Qui Nguyen wins the 2016 WSOP Main Event
The Las Vegas local takes down the big one for over $8 million.
He captured the chip lead early on the first day of the final table and never really looked in trouble from that point onwards, though he certainly did not breeze to victory.
39-year-old Qui Nguyen impressed many this week with a strong fearless performance, but runner-up Gordon Vayo clung on to dear life to record one of the longest heads-up matches ever seen in the Main Event, after early favourite Cliff Josephy exited in third place.
On the 364th hand of the final table Nguyen finally dispatched of his opponent, when he called Vayo's short stacked shove of Jack-Ten of Spades with a dominating King-Ten of clubs. A King on the flop was enough to secure $8,005,310 and the title.
Nguyen was born in Vietnam but moved to the US to become a Las Vegas resident. While he refers to himself as a professional, some are speculating we might see a small Moneymaker-esque increased interest in poker following this win, in part because he qualified for the Main Event via a $565 satellite.
Congrats to Qui Nguyen on becoming the 2016 Main Event Champion. He defeated a field of 6,737 and earned $8,005,310. https://t.co/WgI7DON0tI pic.twitter.com/Nr8Ylx6EpJ
— WSOP (@WSOP) November 2, 2016
| Position | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Qui Nguyen | $8,005,310 |
| 2nd | Gordon Vayo | $4,661,228 |
| 3rd | Cliff Josephy | $3,453,035 |
| 4th | Michael Ruane | $2,576,003 |
| 5th | Vojtech ' | $1,935,288 |
| 6th | Kenny Hallaert | $1,464,258 |
| 7th | Griffin Benger | $1,250,190 |
| 8th | Jerry Wong | $1,100,076 |
| 9th | Fernando Pons | $1,000,000 |
| Number of entrants: 1 (6,737) | ||
Did you watch the final? What do you think of our new champion? Share your views in the comments.
