pro for nine years now residing in Macau, bring his lifetime earnings up over $1 million, which moved him into third on Taiwan’s all-time money list. Chen, whose prior best cash was $90,712 for finishing sixth in the PokerStars Championship Macau Main Event two weeks ago, began the final table with half the chips in play, and he never relinquished the lead.
Zhang Wenbin Eliminates Two
The most recognizable name at the WPT Beijing final table was the short-stacked Bryan Huang, but he lasted just ten hands. His demise came in Level 27 (25,000/50,000/5,000) when Huang, a PokerStars Team Pro, jammed the button for 875,000 holding the 2♦2♥ and Zhang Wenbin called from the big blind with the J♠J♣. The board ran out 9♠5♣3♠A♥9♥ and that was all she wrote for Huang.
Fourteen hands later, Wenbin raised to 110,000 from early position and Tan Yancheng defended the big blind to see a 9♠4♠3♦ flop. Tan moved all in for 375,000 with the 6♠2♠ for straight and flush draws, and Zhang quickly called with his A♥A♣. Neither the 7♣ turn nor 4♣ river helped Yancheng, and he became Wenbin’s second victim.
Wenbin got off to a hot start, but he cooled off during four-handed play and wound up as Chen’s first casualty. It happened on Hand #79 after Wenbin got his chips in holding pocket queens, only to fall to Chen’s king-jack after a king appeared on the flop.
Pete Chen Takes 5:1 Chip Lead
Lu Yingqi bowed out in third place seven hands later, and Chen took a nearly 5:1 chip lead into heads-up play against Chen Ke. Their match lasted just over 20 hands, but it came to a head in Level 31 (60,000/120,000/20,000) on Hand #111 of the final table.
In what was the final hand of the tournament, Ke moved all in for 1.035 million holding the Q♥3♣ and Chen called with the K♠4♠. Ke was drawing to two live cards, but he was left wanting, as the board ran out an unhelpful A♥10♠10♣7♠9♣.
With his WPT Beijing win, Chen became the first-ever champion of a WPT main tour event in China, and by default took the lead in the Season XVI Hublot WPT Player of the Year race. He also received a championship ring, will have his name etched on the WPT Champions Cup, and a seat into the Tournament of Champions, which just wrapped up its Season XV finale.
The WPT will now head to Holland Casino in Amsterdam for an event to be held May 5-13.
Final Table Results
1 Pete Chen $299,485
2 Chen Ke $199,278
3 Lu Yingqi $128,101
4 Zhang Wenbin $84,974
5 Tan Yancheng $65,401
6 Bryan Huang $54,168
