2016 partypoker WPT UK Main Event: Luis Cruz Crowned Champion
Spain’s Luis Rodriguez Cruz has enjoyed a fantastic year so far and it grew even more impressive on Nov. 6 when he emerged victorious in the 2016 partypoker WPT UK Main Event at Dusk Till Dawn for a £200,000 score.
2016 partypoker WPT UK Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Rodriguez Cruz | £200,000 |
| 2 | Christopher Yong | £135,000 |
| 3 | Nabil Cardoso | £90,000 |
| 4 | Maxime Swennen | £67,080 |
| 5 | Seamus Cahill | £50,000 |
| 6 | Alex Lindop | £40,000 |
Cruz finished third in a €1,100 no-limit hold’em side event at UKIPT Dublin in February for €11,480 and followed that up with an eighth-place finish in a €1,650 buy in side event at the same festival for an additional €5,630. Cashes at Estrellas Madrid and EPT Malta were sandwiched between a £27,600 score, Cruz’s reward for finishing second in the £2,200 High Roller.
Now Cruz is part of the WPT’s Champions Club after topping a field of 522 entrants in the £2,200 partypoker WPT UK Main Event.
The six-handed final table kicked off at Dusk Till Dawn at 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 8 and Cruz was crowned champion less than five and a half hours later.
Alex Lindop’s attempts to spin up his 15 big blind stack ended in defeat only six hands in when Cruz pushed all in from the small blind with ace-five and Lindop called with the lesser ace-four. The board ran out queen-high but in such a way that Cruz’s five-kicker played, resigning Lindop to a sixth-place finish.
Ireland’s Seamus Cahill bust 16 hands later when Nabil Cardoso opened to 175,000 at the 40,000/80,000/10,000a level, Chris Yong three-bet to 450,000 and Cahill four-bet all in for 2,050,000. Cardoso ducked out of the way, but Yong quickly called with ace-king and was in great shape against Cahill’s dominated ace-queen. Cahill caught a queen on the river, but this also gifted Yong a Broadway straight, leaving the tournament with only four players.
Those four became three on the 31st hand of the final table. Maxime Swennen committed his stack with ace-nine and was looked up by Cruz holding king-queen of hearts. The flop came down jack-high with two hearts. The nine of hearts improved Cruz to an unbeatable flush and condemned Swennen to a fourth-place finish.
Cardoso was the next player to fall, choosing the wrong time to bluff his stack off to Yong. Cardoso limped in with seven-four and Yong checked in the big blind with nine-six. A king-ten-six flop saw Cardoso bet 150,000 and Yong called. The nine of spade on the turn was greeted with a 500,000 bet from Cardoso and a call from Yong. Cardoso then jammed all in when the six of spades appeared on the river; Yong instantly called with a full house and sent the tournament to the heads-up stages.
On the 86th hand of the final table and down to four big blinds, Yong moved all in with ace-six and Cruz called with king-deuce. Yong’s hand remained best until the two of hearts landed on the river, eliminating Yong in second place and leaving Cruz to be crowned 2016 partypoker WPT UK Main Event final table.
