WSOP Champ Joe McKeehen Wins Philadelphia Poker Championship for $94,323

Joe McKeehen

The inaugural Philadelphia Poker Championship Series got underway at Rivers Casino Philadelphia last month and has already seen a poker superstar walk away with a victory.

World Series of Poker Main Event champion Joe McKeehen, a Pennsylvania native, took down the $2,200 buy-in PPCS Main Event for $94,323 after defeating Joe "The Worm" Palma in what the Rivers Philadelphia Poker Room called "an instant classic of Philadelphia Poker."

The Main Event champ and Palma, a fellow Pennsylvanian who added to his more than $1 million in Hendon Mob earnings, were joined at the final table by New Jersey's Christopher Hill (3rd - $42,072) and Thomas Revello (5th - $23,084) as well as Massachusetts' Kevin Gabryel (4th - $30,898).

The two final finishers were the only players at the final table with seven figures in live earnings and now have high five-figure scores to add to those impressive results.

Main Event Final Table Results

 PLACEPLAYERPRIZE (IN USD)
 1Joe McKeehen$94,323
 2Joe Palma$58,266
 3Christopher Hill$42,072
 4Kevin Grabel$30,898
 5Tom Revello$23,084
 6Byron Vereschagin$17,540
 7Adam Calabrese$13,550
 8Brandon Lulov$10,640
 9Nir Cohen$8,489

Read about the best online poker sites in Pennsylvania!

McKeehen Killing It

McKeehen hasn't slowed down since he won the 2015 WSOP Main Event for $7.7 million while sporting a Philadelphia Sixers jersey. He has racked up several million in earnings in the years since then and is on a bit of a recent heater to start off the new year.

In January, McKeehen finished third in the $5,300 Borgata Return for $440,327 before finishing seventh in a Lucky Hearts Poker Open $25,000 High Roller for $67,600 the same month. Later that stop, McKeehen made a deep run in the $3,500 Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship and wound up in 25th place for $24,570.

Joe McKeehen
Joe McKeehen at the 2023 Borgata Return

Playing poker in Pennsylvania? Check out the upcoming PokerStars US SCOOP with $2 million up for grabs!

The Philadelphia Poker Championship Series consists of a handful of events at got underway on Feb. 19 with $180 Little Rush with a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool followed by the $250,000 guaranteed Main Event.

Still on the schedule is the $200,000 guaranteed $560 Mystery Rush, which will get underway today with one of four starting flights ahead of Day 2 on March 12.

For more information about the Philadelphia Poker Championship Series, visit www. riverscasino.com/philadelphia/promotions/philadelphia-poker-championship.

Want to learn more about Rivers Casino? Read about a record-breaking $1.2 million bad beat jackpot that was hit at the Pittsburgh property in August 2022!

Lead photo courtesy of Rivers Casino Philadelphia & Harry Corvese

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  • 2015 WSOP Main Event champ Joe McKeehen takes home $94,323 for his hometown victory in Philadelphia.

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