Sami Bechahed Wins PokerStars North American Poker Tour Las Vegas Main Event At Resorts World

For the primary time in over a decade, a PokerStars North American Poker Tour major occasion champion was determined this week at Resorts World Las Vegas. The remaining desk featured a number of high match professionals, however ultimately, it was French poker supplier Sami Bechahed who emerged victorious with the title and the highest prize of $268,945.

“Throughout this tournament, I faced some incredible players, and the final table was an example of it. I was the second least experienced player on this final table. So I had to manage this carefully, take my time, and it worked out well,” Bechahed informed PokerStars reporters after popping out on high.

Bechahed moved from Europe to America to be together with his spouse, who’s presently 9 months pregnant. He has dealt money video games on a number of of the most important stay streams primarily based out of Southern California through the years however not too long ago has begun to have an increasing number of success on the opposite facet of the desk. In 2022 he took down the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw major occasion for a career-best $274,916. With this newest victory in Las Vegas, Bechahed has elevated his profession earnings to greater than $1.1 million.

The $1,650 buy-in NAPT Las Vegas no-limit maintain’em major occasion attracted 1,095 whole entries throughout six whole beginning flights, surpassing the $1.5 million assure to create a remaining prize pool of $1,609,650 that was paid out among the many high 159 finishers. This was the primary NAPT major occasion held since 2011, which was when the tour’s second season was despatched on hiatus within the wake of poker’s Black Friday.

Plenty of huge names ran deep on this occasion, together with Parker Talbot (thirty sixth), two-time bracelet winner Scott Ball (twenty eighth), two-time bracelet winner David Jackson (twenty second), Aditya Prasetyo (14th), Japanese poker vlogger Masato Yokosawa (thirteenth), World Poker Tour champion Matthew Wantman (twelfth), Aaron Massey (tenth), and three-time bracelet winner Ryan Leng (ninth).

The remaining day started with Bechahed within the lead and Spanish high-stakes common Sergio Aido in second chip place. The very first hand of the day noticed Sandeep Pallampati run high and backside pair into the center set of Aido, who surged into the lead after his hand-held up. Pallampati earned $42,060 because the seventh-place finisher.

WPT champion and four-time bracelet winner Nick Schulman was the subsequent to fall. He referred to as all-in from the large blind with pocket fours for simply over 10 large blinds going through a small-blind shove from Bechahed, who held Ok-7. Bechahed flopped a king and held from there to get rid of Schulman in sixth place ($54,680). The New York native now has greater than $17.1 million in profession match earnings. The 320 Card Player Player of the Year factors he secured for his fifteenth final-table end of 2023 have been sufficient to maneuver him into forty fifth place within the POY standings offered by Global Poker.

Five-handed play lasted for a number of hours. The stalemate was lastly damaged when Aido ran Ok3 into the A10 of Jonathan Borenstein. Both gamers paired their largest card by the flip, however Aido’s kings have been second-best by the tip. He took residence $71,080 because the fifth-place finisher, rising his lifetime earnings to only shy of $16 million.

Not lengthy after that, Bechahed flopped high set of nines with 99 on a 984 board. He check-raised over the continuation guess of Ping Liu, who had three-bet Bechahed’s samm-blind elevate preflop out of the large blind with QQ. Liu referred to as off his stack with the overpair. The 3 flip and 6 river modified nothing and Liu was eradicated in fourth place for $92,410. He now has neatly $2.6 million in lifetime cashes.

David Coleman’s A-9 suited was outrun by the A-8 of Borenstein to depart him quick. He quickly received his final blinds in with Ok-7 suited going through the A-Q of Bechahed. Neither participant paired up by the river and Coleman was despatched packing in third place ($120,130). He now has $3.3 million in profession earnings.

With that, Bechahed took a large chip lead into heads-up play with Borenstein. It took simply 4 palms for him to transform that benefit into the title. Borenstein moved all-in for 13 large blinds from the button with 109. Bechahed referred to as with A10. The board ran out Ok103A7 and Bechahed’s aces up earned him the pot and the title. Borenstein walked away with $168,175 for his efforts. This was his third-largest rating ever. He now has greater than $2.3 million in cashes to his title.

Here is a have a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the remaining desk:

Photo credit: Joe Giron / Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd.