【dragon vs tiger】

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Table Of Contents

• WPT Venetian Las Vegas Championship Final Table Results
• Winner's Reaction
• Final Day's Action
• Heads-Up Play

Nico Betbese is the latest name to etch his name into WPT history, defeating a talented final table to capture the WPT Venetian Las Vegas Championship title and take home $706,960 after topping a 1,153-player field and agreeing a heads-up deal with Francis Cruz.

The Argentinian not only walked away with the biggest score of his career, but also secured a coveted seat worth $10,400 into the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas this December. His name will now be engraved on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup, placing him alongside legends of the game who have triumphed on the World Poker Tour.

The final table was also broadcast live from The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, and you can rewatch the whole final table by clicking here.

WPT Venetian Las Vegas Championship Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Payout (USD)
1	Nico Betbese	Argentina	$706,960*
2	Francis Cruz	Dominican Republic	$623,540*
3	Oliver Boesch	Austria	$395,000
4	Iulian Blebea	Romania	$295,000
5	Elvyn Bello	Dominican Republic	$220,000
6	Jamie Flynn	Ireland	$169,000
7	Matthew Davenport	United Kingdom	$130,000
8	Yita Choong	Australia	$101,000
9	Aditya Prasetyo	United States	$79,000

_{*denotes heads-up deal}

Winner's Reaction

“I just tried to take it hand by hand, make the next decision as good as I can, and leave the rest to fate,” Betbese told WPT.com. "That helps me to not feel overwhelmed and from there I can make better decisions."

“We applaud Nico Betbese for an exceptional performance and for joining the prestigious WPT Champions Club,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “It’s always an honor to celebrate these moments with our outstanding partners at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.”

Final Day's Action

Heading into the six-handed final day, it was Elvyn Bello who held the chip lead, and it wasn't long before the first elimination.

Jamie Flynn called a four-bet shove from Nico Betbese with pocket jacks, and was up against the ace-king of Betbese. Unfortunately for the Irishman, an ace came on the turn to send him home as the first elimination of the final day.

This saw Betbese move into the chip lead, but it wouldn't last as two doubles for Oliver Boesch would see him fall to the bottom of the counts. Elvyn Bello exited in fifth in a reversal of the first elimination of the day, as his pocket jacks were overrun by the ace-king of Iulian Blebea.

Betbese would double through Francis Cruz to stay alive, before Cruz sent both Blebea and Boesch home to begin heads-up play.

Heads-Up Play

After back-to-back eliminations, Cruz held the chip lead, and the pair agreed to adjust the payouts. Betbese would double once during heads-up play, and then chip away at Cruz until he held the chip lead.

That chip lead swelled when Betbese turned two pair, and the river ace saw Cruz pay off the Argentinian, with victory following soon thereafter. We can look forward to seeing Betbese later this year, after winning his $10,400 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.

_{Pictures courtesy of World Poker Tour/}