Craig Mason Claims First WPT Title at Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship Following Three-Way Chop

Craig Mason defeated Matt Affleck heads-up to win the $5,000 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship. Three players agreed to a chop at the final table before playing down to a winner. Mason earned $358,800, a seat into the $10,400 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas next month, and his first World Poker Tour title.

The tournament drew 510 entries at the Venetian and played down to a final table of six on Sunday. All six finalists were accomplished players. Mason, a WSOP Circuit and PGT champion, entered the final table with the fifth-smallest stack.

Final Table Results and Key Eliminations

The smallest stack finished sixth for $88,000. Nick Yunis placed fifth for $117,000 while attempting to secure his second WPT title. WSOP bracelet winner Nick Pupillo exited fourth for $155,000 after losing a 60/40 confrontation to Mason.

Daniyal Gheba finished third for $276,000 after his Jx8x failed to improve against Mason's Qx8x. In heads-up play, Affleck briefly seized the lead but moved all-in on a 9x6x3x flop with AxQx and ran into Mason's Jx9x. The best hand held, awarding Affleck the runner-up payout of $301,000.

Mason's Path to Victory

Mason doubled through Nick Yunis and held a 2-1 chip lead entering three-handed play despite an earlier lost 60/40 that boosted Affleck. For a period, Mason, Affleck, and Gheba were locked in a virtual three-way tie. Mason now has over $3.5 million in live tournament cashes according to The Hendon Mob and will see his name etched on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup trophy.

As reported by PokerNews, the win marks Mason's entry into the WPT Champions Club with a seat in the tour's largest annual event in December.