Close Finish to L.A. Poker Classic

February 27, 2009 (InfoPowa News) — The finale of the 2009 WPT Los Angeles Poker Classic this week saw a final table to daunt all but the strongest hearts — Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, hot Internet player Mike Sowers, Chris Karagulleyan, Cornel Andrew Cimpan, Pat Walsh and Binh Nguyen faced each other at the Commerce Casino, California.
 
It took a tough 12-hour session to finally reach a winner — Cimpan — who took home the main prize of $1,686,760, a WPT bracelet and a $25,000 seat sponsorship into the WPT's World Championship this April after an excitingly close, 117 hands, heads up with Binh Nguyen, whose second placing was accompanied by a check for $935,424. Nguyen had entered the heads up with almost double the chips of his opponent from Texas, but it was not his day.
 
Third place went to Sowers, who earned $654,797 for his time and trouble.
 
It was Cimpan's biggest win yet — prior to the LA Classic he had only won $170,242 in career live tournament play, and the big win this week brings his career earnings to $3,373,520.
 
The L.A. Poker Classic carried a $10,000 buy-in, generated a total prize pool of $6,681,000 and attracted 696 entrants.