WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic - James Dempsey is Champion

December 12, 2011
The British James Dempsey won his first WPT title at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic.
The $10,000 buy-in main event of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic started on the 6th December with 413 players. The prize pool was $4,006,100, with the winner taking home $821,612.
 
The very tough final table started play on the fifth day. Soi Nguyen started as chipleader. 
 
Chair 1. James Dempsey - 3,860,000
Chair 2. Vitor Coelho - 560,000 
Chair 3. Antonio Esfandiari - 1,255,000 
Chair 4. Andrew Lichtenberger - 3,605,000
Chair 5. Vanessa Selbst - 2,250,000
Chair 6. Soi Nguyen - 4,995,000 
 
Antonio Esfandiari got into the final as last year's winner, but only managed to take place 6 this time. At the 26th blind level, James Dempsey went all-in with around 2,000,000 chips from the Button, and Esfandiari, being the big blind, called with {#}A{#}T . Although he had a good chance against Dempsey's {#}A {#}4, the board came {#}7 {#}3 {#}2 {#}4 {#}K, which meant that Esfandiari was out of the game.         
 
Antonio Esfandiari
Antonio Esfandiari 
 
Vitor Coelho was next to leave a few minutes later. He went all-in to Nguyen's 120,000 UTG min-raise with only 255,000 chips and got called by both Vanessa Selbst and Nguyen. The two active players checked throughout the {#}A {#}K {#}3{#}2{#}board, and Nguyen came out as winner with {#}K {#}J
 
Nguyen min-raised again, this time from the button. James Dempsey re-raised to 450,000 from the small blind, to which Andrew 'luckychewy' Lichtenberger went all-in with 2,800,000. After pondering for a while, Nguyen called and Dempsey folded.
 
Lichtenberger: {#}8 {#}
Nguyen: {#}9 {#}9  
 
Board: {#}Q {#}6 {#}4 {#}Q {#}
 
At the same blind level, heads-up play started when Vanessa Selbt opened with 160,000, Nguyen folded, and Dempsey 3bet to 450,000. Selbst went all-in with 2,800,000 and Dempsey called. 
 
Dempsey: {#}A {#}
Selbst: {#}K {#}

Board: {#}6 {#}5 {#}4 {#}A {#}
 
Dempsey won the hand with two pair.  
 
Soi Nguyen - 8,245,000
James Dempsey - 8,345,000
 
Heads-up brought quite a fierce battle. Nguyen managed to build a four-time lead, but then Dempsey doubled up. At the 30th blind level (25,000/75,000/150,000) Dmepsey doubled up again, going all-in with {#}A {#}J on the {#}Q {#}4 {#}2 {#}board, and Nguyen called with {#}A {#}5 . The river helped Dempsey as it was the {#}K, awarding James the 12,925,000 pot. 
 
The British pro soon achieved victory; the stacks ended up in the middle pre-flop. 
 
Nguyen: {#}K {#}J 
Dempsey: {#}K {#}Q  

Board: {#}J {#}9 {#}6 {#}4 {#}
 
Dempsey won the tourney with a straight.  
 
James Dempsey, winner of WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic
James Dempsey's moment of victory

After his 2010 WSOP $1,500 PLO victory, James Dempsey collected his first WPT title this weekend. 
 
Final results:
 
1. James Dempsey - $821,612       
2. Soi Nguyen - $517,478       
3. Vanessa Selbst - $338,351       
4. Andrew Lichtenberger - $218,933       
5. Vitor Coelho - $159,224       
6. Antonio Esfandiari - $119,418