Back to Back WPT Titles for Darren Elias in the Caribbean

Darren Elias has made the WPT history yesterday after his victory in the WPT Caribbean Main Event, becoming the first player ever to win back to back titles in the same season. His first victory for the season came about two weeks ago, when he outlasted a huge field in the Borgata Poker Open and took home and took home $843,744.

WPT Caribbean did not have such a big turnout, as just 118 players took their seats in the tournament area, but this doesn’t take anything away from Darren’s accomplishment. Outlasting more than 100 players, many of whom have a lot of experience under their belts is no easy task.

It took three days of play to form a final table of six and if someone was to bet on the winner, Elias would probably not be their first pick (or they would receive some nice odds). Another guy, Christophe Rosso, was coming in with more chips than the other five players together!

But once again we witnessed that anything can happen in a single tournament and even such a huge lead is no guarantee of victory. The official short stack, Dan Murariu, was the first one to depart, earning $17,370 for his sixth place finish. Then Rosso further extended his domination by cracking pocket Aces of Ziga Jamnikar to send him home in fifth place good for $22,280.

Rosso took another scalp and once again it was with the help of pocket Sevens that flopped a set. Mike Linster was pretty confident of his top two pair holding a10 but when all the chips were in the middle, he was quickly delivered the bad news. No help on either turn or the river meant he would visit the rail with the fourth place finish and $28,950 in his pocket.

It only took 37 hands in total to reach the heads up. Once again, it was Christophe delivering the deadly blow to George Griffith whose k10 could not hold against Rosso’s q6 . A six hit on the flop and it was lights out for Griffith who took home $42,100 for his efforts.

Coming into the heads up, Rosso was holding about 4:1 chiplead over Elias, as his 2.9 million was playing Darren’s 619,000. Elias, however, was not ready to roll over and give up and put up a courageous fight that would see him emerge a champion.

Elias doubled up not once, but twice, to take the chip lead from Rosso and come into a dominant position. Christophe was not going down without a fight either, and he successfully came back from the short stack when it seemed it was all over.

Maybe it was destiny, but the way the things turned out, this tournament was meant to be for Elias. Only a few hands after Rosso’s double up that threatened to make this heads up match one of the longer ones in the WPT history it was all over. Rosso moved all in from the button with 76 but Darren found the weapons of mass distraction in the hole, as two black Aces were staring back at him.

The final rundown, as it is often the case, would not go down without some drama. Flop came 1065 bringing some hope for Christophe. The turn fell 7 propelling Rosso in the lead and building up tension for the river card.

Dealer burned and turned and as 5 fell, pairing the board, it gave Elias better two pair and it was all over. Rosso’s huge chip lead melted down into nothing and it was Darren Elias sitting with all the chips in front of him.

For his efforts Christophe Ross earned $64,900, nothing to frown upon. But Darren Elias became the man of the hour, making back to back WPT titles, earning $127,680 and carving his name into the World Poker Tour history as the first player to ever win back to back titles in the same season!