New World Champion

Joe Cada has won the WSOP Main Event, beating Maryland logger Darvin Moon and capturing the $8,547,042 first prize. Prior to the heads-up, many believed that Moon stood no chance in the contest, considering that Cada is a heads-up online specialist and had over twice as many chips.

However very early on, it was clear that this would not be a one-way contest. On the very first hand, Moon managed to draw almost level and exactly ten hands later he had stolen the chiplead. Cada seemed to have no answer to Moon’s hyper-aggressive, seemingly unpredictable play and once he fell back to a 3/1 chip deficit, the bracelet appeared to be going only one way. But Cada showed the courage becoming of a Champion by making a spectacular call, which would have spelled the end if he’d been wrong. On a board of 10c-5d-9h-10d, Moon check-raised him all-in and after a few moments of thought Cada made the call and turned over Jh-9d. Moon had only 7-8 for a straight draw and failed to hit on the river.

With this hand Cada regained the chiplead but perhaps more importantly he had managed to break Moon’s spirit. Just eight hands later, Moon called Cada’s all-in pre-flop with Qd-Jd. Cada was ahead with pocket nines and the board ran out 8c-2c-7s-Kh-7c to make him the youngest World Champion of all time.