Action was three-way to the J♦8♣2♥ flop, where Orestis Kanakopoulos checked in the big blind. Edward Pak fired 1,000 from middle position before Karneet Arora raised to 2,000 on the button.
Kanakopoulos took a moment and three-bet to 5,400, producing a quick fold from Pak. Arora made the call and the 7♦ turn was revealed.
Kanakopoulos led out for 4,200, with Arora calling again to see the 7♥ river. Kanakopoulos moved all in for 18,600, sending Arora into the tank.
The clock was eventually called, and Aora waited until the last few seconds to toss in the call. Kanakopoulos turned over 2♠2♦ for a full house, earning a big pot as Arora mucked.
Heads-up on a flop of 6♦5♥4♥, Joseph Minialoff bet 1,500 from the hijack and Andrew Moreno called on the button.
Minialoff bet another 1,500 on the K♣ turn and Moreno raised to 3,300. Minialoff called and the 4♦ fell on the river.
Moreno then moved all in for 8,000 and Minialoff called. Moreno showed 10♠8♥, while Moreno had K♦J♣] for two pair to win the pot and send Moreno to the rail.
Last year’s PokerStars North American Poker Tour Las Vegas $1,650 Main Event wrapped saw the final seven players from a 1,095-entry field return to battle it out at a live-streamed final table. After eight hours of play, it was poker dealer Sami Bechahed, whose wife was nine months pregnant at the time, emerging victorious to claim a $268,945 top prize and the first NAPT Main Event title in 12 years!
“(It took) a lot of patience. I don’t know what to say, I’m seriously so shaken,” Bechahed told PokerNews after the win. “It’s surreal to me with this stacked final table with (Sergio) Aido, (Nick) Schulman, (David) Coleman … very good players. I came out on top. It’s surreal.”
Bechahed started collecting live tournament cashes in July 2018 when the French-born poker dealer moved to the other side of the felt. He had already nabbed three six-figure scores in his five-year career and had $941,234 in prior tournament earnings.
“I came in as the chip leader, so I didn’t have to be intimidated by anybody,” he added. “I have a lot of mad respect for all of them, but I’m here to play poker. I’m mostly playing poker to have fun but I take it very seriously. So, I came here to have fun, play my best game, and got really lucky.”
2023 NAPT Las Vegas Main Event Final Table Results
With around 6,000 in the pot on a flop of K♠K♥4♦, Benjamin Hammann bet 200 from under the gun as Mark Dube and Rhett van Leeuwen both called in the blinds.
All three players checked the 3♦ turn. The river was the 7♣ and Dube led out for 3,500. Van Leeuwen called, while Hammann folded.
Dube showed K♦Q♣ for trip kings and Van Leeuwen mucked.
Ricco Fabbio three-bet to 1,900 on the button and Toby Lewis four-bet to 5,500 under the gun. Ron McMillen folded in the cutoff, while Fabbio called to see the 9♠7♦3♠ flop.
Lewis then bet 5,000 and Fabbio quickly called. The turn was the 10♥ and Lewis bet 13,000. Fabbio took a few minutes before moving all in for 15,000, and Lewis snap-called.
Lewis showed Q♥Q♠, while Fabbio had 9♦8♦ for a pair and a straight draw. The 7♠ river missed Fabbio and he was sent to the rail.
"That was a good raise, it got me off pocket nines. The famous Toby Lewis doubles up on Level 2," McMillen told Lewis.
Ontario Gold Pass winner Michael Bartholomew opened to 500 from the hijack before fellow Ontario Gold Pass winner Ethan Kinnaird three-bet to 1,500 from the cutoff. In the small blind, Barry Woods cold-called and Bartholomew called as well.
On the J♥8♥6♦ flop, the action checked to Kinnaird who continued for 1,500. Woods then decided to raise to 5,000 from the small blind, which prompted two quick folds from his opponents to take down a three-bet pot early.
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