Michael Giardina Wins the First 2023 Card Player Poker Tour bestbet Jacksonville Tournament

The 2023 Card Player Poker Tour (CPTT) bestbet Jacksonville kicked off on a high note. The $100,000 Guaranteed Hold’em Event took place between August 10 and 13. It had a $100,000 guarantee and $400 buy-ins. Still, 890 players signed up for the event and created a $289,250 prize pool.

Michael Giardina was the last player standing as he won the title and the $47,237 top prize. The Virginia Beach resident amassed 365 Card Player Player of the Year (POY) points in his first POY-qualified score. Even so, the leading 90 players in the tournament cashed, and the top five had five-figure payouts.

The Tournament’s Final Table’s Payouts

1. Michael Giardina – $47,237 and 365 POY points
2. Wendy Lu – $38,577 and 304 POY points
3. Christopher Harrington – $35,680 and 243 POY points
4. Pablo Valdivieso – $14,462 and 182 POY points
5. Patrick Demianenko – $10,702 and 152 POY points
6. Le Tieu – $8,967 and 122 POY points
7. Robert Terrel – $7,520 and 91 POY points
8. Eric Chastain – $6,074 and 61 POY points
9. Alan Franco – $4,917 and 30 POY points

How Things Unfolded at the Table

bestbet LIVE aired the final table’s action, and poker enthusiasts can access its replay. Only nine players reached the table.

Alan Franco was the first finalist to get busted when their A-10 lost to Pablo Valdivieso’s pocket queens thus finishing ninth with $4,917. Franco used aces to flop while Valdivieso landed a set on the turn.

Giardina used pocket aces to face Eric Chastain’s pocket eights. But the latter exited the event in eighth place.

Wendy Lu got in a tricky position after a preflop cooler occurred. Even so, her pocket nines defeated Robert Terrel’s pocket kings in a flop, sending him packing in seventh position with $7,520. Chips got on the flop when Lu landed a king on the river to knock out their opponent.

Le Tieu finished sixth after Giardina’s A-K suited beat his J-2. The former dread dead by the turn and scored $8,967, hence increasing his poker career earnings to over $137,000.

Patrick Demianenko followed Tieu in fifth place with $10,02 after his A-6 lost to Giardina’s pocket queens. The duo failed to improve. Yet, Giardina’s pocket pair helped him knock out Demianenko and win the pot.

Lu beat Valdivieso in a coin flip hence dropping his position on the leaderboard to last place. The latter used 6-4 to stake his last eight big blinds before Christopher Harrington called him using K-J.

Harrington made a trip jacks flop that sent Valdivieso packing in fourth place. The remaining three finalists agreed to use ICM to share the remaining pool. Harrington finished third with $35,680, Lu was the runner-up with $38,577, and Giardina took home $47,237.

More action will be seen at bestbet Jacksonville this week. The $300,000 Guaranteed Mystery Bounty Main Event will have a $1,700 buy-in. It will take place between August 17 and 21.

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