Art Papazyan Beats Phil Hellmuth, Wins WPT Legends of Poker

The World Poker Tour Legends of Poker Main Event made history earlier this week, when the WPT awarded the one-billionth prize dollar in tour history, and there were a handful of potential outcomes at the WPT Legends of Poker final table that would have made the staple event even more historic.

JC Tran came into the final table with the chip lead, looking to parlay his advantage to a third-career World Poker Tour title. Marvin Rettenmaier, albeit on the other end of the leader board than Tran, came in with similar aspirations, after winning two WPT titles in 2012, including the $25,000 buy-in WPT World Championship. Phil Hellmuth, who was just added to the WPT Broadcast Team, was also alive and looking to win his first-career WPT title.

Alas, none of those outcomes came to fruition Thursday night.

Within an hour, Rettenmaier’s quest for a third-career title were finished. The German made a pay jump, outlasting 6^th place finisher Adam Swan, but he eventually fell in 5^th place, leading to a marathon four-handed battle.

Tran, Hellmuth, DJ Alexander and Art Papazyan traded blows for hours, before Alexander finally fell in 4^th place. With the Houston, Texas native on the rail, the poker world began salivating at the possibility of a heads-up matchup between two of the game’s biggest legends. Had they gotten heads up, history, one way or another, would have been made. Instead, Papazyan had other plans.

The two remaining legends at the WPT Legends of Poker Main Event final table clashed, with Tran falling in 3^rd, and then Papazyan ruined Phil Hellmuth’s Raw Deal coming out party and his chances at a first-career WPT title.

Instead, it was Papazyan that won his first World Poker Tour title on his home turf. The high stakes California cash game player earned $653,692 for the victory, good for a career-best score, along with a $15,000 seat in the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions. A complete list of the final table results is provided below:

1. Art Papzyan – $668,692*
2. Phil Hellmuth – $364,370
3. JC Tran – $217,040
4. DJ Alexander – $161,490
5. Marvin Rettenmaier – $120,775
6. Adam Swan – $91,825

The WPT Legends of Poker final table was the first World Poker Tour final table that was streamed on PokerGO. Relive all the action through the PokerGO on-demand library and be on the lookout for more WPT final tables on PokerGO, throughout the rest of Season XVI.