David "Chino" Rheem Wins First Epic Poker League Main Event
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David “Chino” Rheem became the first ever Epic Poker League champion, overcoming a stacked final table to win the first EPL Main Event and a $1 million prize. Rheem defeated Erik Seidel in heads up play to take the title.
The final table was a murderer’s row of poker talent. Huck Seed, Gavin Smith, Hasan Habib and Jason Mercier rounded out the table, each of which had significant tournament in their poker careers. This was no surprise; after all, the Epic Poker League structure is designed to feature notable players above all else, with just the handful of Pro/Am seats available for each Main Event allowing lesser-known players the chance to compete.
The final table also featured perhaps the two hottest players on the planet: Seidel and Mercier. With just three players remaining, the fortunes of the two players essentially came down to a coin flip, with Mercier getting his pocket fives in preflop against Seidel’s ace/king. Seidel improved to double up, and soon thereafter, eliminated Mercier in 3rd place.
Rheem entered heads up play with a chip lead against Seidel, but the two actually went back and forth several times over the course of nearly 50 heads-up hands. Finally, Rheem saw his AK hold up against the AQ of Seidel, handing him the tournament victory. Seidel took home just over $600,000 for second place.
At the moment, most people may unfortunately know Rheem best for the recent controversies he has been involved in, essentially involving accusations that he failed to repay other players to whom he owed money. However, Rheem’s play at the poker table speaks for itself, and he has an extensive history of big wins in major tournaments. In his career, “Chino” has won over $5.7 million; he has won a World Poker Tour title, and has cashed in 14 World Series of Poker events.
The Epic Poker League continues on September 2nd, when the second event begins with another Pro/Am tournament. The Main Event of the second tour stop will take place from September 6-9, and features an 8-handed format. As with all EPL events, the tournament will take place at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.