German Hossein Ensan sat at the final table of the WSOP Main Event as the favorite. He became the favorite due to his impressive poker resume and massive chip stack.
The favorite lived up to his label when he became the 2019 WSOP Main Event champion early Wednesday morning. In the final duel, the EPT Prague champion defeated Italian Dario Sammartino, scooping a whopping $10 million cash prize. In the final hand, Ensan's kings held up against a straight and flush draw.
He followed in the footsteps of Pius Heinz and became the second German to win the WSOP Main Event.
“This is the best event of my life,” said the 55-year-old Hossein after his victory. “Incredible! I am very happy with this bracelet on my hand. What more can I say?”
It was a massive WSOP event, with 8,659 players participating, making it the second-largest tournament since 2006 when Jamie Gold became the champion. It was also the second-largest first-place prize and the highest number of players registered on Day 1C (4877).
About three dozen Lithuanians also started in this $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event. 17 of them made it to the second day, and 11 of them managed to advance. This day was crucial for many Lithuanians, as by the end of the third day, only two of them made it into the money after the bubble burst: Gediminas Garmus and Daiva Byrne.
WSOP ME final table:
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hossein Ensan | $10,000,000 |
| 2 | Dario Sammartino | $6,000,000 |
| 3 | Alex Livingston | $4,000,000 |
| 4 | Garry Gates | $3,000,000 |
| 5 | Kevin Maahs | $2,200,000 |
| 6 | Zhen Cai | $1,850,000 |
| 7 | Nick Marchington | $1,525,000 |
| 8 | Timothy Su | $1,250,000 |
| 9 | Milos Skrbic | $1,000,000 |
| 8,569 participants | ||
