David Shallow Wins WPT Ireland

While he didn’t quite go wire to wire, David Shallow put on an emphatically dominating performance in the first-ever World Poker Tour Ireland Main Event that resulted in his first WPT title and a $289,031 payday.

Shallow took the chip lead midway through Day 2 action and rarely relinquished it as he played his way o victory.  He began the five-handed final table on Sunday with a dominant chip lead, which he held on to despite doubling up both Patrick Vestlin and Ronan Gilligan.  Gilligan got off to a fast start at the final table, busting Steve Watts in fifth place and Vestlin in fourth place to take the chip lead.  Gilligan wouldn’t hold on to those chips for long.  Chaz Chattha took a chunk early in three-handed play, then Shallow knocked Gilligan out to once again amass a big chip lead.

Chattha rallied during heads-up play, at one point taking the chip lead away from Shallow, but Shallow would not be denied.  On the final hand of play, he picked up pocket queens against Chattha’s pocket nines to lock up the victory.  Shallow earns over a quarter million dollars for defeating the field of 338 runners in the €2,500 buy-in event, which includes a seat in the $25,500 WPT Championship at Bellagio in May.

The win is far and away Shallow’s largest live score, besting the $10,424 he earned for an 18th place finish in a WSOP event in 2006.  The Brit has had plenty of online success though, winning the $10,000 High Roller WCOOP Event for over $600,000 in 2010.

The WPT will next head back to Venice for the WPT Venice Grand Prix from February 6-10. Here are the final table results from the WPT Ireland Main Event:

1st: David Shallow – $289,031 (includes $25,000 WPT Championship seat)
2nd: Charles Chattha – $144,502
3rd: Ronan Gilligan – $96,339
4th: Patrik Vestlin – $68,396
5th: Steve Watts – $51,063
6th: Steven Moreau – $40,465


Article Source: News Bluff Magazine Website