Harrison Gimbel Wins WPT Rolling Thunder, Denying Mohsin Charania Third Title

Donnie Peters

Mar 18, 2016 3 min read

At 18 years old, Florida's Harrison Gimbel won the 2009 Florida State Poker Championships Championship Event for $67,860. At 19 years old, he traveled down to the Bahamas and won the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event title for $2.2 million. Now, at 25 years old, Gimbel has won a World Poker Tour title.

Gimbel emerged victorious atop a 409-entry field in the WPT Rolling Thunder $3,500 Main Event. He defeated a very tough final table to do so, including beating two-time WPT champion Mohsin Charania in heads-up play, and earned the top prize of $275,112. Gimbel's prize also includes a $15,000 entry into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions, which will take place in his home state at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Harrison Gimbel	$275,112
2	Mohsin Charania	$192,132
3	Russell Garrett	$123,682
4	Markus Gonsalves	$91,616
5	Hafiz Khan	$68,712
6	Derek Wolters	$54,970

With deep stacks to start the final table, the first elimination didn't occur until Hand #57, according to the live updates. Derek Wolters held the K♦10♦ and was all in on the 9♥8♦5♠10♥ board against Gimbel, who had the J♦9♣ for the second-best hand. Gimbel came from behind with the 9♦ hitting the river to give him trips, and Wolters exited in sixth place for a payday of $54,970.

Next to go was Hafiz Khan, who was making his appearance at the final table after what seemed to be a bit of an absence from the spotlight. Khan's last live cash was at the 2015 World Series of Poker in June, but like Gimbel, he has ties to the PCA, placing second in 2008 for $1.1 million to ignite his poker career. Khan busted on Hand #67 when his 3x3x couldn't win a flip against the A♣Q♦ of Russell Garrett, and he earned $68,712.

Markus Gonsalves then fell shortly after Khan, busting to Gimbel to earn $91,616 in fourth place, and Garrett went out in third following an extended period of three-hand action. Garrett's bust happened on Hand #107 when he lost a flip to Charania, and he scored $123,682.

With near-even stacks going into heads-up play, the battle for the title was on between Gimbel and Charania. Plenty of play in each player's stack combined with a high level of skill from both meant it was going to take one heck of a cooler for this one to end quickly. True to form, the duo engaged in nearly 100 hands of combat before there was an all-in clash, and it took 115 hands of heads-up play for the tournament to end.

The big clash occurred on Hand #203 with the blinds at 75,000/150,000/25,000. Gimbel min-raised on the button to 300,000, and Charania made the call to see the flop come 9♦4♣3♦. Charania checked, Gimbel bet 325,000, and Charania check-raised to 850,000. Gimbel shoved in for 4.4 million, and Charania made the call with top pair, holding the Q♣9♥. Charania had top pair as well, but his kicker was better with the K♠9♠. Thanks to the 5♦ on the turn and the 5♠ on the river, Gimbel doubled up.

The final hand came up on Hand #222. The blinds were up to 100,000/200,000/25,000, and Charania limped in from the button. Gimbel raised all in to put the shorter Charania at risk, and Charania called with the K♥Q♥. Gimbel had the 5♥4♥, but he was able to secure the win thanks to a final board of J♠3♠2♥5♦5♠.