After a back-and-forth heads-up match, James ‘Wayne’ Leonard emerged victorious within the 2024 Card Participant Poker Tour bestbet Jacksonville $1,700 buy-in no-limit maintain’em major occasion. The longtime Jacksonville resident, now primarily based out of Tampa, defeated a area of 440 entries to earn a career-best match rating of $87,820.
“It might have been him, it might have been me,” stated Leonard of his remaining showdown in opposition to Gourg Khanchat. “I’ve been in that state of affairs three or 4 instances in my profession, and to get it one time… I’ll keep in mind this for the remainder of my life.”
Leonard, who is thought to many as ‘The Irishman’, has undoubtedly had a number of shut calls at this very venue. He’s beforehand completed third in a $400 RunGood Poker Collection occasion earlier this yr, second in a $360 buy-in in the course of the 2019 Summer time Collection, and had one other runner-up displaying in a $1,500 buy-in in the course of the 2022 Summer time Heater. Now, he lastly broke by for a marquee victory on the large stage.
“bestbet is simply superb,” stated Leonard when requested about his years of expertise taking part in at bestbet Jacksonville. “I keep in mind once they opened it and it was simply such a reduction to get this sort of a poker site in Jacksonville… I imply, it’s top-notch. You get one of the best meals, get one of the best service. All people right here treats you with respect. They know your title they usually actually, actually recognize the gamers.”
This newest rating elevated Leonard’s lifetime match earnings to $375,081. Whereas he’s a dentist by commerce, he has been taking part in poker for greater than 25 years.
“Within the final three years, I’ve actually put time into [poker] and have been working actually, actually arduous for this win. I’m lucky to have video of myself that I can watch, sort of take away a few of my tendencies, see what I do, and proper these actions and actually, and sort of work on it myself.”
Leonard was awarded 720 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors for the win. This was his fourth final-table end of the yr. With 1,043 whole factors, he’s now sitting inside the highest 500 within the 2024 POY race standings offered by World Poker.
Along with the highest prize, Leonard additionally secured $29,500 in bounty payouts from his 5 knockouts made in the course of the bounty portion of this match. He picked the third-largest bounty that was up for grabs, a $20,000 payout, together with a $5,000 bounty, two $2,000 bounties, and one $500 payout.
This occasion had a complete prize pool of $662,200, with $220,000 put aside for the bounties. These had been all awarded from day 2 on, with the 55 gamers that cashed on this occasion incomes a bounty for every knockout they secured. Runner-up Khanchat drew the highest bounty of $50,000. The payouts ranged from that high bounty right down to $500.
The massive one has been pulled!
Gourg Khanchat has drawn the $50,000 bounty within the 2024 Card Participant Poker Tour @bestbet_jax $1,700 thriller bounty major occasion. Congrats to Gourg pic.twitter.com/uvG54lKmaP
— Card Participant: The Poker Authority (@CardPlayerMedia) August 25, 2024
The ultimate day of this occasion started with simply 5 gamers remaining, with Khanchat within the lead and Leonard in second chip place. Nikhil Sunku)!Nikhil Sunku was the primary to fall, together with his brief stack moving into with Okay
5
in opposition to a dominating Okay
Q
for Anthony Pathman. Sunku was unable to return from behind and was eradicated in ninth place ($8,780.)
Yi Chi Li quickly adopted Zunku to the rail. The bestbet Jacksonville common obtained all-in with A-j trailing the A-Okay of Thad McNulty and located no assistance on a queen-high runout. Li earned $11,135 because the eighth-place finisher.
Juan Tellez’s run got here to an finish when his J-10 suited was outrun by the J-9 suited of Khanchat, who had been roughly on fireplace since drawing the $50,000 bounty again on day 2. Each gamers had flush attracts going into the river, however Khanchats’ membership got here in on the top to get rid of Tellez in seventh place ($14,280).
Longtime poker trade member Johnny Pham misplaced an enormous chunk of his stack in a conflict with Khchat throughout six-handed play. He managed a number of double ups, however was quickly all-in and in danger once more with Okay6 trailing the ten10 of Pathman. Pham failed to attach with the board and was knocked out in sixth place ($18,525).
This was McNulty’s third CPPT bestbet Jacksonville major occasion remaining desk displaying, having completed fourth within the 2019 operating and ninth in 2023. This time round he positioned fifth for $24,295. The rating elevated the Jacksonville mainstay’s lifetime match earnings to $653,542.
