Joe McKeehen Dominates 2015 WSOP Main Event for $7.7 Million
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Pennsylvania’s Joe McKeehen entered the 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event final table with a massive chip lead and never looked back. In one of the most dominant displays in the "November Nine" era, McKeehen steamrolled his opponents to capture the $7,683,346 top prize and his first career gold bracelet
It took 184 hands of final-table play for McKeehen to seal the deal, and after the J♣ hit the river on the final hand, ultimate poker glory was all his.
To say McKeehen ran away with the victory would be an understatement. He entered the final table with over double the chips of his next closest competitor, and ultimately entered the three-handed finale with more than three times second place's stack. Not only that, but when anyone tried to play back at McKeehen, he either had the goods or made very strong decisions that kept him dominant.
When asked if he ever started to worry about his position at the table, McKeehen said the last time he got a little worried in the event was back on Day 6. That seems like forever ago, and now it's McKeehen's name that will live forever in poker history as the 2015 WSOP Main Event champion.
2015 WSOP Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe McKeehen | USA | $7,683,346 |
| 2 | Josh Beckley | USA | $4,470,896 |
| 3 | Neil Blumenfield | USA | $3,398,298 |
| 4 | Max Steinberg | USA | $2,615,361 |
| 5 | Ofer Zvi Stern | Israel | $1,911,423 |
| 6 | Thomas Cannuli | USA | $1,426,283 |
| 7 | Pierre Neuville | Belgium | $1,203,293 |
| 8 | Federico Butteroni | Italy | $1,097,056 |
| 9 | Patrick Chan | USA | $1,001,020 |
Final Table Action
On the first of three days' play at the 2015 WSOP Main Event final table, McKeehen did nothing but pad his overwhelming chip lead after knocking out three players.
First to go was Patrick Chan, who entered the final table second to last in chips, just a half a big blind ahead of Federico Butteroni. Chan's final table only lasted two hands, as he opted to call all in on the second hand dealt with K♠Q♠ from the small blind against a button shove by McKeehen with A♦4♥. The chip leader held on the 5♣6♥5♠3♥9♣ runout.
On the 35th hand of the final table, Butteroni found himself all in and at risk with A♥J♣ against the A♠K♠ of McKeehen.
Unfortunately for the Italian, who had hoped to outdo his countryman Filippo Candio from 2010, Butteroni received no help, and his run ended in eighth place.
That gave McKeehen 70 million in chips, approximately 40% of the chips in play eight-handed, but he wasn't done there.
McKeehen continued to climb, his stack approaching 90 million as Belgian Pierre Neuville fell further and further behind. At 72, Neuville is the oldest "November Niner" in WSOP history, and he made a stand with A♣J♣ from the big blind, three-betting all in for 3,000,000 after McKeehen opened the cutoff.
The price was right for McKeehen to call with J♥6♥ and Neuville was in a dominating spot to double up.
The Q♦10♦3♥ flop kept Neuville in front, but the Q♥ on the turn made things interesting as McKeehen had added a heart flush draw. After the final burn card, Neuville couldn't dodge the 10♥ on the river that gave McKeehen a flush. With that, he was out in seventh place for just over $1.2 million and the first day was over.
Day 2: Six-Handed Play
McKeehen took a commanding stack of 91.35 million into the second day of play for the final table. His closest competitor was Israel's Ofer Zvi Stern on 32.5 million, and then Neil Blumenfield finished on 31.5 million.
The six players returned all guaranteed $1,426,000, and amazingly, history repeated itself from the November Nine's first day of play when a player busted on the second hand of action.
Short-stacked Thomas Cannuli opened for 1,400,000 under the gun only to have Max Steinberg shove all in from the big blind. Cannuli called off for 10.275 million total, and his rail, rallied by poker pro Jeff Gross, erupted when the cards were turned on their backs.
Steinberg: 10♥10♦
Cannuli: A♠A♣
Cannuli was in a great shape to double, while the majority of Steinberg's chips were at risk. The dealer then burned and put out the flop J♣10♠6♣. Steinberg's supporters went wild, while Cannuli's rail was visibly devastated. Cannuli, surrounded by his family and friends, watched helplessly as the Q♦ bricked on the turn, followed by the 8♠ river.
After Cannuli's elimination, the pressure was on the new short stack Josh Beckley, and he woke up with aces at a crucial time to double through Stern’s ten-nine suited.
As Beckley continued to build, leaping past both Steinberg and Neil Blumenfield in the chip counts, Stern was looking for a spot. He found one when he shoved with A♣J♥ but was up against it with the AxKx of Blumenfield. A king on the turn left him drawing dead and Stern, who had begun the day second in chips, took his leave in fifth place for $1,911,423.
Just one more player needed to fall before play halted for the night, but no one was willing to go easy. Alas, someone had to go, and that man was the last WSOP bracelet winner in the field.
On Hand #143, McKeehen opened for 2 million under the gun and then called when Steinberg shoved all in for 16.5 million from the big blind.
Steinberg: A♥J♦
McKeehen: A♦Q♣
Steinberg was dominated, and he failed to pair his kicker and he took home $2,615,361 for his fourth-place finish.
Day 3: Three-Handed Play
On the final day’s play, Blumenfield started the day second in chips as both he and Beckley looked to mount a comeback against the dominant McKeehen.
Blumenfield ran a bluff against McKeehen that put the chip leader in a tough spot on the river. McKeehen made the call with top pair and knocked Blumenfield to the bottom of the trio.
Although he won a few pots after the failed bluff, Blumenfield couldn't mount a comeback and finished in third place when his four-bet jammed with pocket twos and McKeehen finished him off with pocket queens.
Heads-up play was more of the same; it was all McKeehen.
He started the duel with 155.65 million to Beckley's 37 million, won the first three hands before Beckley could get any traction by winning one of his own, snatched a chunk six hands in, and then finished the job on the 13th hand between the two.
With a stack of 19.4 million, Beckley moved all in from the button, and McKeehen wasted little time in making the call. He had A♥10♦, which left Beckley's tournament life hanging in the balance in a coin flip with 4♦4♣.
The Q♠10♣5♠ flop propelled McKeehen to the front and left Beckley in need of a two-outer. After the 5♦ came close on the turn, it was down to the river for Beckley to stay alive.
After a final burn card to the felt, the dealer ripped off the J♣ and McKeehen's hands shot up to the rafters in celebration. The man from North Wales, Pennsylvania, had just won $7.7 million and poker's most prestigious title, and it was as a dominating performance as this event has ever seen.
With thanks to original reporting from Donnie Peters. Pictures courtesy of Jayne Furman and the WSOP
