Hand #213: Matthew Wantman Wins the WPT ARIA Summer Championship! ($443,475)

Hand #213  –  Igor Kurganov moves all in for about 1,425,000, and Matthew Wantman (pictured) snap-calls with . Kurganov turns over , and he needs to improve to stay alive.

Kurganov says, “I haven’t busted once this tournament, so I like my chances.”

The flop comes , and Kurganov says, “But that doesn’t look good.” Wantman takes a huge lead as he pairs his jack.

But the turn card is the , giving Kurganov two outs heading into the river.

The river card is the , and Matthew Wantman wins the pot — and the WPT title — with two pair, jacks and tens.

Igor Kurganov finishes as the runner-up, earning $285,650.

Matthew Wantman wins the WPT ARIA Summer Championship, earning $443,475. That amount includes his $15,000 entry into the season-ending Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions (which begins tomorrow). Wantman will also receive a WPT Champions Trophy, and have his name engraved on the WPT Champions Cup alongside all the other champions from all 17 seasons of the World Poker Tour.

Congratulations to Matthew Wantman!

1st:  Matthew Wantman  –  $443,475*
2nd:  Igor Kurganov  –  $285,650
3rd:  Art Papazyan  –  $209,980
4th:  Kevin Eyster  –  $156,220
5th:  Jim Collopy  –  $117,640
6th:  Ryan Laplante  –  $89,685

Photo:  Runner-Up Igor Kurganov

* First prize amount includes the winner’s $15,000 entry into the season-ending Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions.

Photography by Jamie Thomson / PokerPhotoArchive.com