EPISODE SUMMARY

Brunson, by virtue of having more chips when he and Forrest went all in, finished in 4th place, with an almost $160,000 payout, and Forrest in 5th place, with nearly $120,000 in winnings.

A,Q in the hole is a very strong hand in No Limit Hold 'Em, but it has been nothing but trouble for Ivey on the World Poker Tour. He was ousted at the Foxwoods final table by Howard Lederer when Ivey's A,Q was beaten by Lederer's wired K's. With the WPT Championship down to a three handed table, Ivey, with an A,Q, went over the top of Gerasimov's $100,000 bet and Goehring's call by going all in, only to see the Russian call him and turn over an A,K. Ivey knew it was over when the flop paired Gerasimov's K. Ivey finished in 3rd place with $253,313 in prize money, and perhaps a new hesitancy to play an A,Q.

It was now heads up, and despite the fact that Goehring had a commanding chip lead, most knowledgeable observers were not counting the young Russian out. Though he had only been playing tournament poker for about a year, this game is his specialty, having recently won European Heads Up title.

The action continued to be astounding. On one hand, Goehring was dealt pocket K's and decide to slow play it. Gerasimov, with an A,4 of Diamonds, had the perfect hand to be milked for a considerable portion of his stack. But Goehring's trap backfired when the board showed four 7's and a J and Gerasimov won the considerable pot with a better kicker. At this point Goehring held only a slight chip lead over the Russian.

In another couple of hands, the Russian had a 6,4 off suit and limped into the pot. Goehring raised $100,000 and Gerasimov, astonishingly, called. The flop was a rainbow A,7,3 and Gerasimov, called another $100,000 bet with only the chance of making an inside straight! The turn was a J and Alan checked. Sensing weakness, the Russian, who had learned poker partly through the study of Brunson's book, made a bold $300,000 bet with absolutely nothing. Alan, himself only having only a 7,5 off suit, had no option but to fold. With this hand, Gerasimov, had miraculously taken a $2 Million chip lead.

But the chip lead would swing back to Goehring again, threatening occasionally to come back to Gerasimov, before the ultimate hand, perhaps the most exciting final hand of the entire season.

Gerasimov, with an 8,6 off suit, limped into the pot and Goehring, with an 8,5 checked. The flop came 8,5,4 giving Goehring the top two pair, and Gerasimov a shot at an inside straight. Goehring bet $50,000, but the Russian, ever the aggressor, raised to $300,000. Goehring re-raised all in, the Russian calling. The turn was a 7, giving Gerasimov his straight, the Russian pumping his fist in the air triumphantly. But his celebration was short-lived as the river turned over an 8, completing Goehring's full house. The good-natured Gerasimov seemed to take his 2nd place finish in stride, busy calculating how many rubles are in $506,625.

Goehring, who had never won a major tournament, but finished 2nd three times, had knocked that monkey off his back in stellar fashion, pocketing well over $1,000,000 in prize money and becoming the World Poker Tour's first WPT Championship Champion.

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