The WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship Main Event attracted a total of 1,229 entries, significantly surpassing the original $3 million guarantee. The prize pool reached $3,932,800, with ITM for the top 154 players and a min-cash of $6,400. The winner was set to receive a life-changing prize of $611,700, including a ticket to the final WPT World Championship worth $10,400 and, of course, the honor of having their name engraved on the prestigious Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.
Event Progress
The initial two flights, Day 1A and Day 1B, saw 628 and 601 entries, respectively, leading to a combined Day 2 with 430 players. As Day 2 progressed, the money bubble burst, and 154 remaining players secured a payout. By the day's end, only 69 players survived, with American Maryon Harper leading the pack, holding 2,915,000 in chips.
Day 3 began with 69 players competing until it reached two tables. Among those making deep runs but not reaching the final day were several familiar names – including former WPT champions Jonathan Jaffe (17th place), Darryll Fish (20th), Mike Vela (21st), and WSOP world champion Ryan Riess (22nd place).
The penultimate Day 4 shrank the field from 16 players down to the final table. Originally set to play down to 6 players, technical issues with the live stream halted the game at 7 players remaining. Heading into the final Day 5, seven finalists were left, with Giuseppe Iadisernia as the commanding leader with 18,400,000 in chips (approximately 92 bb). Other elite players at the final table included Belgian Thomas Boivin (10,100,000 in chips), defending champion from the previous year Martins Adeniya (4,800,000), and Russian high roller Anatoly Nikitin (10,675,000).
Final Table and Winner
The finale took place on January 21, featuring the last seven players. After about two hours of play, Ted McNamara was eliminated in 7th place, forming the official WPT final table with 6 players. Shortly thereafter, within just ten hands of the final day, Eddie Blumenthal exited in 6th place. Fifth place went to Anatoly Nikitin when his 9 c 9 d ran into Jorge Gomez's T s T c. Defending champion Martins Adeniya had to settle for 4th place, winning $220,000.
Three players remained, with Thomas Boivin as the short stack. Although he managed to double up once, he went all-in with A-7, clashing into Giuseppe Iadisernia's A-A, eventually finishing in 3rd place with $295,000. It was a remarkably successful festival for Boivin, who also took home $310,255 for winning the $25k High Roller event a few days earlier in Florida.
In the final heads-up duel, Iadisernia faced Jorge Gomez with a substantial lead of approximately 2:1. Although Gomez, as the short stack, fiercely battled and doubled his stack twice, the comeback was not meant to be. Giuseppe Iadisernia completed his dream run, securing his first WPT circuit title and the top prize of $611,700.
Final Table Results:
| Position | Player Name | Country | Winnings |
| 1 | Giuseppe Iadisernia | Venezuela | $611,700 |
| 2 | Jorge Gomez | USA | $395,000 |
| 3 | Thomas Boivin | Belgium | $295,000 |
| 4 | Martins Adeniya | UK | $220,000 |
| 5 | Anatoly Nikitin | Russia | $167,000 |
| 6 | Eddie Blumenthal | USA | $127,000 |
| 7 | Ted McNamara | USA | $98,000 |
Finally, here's a photo gallery from the event:
Sources: WorldPokerTour, Flickr, X
