Heading into the World Poker Tour Legends of Poker Main Event on Wednesday, Joe Pelton’s largest  tournament victory was a 2005 super-satellite entry into the World Series of Poker Main Event. The payout for that event was a respectable $25,700, however those winnings would only amount to small change when  compared to the $1.5 million Pelton will take home for winning the forth tournament in the WPT season five schedule. Although he had previously cashed in two WSOP events, Pelton’s victory was most unexpected, considering that he was playing against some of the best players in the word at the Main Event Final Table of the 2006 Legends of Poker tournament. 

Pelton would start the day in third place with $1,100,000 in chips only to find himself seated between the two chip leaders, Frankie O’Dell (3,880,000) and Kevin O’Donnell ($2,345,000). O’Dell arrived to the final table as chip leader after cracking Scotty Nguyen’s pocket aces on the hand before the final set. O’Dell would remain in the lead for almost the entirety of the final table play, and would not relinquish it until play was heads-up. O’Dell, a WSOP bracelet holder in the 2003 Omaha High-Low Split, played well enough to win, vanquishing O’Donnell when the two poker players were first and second in chips, allowing O’Dell to enter into three-handed play against Hoyt Corkins and Pelton with a 2-1 chip lead. 

Corkins had moved all-in over the top of a Pelton raise and was quickly called by the eventual tournament winner. Corkins showed a pair of threes and Pelton had a J-10 off-suit. Pelton would go on to hit a Jack on the flop, knocking Corkins out of the final table.

After doubling through O’Dell, Pelton again found himself facing a significant re-raise when O’Dell moved all over the top with pocket sixes. Pelton called with a A-7 off-suit. Pelton’s hand would hold up as he was able to gain a Ace on the flop, giving him his first major tournament victory. “Going into the final table I felt my chances were as good as the other players,“ Pelton  reflected. “I realized I was playing with pros and hoped that Randy (Holland)and Scotty would be knocked out early. I never felt in danger of losing when I went all-in, I was confident in my cards and was able to keep my bluffing to a minimum.� Next up for the World Poker Tour is the Borgata Poker Open, which will be held in Atlantic City, New Jersey . The televised $10,000 WPT event will begin on September 15th.

                                                                  - Ryan Wallace