Alex Kuzmin Wins WPT Southern Poker Championship

Alexander Kuzmin outlasted his opponents at a marathon final table to take down first place at the World Poker Tour’s Southern Poker Championship in Biloxi, Mississippi. Kuzmin fought back from having a short stack to navigate a 12-hour final table on the way to finally winning the event.

Kuzmin entered the final table as the chip leader, but he was facing some formidable opposition. Allen Carter was in excellent position as well, and had a pedigree at this event that was difficult to match, having previously won the Southern Poker Championship in 2009.

But Carter did not make it to heads up play. With the game three-handed and Carter running short on chips, he moved all in preflop with J9 offsuit, and was called by Kuzmin’s AQ of diamonds. Carter turned top pair, but a river diamond made Kuzmin a flush and sent Carter home in third place, with a prize of $218,471.

That hand made Kuzmin a 2-1 chip leader heading into heads up play against Leif Force. Force was never able to get the chip lead, but help Kuzmin off for well over two hours before the final hand was place.

At nearly 3 am local time, Kuzmin moved all-in with K4 offsuit. Force, who was now short stacked, called with J9 of clubs, needing help to stay alive in the tournament. No help came, sending Force to the rail and making Kuzmin the winner of the 2011 WPT Southern Poker Championship. The winnings for all of the final table participants were as follows:

1st:  Alex Kuzmin  -  $601,469
2nd:  Leif Force  -  $315,790
3rd:  Allen Carter  -  $218,471
4th:  Shannon Shorr  -  $144,985
5th:  Pat Mahoney  -  $113,208
6th:  Ryan Hughes  -  $89,375

Though Kuzmin has a long history of cashes at tournaments around the world, this was by far his greatest triumph. This victory marks his first WPT win, at his first WPT final table. Kuzmin also cashed three times at the 2010 World Series of Poker, including two final table appearances.