2015 WinStar River Poker Series

Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info

2015 WinStar River Poker Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j4
Prize
$775,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,400
Prize Pool
$2,793,600
Entries
1,164
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
50,000

Main Event

Day 3 Completed

Maxx Coleman Wins 2015 River Poker Series Main Event for $775,000!

Level 31 : 250,000/500,000, 50,000 ante
Maxx Coleman wins!
Maxx Coleman wins!

Maxx Coleman has done it, winning the 2015 River Poker Series $2,500 Main Event! Following 70 hands of final table action, Coleman finished atop the remaining 10 competitors to earn a career best $775,000 first-place prize and the right to be called champion.

It was action-packed day of poker at WinStar World Casino, with the cards hitting the air at 12 p.m. local time. Just over three hours after the first shuffle, Coleman defeated Joseph Skinner in second place and excitedly etched his place in poker history. Coleman won the event following a three-way deal with Skinner (2nd - $344,934) and Jake Haller (3rd - $344,934), and he nearly tripled his largest live cash.

The fireworks didn't wait long before they exploded, with Patana Pradith falling in 10th place within the first few hands of action to set the official final table of nine. His elimination allowed severe short stack Numit Agrawal to ladder up one pay spot and earn an additional $15,000 in prize money before he went on on Hand #8 of the official final table.

From there, Douglas Claybrook went out eighth, and Jose Montes hit the rail in seventh. For Montes, the $79,049 in prize money he earned pushed him to the just about the $700,000 mark for yearly earnings and provided another big result in 2015 for the man from Bronx, New York.

Then, with six players remaining, it was time for Coleman to really take over. On Hand #48, he won a big hand against Lonny Hardcastle and moved to nearly a 2-1 chip lead over anyone else at the table. Hardcastle then busted in sixth place, and that allowed for the five remaining players to earn a six-figure payday. After that, Barry Hutter fell in fifth place, and then Andy Andrejevic got unlucky to hit the rail in fourth.

With three players remaining, and Coleman having a huge lead over Skinner and Haller, the three opted to strike a deal that gave the lion's share of the prize pool to Coleman. Skinner and Haller chopped up the remaining money for nearly $350,000 each, and that was well over what second place was originally planned to receive. Then, the three players accelerated the blinds to 250,000/500,000 with a 50,000 ante and played to a winner.

Just five hands after the deal, Haller was eliminated by Coleman in third when his {8-Hearts}{5-Hearts} couldn't win against {A-}{Q-}. Three hands after that, Skinner lost with the {Q-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds} to Coleman's {J-Spades}{4-Diamonds} on the final hand. With that, the victory was Coleman's and he wrapped the shiny gold bracelet around his wrist and smiled for the cameras.

A regular cash-game player, Coleman adds this victory to a short, but impressive résumé of tournament results and now boasts over $1.2 million in earnings. Prior to this score, his biggest cash was in 2013 when Coleman took 21st in the World Series of Poker Main Event for $285,408. This past summer, Coleman finished in the money in five WSOP events, with his best finish there being a 10th-place result in the $5,000 Six-Max No-Limit Hold’em event for $42,032.

Tags: Andy AndrejevicBarry HutterDouglas ClaybrookJake HallerJose MontesJoseph SkinnerLonny HardcastleMaxx ColemanNumit AgrawalPatana Pradith

Joseph Skinner Eliminated in 2nd Place ($344,934)

Level 31 : 250,000/500,000, 50,000 ante
Joseph Skinner - 2nd Place
Joseph Skinner - 2nd Place

Hand #68: Maxx Coleman raised all in from the button, and Joseph Skinner folded.

Hand #69: Skinner raised all in from the button, and Coleman folded.

Hand #70: Coleman moved all in from the button, and Skinner called to put himself at risk with the {Q-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}. Coleman had the {J-Spades}{4-Hearts}.

The {10-Spades}{9-Clubs}{5-Spades} flop kept Skinner in the lead with his queen high, but the {4-Spades} on the turn gave Coleman a pair of fours and the best hand. The river was the {2-Hearts} to complete the board, and with that Skinner was eliminated in second place.

Skinner earned $344,934 in prize money. For the man from Lubbock, Texas, who had under $2,000 in live tournament earnings coming into this event, the money is an amazing accomplishment. Plus, Skinner won his way into this event in a $500 satellite, making the result much sweeter.

Player Chips Progress
Maxx Coleman us
Maxx Coleman
29,100,000 8,960,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Joseph Skinner us
Joseph Skinner
Busted

Tags: Joseph SkinnerMaxx Coleman

Jake Haller Eliminated in 3rd Place ($344,934)

Level 31 : 250,000/500,000, 50,000 ante
Jake Haller - 3rd Place
Jake Haller - 3rd Place

Hand #63: On the first hand after the deal was agreed upon, Joseph Skinner called from the small blind, and Jake Haller checked his option in the big blind. The flop was {K-Spades}{7-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}, and Skinner bet 650,000. Haller folded.

Hand #64: Maxx Coleman received a walk in the big blind.

Hand #65: Haller raised all in from the button, and everyone folded.

Hand #66: Coleman raised all in from the button, and everyone folded.

Hand #67: From the small blind, Haller limped in. Coleman raised all in from the big blind to put the pressure on Haller, and Haller committed his chips to put himself at risk.

"All right, I call," Haller said, as he pushed his stack forward and turned over the {8-Hearts}{5-Hearts}.

Coleman had the {A-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds}.

