Jonathan Little Wins 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown
Jonathan Little won the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown, which was the opening event on season six of the World Poker Tour. The victory gave Little $1,066,295 in prize money and a seat in the $25,000 WPT Championship at the Bellagio.
The Mirage in Las Vegas was packed with top-class poker players and in total 309 people entered the $10,000 Texas Holdem main event. Jonathan Little made his way through the starting field, but it wasn’t an easy journey. Especially the final table was tough with players such as Phil Ivey, Darrel Dicken and Cory Carroll.
Ivey, who according to the legend learned the Texas Holdem rules before he could read, has never won a tournament on the World Poker Tour, so he was sure to bring his A-game to the final table. Jonathan Little didn’t care about that, however, and ended Ivey’s WPT dreams early in the final day in dramatic fashion:
Little raised to $120,000 pre-flop. Phil Ivey called and the flop cane 8s-8c-3c. Both players checked and the turn was the Jc. Ivey bet out $150,000 and Little moved all-in. Ivey called and showed Qc-2c to Little's Ad-8d. Ivey needed to dodge an ace or an eight to double up, but the river was the Ah and Phil Ivey was rivered to hit the bricks in fifth place.
Jonathan Little eventually made to heads-up play for the title against Cory Carroll, who had a slight lead when the final duel began. But nothing could stop Little this day. He managed to turn things around, and was lucky when he needed it the most.
First Jonathan Little survived a coin-flip situation, 5-5 vs. A-8, to double up, and luck was on his side in the two last hands of the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown as well.
In the penultimate hand of the tournament Little was in a bad position with A-6 against Carroll's A-9 but the board showed Q-J-8-8-2, and the pot was split.
The scenario in the deciding hand was basically the same with Little holding A-2 and Carroll sitting with A-7. Once again Little was dominated, but a deuce on the flop and another one on the turn made Jonathan Little the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown champion.
Final table results from the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown:
Place Name Prize
1st Jonathan Little $1,066,295
2nd Cory Carroll $561,966
3rd Darrell Dicken $259,369
4th Richard Kirsch $172,912
5th Phil Ivey $129,684
6th Amnon Filippi $100,865
Mirage Poker Showdown
Schedule of Events
May 7 - 23, 2007
Mon May 7, 2007 Satellites begin
Tue May 8, 2007 Noon No Limit Hold’em * $500 + $40
Wed May 9, 2007 Noon Limit Hold’em $500 + $40
Thu May 10, 2007 Noon No Limit Hold’em * $1,000 + $80
Fri May 11, 2007 Noon No Limit Hold’em * $1,500 + $80
Sat May 12, 2007 Noon No Limit Hold’em * $2,000 + $100
Sat May 13, 2007 Noon No Limit Hold’em * $2,500 + $100
Mon May 14, 2007 Noon Limit Hold’em $1,000 + $80
Tue May 15, 2007 Noon Heads Up - Day 1 $5,000 + $200
Wed May 16, 2007 Noon No Limit Hold’em * $1,500 + $80
Thu May 17, 2007 Noon Super Satellite $1,500 + $80
Fri May 18, 2007 Noon Super Satellite $1,500 + $80
May 23, 2007 Noon No Limit Hold’em Championship ** $9,700 + $300
3% of the prize pool will be withheld for poker room staff.
May 19, 2007 Championship Event.
the WPT Finals at Bellagio in April 2008.
Second Chance: 7 p.m. Nightly May 7 May 18 $200 + $30
All main events start at noon. All events (except Super Satellites and the Championship Event) will play down to 9
players. Final table play will begin at 3pm the following day. (Event Fact Sheets will note any changes.)
Registration for all main events will begin at 3PM on May 7, 2007.
All Super Satellites will seat as many entries as possible into the Championship Event (May 19, 2007).
The Heads-Up Tournament is a multi-day event and is limited to 128 entries. Each round in Heads-Up play is a best
* Champion receives a $10,000 (non-negotiable, non-refundable, non-transferable) entry into the May 19, 2007 Championship Event.
** Champion receives a $25,500 (non-negotiable, non-refundable, and non-transferable) entry into the WPT Finals at Bellagio in April 2008.
Management reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel this promotion at its sole
discretion and without prior notice. All tournaments are subject to table availability.