Jason Young Decimates a 1,634 Entry-Field to Win WPTDeepStacks Hollywood Main Event For $263,205

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida recently played host to the WPTDeepStacks Hollywood Main Event which ran from January 17 to 22. Attracting a total of 1,634 entries, the event gathered the second largest player field in WPTDeepStacks history. Overcoming the challenges of the six-day long event, former World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Jason Young (cover image) clinched the title and the $263,205 cash prize.

A resident of Suffern, New York, Young currently has total live earnings of $1,096,719. Young had entered the event through the second starting flight, Day 1B, and ended the day with a commendable stack of 109,000. His stack swelled to 2,930,000 by the end of Day 2 and by Day 3 he had taken over the chip lead.

Young eliminated four out of the nine players who made it to the final table including Quinn Bruno, Pedro Aldave, Paul James Hizer and the eventual runner-up Leif Force.

“It’s been a long journey to get back here,” said Young after his win. “There’s been a lot of stuff that’s gone on in my life over the last five-to-six years, that I didn’t think I’d ever be back in a position like this. I’m rarely speechless, and I don’t even know how to process my thoughts just quite yet about everything.”

He further stated, “This is nothing compared to what life’s been like for the last five years. This was fun. This was like a picnic. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a spot like this and I wasn’t going to get rattled by anything…not today. I was happy to be in the position I was in. We got heads up and there was a sizable amount of money that was guaranteed.”

Regarding his future plans, Young said, “I’m going to celebrate this win with my daughter Kaeley and my family, and I can’t even possibly begin to think of what is going to happen next right now. I’m just so happy that I can finally take a breath.”

Besides the nine finalists, the other notables who finished in the money included Gustavo Lopez (11^th for $19,380), Daniel Eichhorn (15^th for $14,965), Tony Tran (19^th for $9,940), Scott Stewart (29^th for $5,630), Corey Burbick (38^th for $4,685), Indian-origin player Satish Surapaneni (67^th for $3,260) and Loni Harwood (69^th for $3,260).

Nick Yunis (10^th for $19,380) bubbled the final table.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Jason Young – 14,750,000

2. Kevin Chan – 6,550,000

3. Dave Inselberg – 6,425,000

4. Pedro Aldave – 5,675,000

5. Leif Force – 5,075,000

6. Paul James Hizer – 3,400,000

7. Eddy Sabat – 2,600,000

8. Quinn Bruno – 2,350,000

9. Stephen Ibrahim – 2,175,000

Final Table Recap

Less than 10 minutes into the final table, the first elimination of the day took place. Kevin Chan raised to 425,000 from the cutoff seat and Stephen Ibrahim re-raised all-in for 1,675,000 from the button. Paul James Hizer isolated by shoving over the top for 3,000,000 from the small blind. Chan folded his hand and the other two players tabled their cards.

Stephen Ibrahim

Paul James Hizer

The board missed both players but Hizer’s pocket rockets sent Ibrahim packing in ninth place.

Just a few hands later, Eddy Sabat raised all-in for 2,100,000 from early position with and Hizer called from the hijack holding . It was the second time Hizer was dealt pocket aces at the final table. Just like the first time, it brought about the elimination of Sabat in eighth place as the rundown favored Hizer.

Play carried on to the next level before the seventh-place elimination came about. Action folded to Jason Young and he raised to 550,000 from middle position with . Quinn Bruno jammed from the big blind for about 2,800,000 with . Young quickly called to see the board open . Young turned a set of jacks to win the pot eliminating Bruno in the process.

About 25 minutes later, Chan bet to 550,000 from hijack and Dave Inselberg called from the button. Young called from small blind and Pedro Aldave moved all-in for approximately 4,000,000 from big blind. Chan and Inselberg got out of the way as Young called and tabled . Aldave turned over . The board ran and while Aldave flopped a pair of kings, it was no match for Young’s turned nut flush.

After the players returned from the first break of the day, it was Dave Inselberg‘s time to leave. He moved all-in for 2,075,000 on the button with and Leif Force called from the big blind with . The flop brought and was of no help to either player. The turn gave Inselberg a flush draw as well as a few outs to a chop. The river gave both players a top pair of aces, but Force’s king-high kicker held on against Inselberg, bringing about the latter’s fifth place exit.

Soon thereafter, Kevin Chan‘s were cracked by Force’s . The board fanned out and Chan walked out in fourth place.

Down to three-handed play, Young open-raised for 700,000 from the button with and Paul James Hizer re-raised all-in from the big blind with . Young snap-called to see the rundown . Young’s flopped pair of queens knocked Hizer out in third place, setting up the heads-up finale between Force (14,025,000) and Young (34,975,000).

Leif Force tried hard to close the gap and even managed to double up through Young to take over the chip lead, but Young found his way back with a double-up and took back the chip lead, this time permanently.

On the final hand, Force raised to 1,000,000 from the button with and Young called from big blind with . The flop came and Young checked-called for 1,200,000. The turn brought . Young checked again, while Force bet 2,200,000. Young check-raised to 7,000,000 and Force called putting his tournament life at risk to see the river card open . The top pair of kings won Young the title along with the first-place prize money of $263,205, which includes a $3,000 WPTDeepStacks Championship package.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Jason Young – $263,205*

2. Leif Force – $183,540

3. Paul James Hizer – $119,820

4. Kevin Chan – $89,000

5. Dave Inselberg – $66,760

6. Pedro Aldave – $53,785

7. Quinn Bruno – $43,930

8. Eddy Sabat – $34,125

9. Stephen Ibrahim – $26,025

*includes WPTDeepStacks Championship Package

Image & Content Courtesy: World Poker Tour & PokerNews