Chino Rheem Wins Five Diamond World Poker Classic

by Bodog Casino | Dec 23 2008

The World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Classic Championship Final Table proved to be an epic roller coaster that had spectators guessing and gasping for hours. Ultimately it was Chino Rheem, fresh off his seventh place finish at the WSOP Final Table, who took down this prestigious WPT event and the $1,538,730 that went with it.

Coming into the Final Table Steve Sung had the chip lead with 5,885,000 followed by Evan McNiff with 4,805,000, Chino Rheem with 4,240,000, Amnon Filippi with 2,750,000, Justin Young with 2,410,000 and Hoyt Corkins with 2,295,000.

Getting to that Final Table wasn’t easy though, with a total field of 497 players many of whom are top poker pros. While the field was impressive considering the large $15,000 + $400 buy-in, numbers were down significantly from previous years. In 2006 583 players bought in and last year saw a whopping 626.

Among the poker pros battling for their share of the prize pool was Michael Binger who represented the last chance for John Phan to be bumped out of first place in the 2008 Card Player Player of the Year standings. Binger’s hopes were dashed however when he busted out on Day 3 of the tournament making John Phan the official Card Player POY.

The Final Table saw some very tight play mixed with explosions of aggression. Hoy Corkins went home first and won $216,175, followed by Amnon Filippi ($288,235), Steve Sung ($396,205) and Evan McNiff ($540,440).

The real story however, was the back-and-forth heads-up battle between Chino Rheem and Justin Young.

Young’s lack of live tournament experience and relatively small chipstack entering into the Final Table didn’t prevent him from giving Rheem the battle of a lifetime. The two butted heads and swapped the chip lead for hours before Rheem was able to take the final pot.

Highlights of the Heads-Up Battle

Justin Young entered heads-up with a significant chip lead of 14,100,000 over Chino Rheem’s 8,185,000. Rheem took the lead away early after a hand in which Young raised preflop, got called, then bet the flop, got raised and he made the call. Rheem made a large bet on the turn and Young folded giving Rheem the pot and the lead.

After that the chip lead swapping continued with Young making a straight on the river, then Rheem took it back again when his two pair showed down Young’s top pair. Rheem then built up his lead even more after getting Young to lay his hand down to his three-bet all-in push.

Then the pendulum began to swing again as Young doubled up after calling Rheem’s preflop all-in with A-6 beating Rheem’s pocket threes when a six hit on the flop. Young’s momentum continued as he retook the lead after Rheem pushed all-in with A-K suited after a flop of J-10-7. Young made the call with Q-10. The 10’s held and Young led again.

Rheem once again retook the lead when he pushed all-in after the flop on a flush draw while Young made the call with two pair. The club Rheem needed fell on the turn and Rheem was poised for victory. The final hand saw Young push all-in after making top pair with queens on the flop, Rheem insta-called and showed pocket kings. With no help on the turn or river for Young, the win was Rheem’s.

Next up on the World Poker Tour is the Southern Poker Championship at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. The tournament runs from Jan. 14-17, 2009.

Justin Young proved, like so many before him, that you don’t need to be a poker legend to get a good shot at winning millions. Get yourself a seat at a major WPT event with Bodog’s online qualifiers take your stab at wealth and fame.