UK’s Will Davies Wins Record-Breaking WPTDeepStacks Gold Coast

Poker is as popular as ever before in Australia as is evident by the turnout for the WPTDeepStacks Gold Coast. The Star Gold Coast played host to the WPT festival, which featured 10 events and the WPTDeepstacks Gold Coast Main Event.

The World Poker Tour made its Australian debut back in September 2019. Some 658 players bought into the Main Event and created a $1,480,500 prize pool. The top 83 finishers won a slice of this ample pot, with Hari Varma eventually emerging victoriously and banking the $274,247 top prize.

Everyone looked forward to the WPT returning in 2020, but the global COVID-19 pandemic put paid to those plans. WPT decided to run WPTDeepStack Gold Coast, a $1,500 buy-in event. An incredible 1,113 players turned out in force, including some of Australia’s biggest poker stars.

Joe Hachem, Shane Warne, Gary Benson, Mel Judah, and Jason Gray bought in. As did WPT Australia champion Varma and WPT anchor Lynn Gilmartin’s husband Angel Guillen.

Mike Maddocks Leads the WPTDeepstacks Gold Coast Final Table

Nobody who reached the nine-handed final table won less than $25,288. Short-stack Josh Yeomans was the first player out of the door, his Jc-Jd losing to the As-Ts of Nuno Da Silva courtesy of an ace on the flop.

Ratul Sayek busted in eighth and collected $34,108 for his troubles. Sayak shoved all-in with Ac-8c and lost to the As-Td of British pro Will Davies. A ten on the flop proved enough to send Sayak to the showers.

Seventh place and $43,018 went to Da Silva. he lost a key coinflip with Ah-Kd against the 7h-7c of Joseph Sandaev. Those pocket sevens flopped a full house, and Da Silva bowed out.

The prize money continued growing with each elimination. Omer Silajdzija helped himself to the $52,063 sixth place prize. He committed his stack with Ac-Qs on a 3d-4c-8s flop, and Davies called with Tc-9c. The Jd turn gifted Davies more outs, and the 5c river completed Davies flush.

Sandaev’s WPTDeepstacks Gold Coast run ended in a fifth-place finish worth $64,429. Sandaev was all-in with Ac-Kh against Aussie superstar Alex Lynskey, who held Kc-Ks. The five community cards ran out safe for Lynskey’s kings, and Sandaev headed to the cashier’s cage.

The last prize not to weigh in at six figures went to Sheldon Mayer. Mayer reeled in the $85,210 fourth-place prize when his As-5s lost to Davies’ Ac-Td.

WPTDeepStacks Gold Coast Final Three Lock In Six Figures

Lynskey was in the lead going into three-handed play, but lost a large pot to Maddocks to relinquish that advantage. Lynskey busted in third for $114,960 when his Qs-8d failed to hold against Davies’ Tc-9h.

Davies held a 2:1 lead over Aussie Maddocks as heads-up play began and he never looked back.

The final hand saw Maddocks open-shove with Ad-7d, and Davies call with 7h-7s. The board ran Qd-Ts-3d-4c-9c, busting Maddocks in second place, a finish worth $177,166. Davies secured the $252,729 top prize and the title of WPTDeepStacks Gold Coast champion.

Side Events Results

Check out the results of the 10 WPTDeepStacks Gold Coast side events and see how packed to the rafters the Star Gold Coast was.