Press Release
ALEX GOMES WINS BELLAGIO CUP V TITLE TO KICK OFF SEASON VIII OF WORLD POKER TOUR®
26-Year-Old Captures First WPT Victory and More Than $1.1 Million
LAS VEGAS (July 20, 2009)– Following a 10-hour, six player final table, Brazilian resident Alex Gomes emerged early Monday morning as the winner of the Season VIII World Poker Tour® (WPT) Bellagio Cup V tournament. Gomes, who was only the second-oldest player at the table, earned his first WPT victory along with $1,187,670 and a seat into the WPT World Championship at Bellagio in April 2010.Gomes started the final table in sixth place and made a miraculous run to defeat his fellow competitors. “I can’t explain the feeling right now but I do know my family and friends are going to join me for a big party at Bellagio,” said Gomes. “Although it is my second WPT cash of my short three-year career, it was definitely my toughest challenge. The final table had great players and they all played well.”
When asked if his strategy changed upon entering the final table in the sixth position Gomes stated, “Even though I was short-stacked I was never worried. I was able to overcome some big hands and played with a lot of confidence and patience. I waited for good cards and made sure I played them the right way.”
Faraz Jaka, from San Jose, Calif., was the chip leader heading into the final six and earned $774,780 for his second-place finish. Professional poker player Justin Smith, of Kissimmee, Fla., won $464,870 for third place; Las Vegas resident Alec Torelli cashed $271,165 for fourth; Chris Sonesson, of Lund, Sweden, finished in fifth and took home $203,385; and Las Vegas resident and well-known poker pro Erik Seidel pocketed $164,640 for sixth.
Doug Dalton, director of poker operations at Bellagio, believes Bellagio Cup V was yet another beneficial event for the resort. “Season VII was a tremendous success and Bellagio Cup V is only the beginning to another spectacular run of WPT tournaments,” said Dalton. “We will be hosting three additional Season VIII WPT events (October, December and the 2010 April Championship) and we are confident that we will continue to add to the tradition of creating millionaires at Bellagio.”
The 268-player Bellagio Cup V main event kicked off Saturday, July 13 inside Bellagio’s Fontana Lounge and required players to either pay the $15,000 entry fee or earn a seat by participating in a number of super-satellite tournaments held throughout the first two weeks. In addition to the main event, Bellagio hosted 12 No Limit Hold ‘em tournaments and a ClubWPT No Limit Hold ‘em tournament. Entry fees for those events ranged from $500-$5,000.
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Bellagio Cup V Kicks Off WPT Season VIII…2
The final table will air on Fox Sports Network (FSN) at a later date and FSN and WPT will announce the timeslot and schedule for the complete season broadcast in the near future. For more information and to view complete hand-by-hand final table action, visit WPT Live Updates at www.worldpokertour.com.
WPT Enterprises, Inc. is one of the most recognized names in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online and mobile. WPTE has led innovation in the sport of poker since 2002 when it ignited the global poker boom with the creation of the World Poker Tour television show based on a series of high stakes poker tournaments. WPT is now broadcast globally and is currently filming its all-new eighth season for broadcast on Fox Sports Net’s national sports network in the United States.
WPTE also offers a unique online subscription and sweepstakes-based poker club, ClubWPT.com, which operates in 38 states across the U.S. WPTE also participates in strategic brand license, partnership and sponsorship opportunities. For more information, visit www.worldpokertour.com (WPTEG).
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Contacts: Scott Ghertner, (702) 650-7565
MGM MIRAGE Public Relations
Kimberly Burghart, (323) 330-9874
WPT Public Relations
