The North American Poker Tour’s $5,300 Main Event barreled to a close on Wednesday in Las Vegas, inviting the last six players to a livestreamed final to play for $650,050 and the PokerStars Golden Shard trophy.
In the end the final numbers were adjusted in a heads-up deal between Gal Yifrach and Thomas Boivin, awarding each of them $518,575 before they set aside a 10% and the trophy for the ultimate winner.
That winner was Yilfrach after a stunning comeback, his first since his lone bracelet win in 2018. It added up to a final score of $543,025, a new high watermark for the California native.
Let’s make a deal?
The final three of Shahade, Boivin, and Yifrach started to talk about a deal. Shahade, who was down to just 11 big blinds, took a look at the numbers and at the $291,800 she had locked up.
Play it out they did and Shahade picked up ace-queen. Boivin, however, turned over pocket kings. The ace never showed up and Shahade settled for the $291K.
The comeback
Heads-up play started with Boivin standing tall on a 18.2 million chip stack against Yifrach’s 3.8 million with blinds at 100K/150K. Yifrach grabbed the first pot and it was 4.1 million. Then a rivered straight flush to double to 7.8 million. Another million-chip pot here and there and soon we were talking about real money, with Yifrach pulling near even after hitting flop after flop.
Yifrach then figured out a bluff and he had the lead, extending it even further a few hands later when Boivin fired 2.4 million with six-high. It didn’t last long, however, and Boivin took the lead back with a full house.
The two jockeyed for position some more and Yifrach bounced back into a small lead again. That proved too much swing for the pair and they cut an even deal with a few bucks set aside for the winner.