Anthony Ruberto Takes WPT Jacksonville Title
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Anthony Ruberto never found himself in serious trouble at the final table on his way to walking away with the World Poker Tour Jacksonville title. Ruberto entered the final table with the chip lead and held a strong stack throughout most of the action on his way to taking home $325,928 and his first major title.
The biggest name coming into the final table was Darryll Fish, but he was also the short stack. However, he – along with the other short stacks during the early going at the final table – was able to double up, staying alive for 52 hands before finally being eliminated.
Along with Ruberto, Vitor Coelho had also been a dominating presence throughout the tournament. He had held the chip lead several times during the tournament, and came into the final table a strong second in chips. However, after Artie Rodriguez went out in 5th place, it was Coelho who would be the next to hit the rail. While the final four players fought tightly for over 50 hands – at one point, the four players had nearly identical stacks – Coelho eventually hit the rail when his pocket fours ran into the pocket aces of Ruberto.
Not long after that, it was time for the only female at the final table to make her exit. Lisa Hamilton got her remaining chips in with A3, but was well behind Ruberto’s AK, eliminating her in 3rd place and giving Ruberto a huge stack heading into heads-up play.
Ruberto’s final obstacle came in the form of Sam Soverel. However, Ruberto had a nearly 5-1 chip lead, making him a clear favorite to take home the title. While Soverel was able to double up once, it only took 20 hands for Ruberto to close out the deal. The final hand saw Ruberto’s KJ hold up against the K7 of Soverel, earning Ruberto his first major championship victory.
The final table standings were as follows:
1st - Anthony Ruberto - $325,928
2nd - Sam Soverel - $187,762
3rd - Lisa Hamilton - $112,657
4th - Vitor Coelho - $75,105
5th - Artie Rodriguez - $55,077
6th - Darryll Fish - $46,315