2015 WSOP Event 57

Thursday July 2,2015 :  JAPANESE AMATEUR WINS WORLD SERIES OF POKER EVENT 57
 
Hi-tech specialist from Osaka racks up a series of firsts and almost $400,000.
 
Takahiro Nakai, a 36-year-old hi-tech specialist and amateur poker fan from Osaka, Japan has achieved his first World Series of Poker bracelet on his first WSOP final table on his first visit to Las Vegas to play in the prestigious international poker tournament.
 
Nakai plays mainly on the internet, where he has honed his poker skills sufficiently well to take on the 2,496 other players who entered for the $1,000 buy-in NHLE event and best them to claim $399,039 – the lion's share of the $2.24 million prize pool.
 
In the heads up, which carried over into an extra day, Nakai, holding the chip lead – faced another amateur player in New York realtor Mel Weiner (73), a long-time WSOP veteran who won a bracelet back in 1996.
 
The duo engaged in a spirited exchange which saw the lead change twice before play on day three ended. On the following extra day, Nakai started with a 3 to 2 chip lead, and he quickly brought the game to a conclusion in just eight hands, sending Weiner home with the runner up prize of 248,034.
 
Cashes for the rest of the table were:
 
Paul Vas Nunes  $175,559 
Glenn LaFaye  $126,612 
Jonas Lauck  $92,453  
Robert Piltz  $68,317  
David Martinezcano  $51,103  
Frederico Dabus  $38,676  
Barry Schultz  $29,619