Matt Waxman wins WPT Grand Prix

Matthew Waxman became the first American ever to win a WPT Europe event this weekend, seeing off a stacked field at WPT Grand Prix de Paris for €518,750.

The Florida-based pro was one of the lesser known faces in a starting field of 321, and with the likes of Joseph Cheong, Sam Holden and Jason Mericer all making the short hop from EPT Barcelona to Paris, crowds turned out in force hoping to see a big name take it down.

But when the final six arrived for a final table lacking in star quality, only Martin Jacobson, with five final tables to his name in 2011, could boast any major pedigree. However, that didn’t stop this year’s WPT Grand Prix de Paris from offering up a dramatic conclusion.

Once Jacobson had exited in sixth, Waxman stamped his name on the final table with a flopped flush against Mikko Sundell’s second nut flush draw, and when Hugo Lemaire stepped up to challenge Waxman heads-up, the contest lasted just three hands before the American got his name on the oversized trophy.

Here’s how the final table finished up:

1 Matthew Waxman €518,750
2 Hugo Lemaire €311,100
3 Fred Magen €211,100
4 Byron Kaverman €155,550
5 Mikko Sundell €133,330
6 Martin Jacobson €88,900