EPISODE SUMMARY

Taking a page from Hollywood, the action at the kickoff event of the World Poker Tour, the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic, can only be described as Fast and Furious. Before a new Champion was crowned, this tournament had everything a fan could ask for: drama, lead changes, "bad beats", and million dollar pots.

The six players who comprised the final table came with backgrounds as diverse as their style of play. From the young, tournament-neophyte Gus Hansen, to the somewhat older, more conservative Chris Bigler, the play at the final table was a study in styles, matching the aggressive, sometimes reckless play of some against the more careful, "odds dictated" play of others.

The event, a Texas Hold 'Em, No Limit game, was staged in the main ballroom of the magnificent Bellagio Casino in the heart of Las Vegas. Bigler came to the final table low-stacked with $136,000 in chips. Hansen, a former professional backgammon player, came to his first final table in the enviable position of chip leader, with just over $1 million. John Hennigan, Kasem "Freddy" Deeb, John Juanda and Scotty Nguyen rounded out the field, most of whom were evenly matched with about $500,000 each.

Nguyen, by far the most experienced tournament player in the group, set the tone early by coming out hard and fast. Always confident, Nguyen boldly predicted before the tournament that he would win it all. With the World Poker Tour's unique "Hole Card Cam", which shows the players hidden cards, the audience for the first time had the chance to see just how brilliant some of Nguyen's early reads were.

Before the end of the game, however, it was Hennigan and Juanda who took turns combining their immense skills and a modicum of luck to win a number of big pots, each at different points taking the chip lead from Hansen.

But Gus Hansen's aggressive play and his own streak of luck kept him in the chip lead for most of the tournament. He had a particularly heated rivalry with Deeb, who seemed to chafe at Hansen's style of play. "He played very bad," Deeb complained, shaking his head after losing a series of big hands on bad beats. "I would like to play this game with him every day for the rest of my life."

The Fast and Furious play exhibited all day continued right to the end. When it came down to the last two men standing, playing heads up with cash on the table, the audience was treated to only two hands before Gus Hansen won in stunning fashion. His take home earnings from the prize pool were $556,480.

All who participated agreed: the action at the inaugural event of the World Poker Tour made it an instant classic.

This tournament is included in the World Poker Tour Season One DVD Collection.