Tom McEvoy can call himself the champion of all champions this morning as he successfully bested 19 other former WSOP Main Event winners to claim the first annual Binions Cup. After two grueling days of play the final hand saw eventual runner up Robert Varkonyi put a small bet on a flop of 7c 5s 8c and McEvoy just call. When the turn came 6c, Varkonyi again led out, McEvoy min raised, Varkonyi moved all in and McEvoy quickly called tabling Tc 9h for the nut straight and Varkonyi was in bad shape holding Jd 5c which meant the 4c was his only out. When the Kc fell on the river the 2009 WSOP: Champions Invitational was complete.
In his post match interview Tom McEvoy commented:
“I told all my friends that I wanted to win this tournament more than anyone else. I think I have been losing some respect because I have not won in some time, and I wanted this to regain that respect.”
Respect is something McEvoy has no shortage after this victory. This was the second tournament he’s won against a field of poker’s most elite players. In March 2006 he won the third Professional Poker Tour Event (PPT) at the Bay 101 classic.
McEvoy started his career as an accounted, but after being laid off in 1978 took up poker as his full time profession. In 1983 he won the WSOP Main Event which had a first prize payout of $540,000. Away from the felt McEvoy has made many contributions to the game, in 1998 he helped organize the first tournaments where smoking was not allowed. In 2002 he got the WSOP to follow suit. He’s coauthored a number of books and has acted as a member of Team PokerStars.com since the sites origin.
2009 WSOP Champions Invitational Final Results:
1st Tom McEvoy
2nd Robert Varkonyi (drawing to one out)
3rd Dan Harrington (99 beat by McEvoy KQs)
4th Betchtel (KK cracked by McEvoy AK)
5th Carlos Mortensen (AQ on flop of A34 vs Bechtel set of threes)
6th Huck Seen (KJ vs Mortensen’s KQ)
7th Berry Johnston (Qs Js vs Mortensen’s 66)
8th Doyle Brunson (Ah2h on flop 8c Th 7h vs McEvoy JJ)
9th Peter Eastgate (All in with 87 on 567 flop vs Harrington’s AA)
10th Phil Hellmuth (T5s short stacked against Mortensen’s 22)
11th Joe Hachem (Q9o vs Brunsons KTs)
12th Johnny Chan (KQ vs Jim Bechtel’s AA)
13th Chris Ferguson AKo vs Mortensen’s AA)
14th Scotty Nguyen (TT vs McEvoy’s JJ)
15th Brad Daugherty (99 vs Ferguson’s JJ)
16th Greg Raymer (near blinded out due to 3rd in 40K event, shoved A9 vs Mortensen’s KK)
17th Amarillo Slim (Ah9h fell to Eastgate’s QQ)
18th Jerry Yang (AA cracked by Mortensen’s QQ)
19th Chris Moneymaker (unknown)
20th Jamie Gold (JJ vs Mortensen’s KK)
In addition to inaugural Binions Cup, McEvoy wins a 1970 corvette which he plans to keep for its sentimental value.
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