The flop, turn, and river ran out {A-Diamonds}{7-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}{A-Clubs}{2-Spades}, and Haller as eliminated in third place for just shy of $350,000 in prize money.

Player Chips Progress
Jake Haller us
Jake Haller
Busted

Tags: Jake HallerJoseph SkinnerMaxx Coleman

Level: 31

Blinds: 250,000/500,000

Ante: 50,000

A Deal Has Been Made

Level 30 : 50,000/100,000, 15,000 ante

After the elimination of Andy Andrejevic in fourth place, the remaining three players began to discuss a deal. With the big jump from second place to first place due to the $1 million first-place guarantee, the three opted to give Maxx Coleman $775,000 before Joseph Skinner and Jake Haller would chop up the remaining prize money to earn a better-than-second-place $344,934 each.

At the time of the deal, Coleman had the overwhelming lead with 20.14 million in chips. Haller was in second with 4.675 million, but he was virtually tied with Skinner, who had 4.485 million.

The trio then opted to accelerate the blinds to 250,000/500,000 with a 50,000 to play it out for the bracelet and the title.

Tags: Andy AndrejevicJake HallerJoseph SkinnerMaxx Coleman

Andy Andrejevic Eliminated in 4th Place ($134,238)

Level 30 : 50,000/100,000, 15,000 ante
Andy Andrejevic - 4th Place
Andy Andrejevic - 4th Place

Hand #62: On the button, Andy Andrejevic raised to 235,000. Max Coleman was in the small blind and reraised to 550,000. Andrejevic then reraised to 1.3 million. Coleman moved all in, and Andrejevic quickly called to put himself at risk for around 4.2 million. He tabled the {A-Spades}{Q-Clubs} and hopped out of his chair to let his friends on the rail know he was all in against Coleman's {A-Clubs}{10-Spades}.

The flop came down {J-Clubs}{10-Clubs}{2-Diamonds} to put Coleman in the lead. The turn was the {8-Hearts} and Coleman remained in front, but needed to fade the river.

Despite calls for cards from his friends, Andrejevic couldn't hit when the {7-Diamonds} completed the board on the river. He was eliminated in fourth place for $134,238, and Coleman soared to over 20 million in chips.

Player Chips Progress
Maxx Coleman us
Maxx Coleman
20,140,000 5,340,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Jake Haller us
Jake Haller
4,675,000 -1,625,000
Joseph Skinner us
Joseph Skinner
4,485,000 -1,260,000
Andy Andrejevic us
Andy Andrejevic
Busted

Tags: Andy AndrejevicMaxx Coleman

Andrejevic Wins Without Needing To Show

Level 30 : 50,000/100,000, 15,000 ante

Hand #60: Jake Haller called from the small blind, and Andy Andrejevic raised to 300,000 from the big blind. Haller called, and the flop was {Q-Hearts}{5-Diamonds}{2-Spades}. Haller bet 275,000, and Andrejevic made the call to see the {10-Diamonds} land on the turn. Haller bet 375,000, and Andrejevic called once again.

After the {4-Spades} hit the river, Haller bet 500,000. Andrejevic called.

"Good call," announced Haller before he sent his cards to the muck without showing his hand. Andrejevic also didn't show and pulled in the pot.

Hand #61: From under the gun, Joseph Skinner raised to 275,000, and Maxx Coleman called from the big blind to see the flop come down {Q-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}. Coleman checked, and Skinner bet 300,000. Coleman called, and the turn was the {3-Spades}. Both players checked, and the river was the {8-Clubs}. Coleman bet 650,000, and Skinner called.

Coleman showed the {Q-Clubs}{6-Hearts} to beat Skinner's {A-}{10-}, and he won the pot.

Tags: Andy AndrejevicJake HallerJoseph SkinnerMaxx Coleman

Coleman Nearing 15 Million

Level 30 : 50,000/100,000, 15,000 ante
Andy Andrejevic, Maxx Coleman, and Joseph Skinner
Andy Andrejevic, Maxx Coleman, and Joseph Skinner

Hand #59: Andy Andrejevic raised to 225,000 in the cutoff seat, and Maxx Coleman reraised to 500,000 from the button. Andrejevic called, and the flop came down {10-Hearts}{6-Diamonds}{3-Spades}. Andrejevic checked, Coleman bet 400,000, and Andrejevic called.

The turn was the {9-Hearts}, and both players checked to see the {J-Diamonds} land on the river. Both players checked again, and it was Coleman's {K-Diamonds}{9-Spades} that took down the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Maxx Coleman us
Maxx Coleman
14,800,000 4,840,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Andy Andrejevic us
Andy Andrejevic
2,840,000 -2,255,000

Tags: Andy AndrejevicMaxx Coleman

Barry Hutter Eliminated in 5th place ($108,161)

Level 30 : 50,000/100,000, 15,000 ante
Barry Hutter - 5th Place
Barry Hutter - 5th Place

Hand #55: Unknown action.

Hand #56: Maxx Coleman raised under the gun to 225,000, and everyone folded.

Hand #57: Coleman received a walk.

Hand #58: Barry Hutter raised to 225,000 from the cutoff seat, and Coleman reraised to 525,000 from the small blind. Joseph Skinner took a few moments before he folded out of the big blind, and then Hutter reraised all in. Coleman called.

Hutter had the {8-Clubs}{8-Spades}, and Coleman had the {9-Clubs}{9-Hearts}. The board didn't bring any help for Hutter when it came {k-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}{5-Spades}{j-Diamonds}, and he was eliminated in fifth place.

Tags: Barry HutterMaxx ColemanJoseph Skinner