McNulty was despatched packing when he obtained all-in with J9 on a ten44J board. He was trailing the OkayJ, and the three on the top was of no assist. With that, the sector was narrowed to 4 contenders.
Alex Kimpel positioned fourth on this similar occasion in 2023. Extremely, that was his ending place this yr as properly. Kimpel obtained all-in with A4 main the 76 of Khanchat, however the J7243 runout gave Khanchat a pair of sevens and the elimination. Kimpel secured $32,220 for the latest leg of his back-to-back remaining tables on this match.
The following knockout hand started with Pathman shifting all-in for 510,000 from the button with 85. Khanchat three-bet to 1,050,000 from the small blind, solely to have Leonard come excessive with a four-bet shove for five,445,000 out of the large blind. Khanchat went into the tank earlier than laying down his A5. Leonard revealed the QQ.
The AOkay8 flop gave Pathman a pair some hope, however the 2 flip and seven introduced no extra assist. Pathman earned $43,190 because the third-place finisher, his largest rating but on the circuit.
Heads-up play started with Leonard holding 7,105,000 to Khanchat’s 5,980,000. Khanchat was in a position to shut the hole after which overtake the lead within the early going. He had prolonged his benefit to roughly 3:1 when the following large conflict arose. The entire chips went in preflop with Leonar’s QJ trailing the AJ of Khanchat. The board got here down 109874 and Leonard flopped a straight to double again to roughly even.
Leonard then stretched out a lead of his personal when a really comparable state of affairs performed out. Khanchat was all-in with Okay10 in tough form in opposition to the OkayQ. This time Khanchat spiked broadway on the flip to double again in entrance.
Finally, Leonard was in a position to retake the lead for the ultimate time. Within the final hand, Khanchat raised to 480,000 from the button with A3 and Leonard three-bet shoved with A5 out of the large blind. Khanchat known as all in for five,430,000.
The AQ456 runout gave Leonard aces and fives for the win. Khanchat earned $58,530 because the runner-up. This was the second time he has completed on this place in a $1,700 thriller bounty occasion at bestbet Jacksonville. He beforehand did so in the course of the 2023 World Poker Tour cease. He now has $107,861 in profession match earnings after this newest deep run.
Here’s a take a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the remaining desk:
Place
Participant
Earnings
Bounty Payouts
POY Factors
1
James ‘Wayne’ Leonard
$87,820
$29,500
720
2
Gourg Khanchat
$58,530
$66,000
600
3
Anthony Pathman
$43,190
$8,500
480
4
Alex Kimpel
$32,220
$5,000
360
5
Thad McNulty
$24,295
$11,000
300
6
Johnny Pham
$18,525
$12,500
240
7
Juan Tellez
$14,280
$1,000
180
8
Yi Li
$11,135
$1,500
120
9
Nikhil Sunku
$8,780
$2,000
60
Here’s a take a look at the total checklist of bounty payouts awarded:
$50,000 – Gourg Khanchat$25,000 – Kennie Garison$20,000 – James Leonard$10,000 – Gourg Khanchat$10,000 – Bryan Bennett$10,000 – Johnny Pham$10,000 – Dickie Malone$5,000 – Thad McNulty (x2)$5,000 – James Leonard$5,000 – Gourg Khanchat$5,000 – Bryan Bennett$5,000 – Kennie Garrison$5,000 – Anthony Pathman$5,000 – Alex Kimpel$2,000 – Bryan Bennett (x2)$2,000 – James Leonard (x2)$2,000 – Kennie Garrison$2,000 – John Connors$2,000 – Nikhil Sunka$2,000 – Tommy Doyle$2,000 – Christian Johnson$2,000 – Kelly Joe Andrews$2,000 – Jessica Cai$1,000 – Johnny Pham (x2)$1,000 – John Connors (x2)$1,000 – Kyle Terrel$1,000 – Juan Tellez$1,000 – Kennie Garrison$1,000 – Yi Chi Li$1,000 – Ken Brosnahan$1,000 – Jose Reyes$1,000 – Anthony Pathman (x2)$1,000 – Jared Reinstein$500 + Draw 1 – Jose Reyes$500 + Draw 1 – Joshua Adcock$500 – John Connors (x2)$500 – Thad McNulty (x2)$500 – Gourg Khanchat (x2)$500 – Anthony Pathman (x3)$500 – James Leonard$500 – Yi Chi Li$500 – Johnny Pham$500 – Jose Reyes$500 – Danny Clarkson$500 – Renee Bacherman$500 – Dante Cianfarra$500 – Nicholas Chong$500 – Joshua Adcock
