Ben Zamani added another impressive win to his poker resume earlier this week by taking down the main event at the River Poker Series at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

Zamani, the reigning World Poker Tour Player of the Year, outlasted a 926-player field in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament. The win earned him $347,134 from the $2,173,333 prize pool. If that first-place prize total seems a bit off, you’re right, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Zamani displayed his poker acumen throughout the tournament, especially on the final day leading into the final table. At one point Zamani looked like he was headed for the rail down to only 10 big blinds. He went on a miraculous run to move into third in chips at the final table and eventually conquer the entire tournament.

When there were only two players left standing it came down to China’s Chengce Jiang and Zamani heads-up for the tournament title. Before the first hand of heads-up play was dealt out the two agreed on a deal to split the pot. Jiang, who began heads-up play with a slight lead in chips, was guaranteed $297,760, while Zamani was guaranteed at least $287,134. They left $60,000 out of the split which would eventually go to the winner.

Zamani wrestled the chip lead away from Jiang before finishing him off on the final hand with the blinds at 100,000/200,000. In the final hand both players limped in pre-flop. The flop delivered 9-Spades, 6-Spades, 7-Clubs and both players checked.

• Ben Zamani Wins Event #20: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'Em ($460,640) Natasha Barbour calls from the small blind and Ben Zamani makes it 710,000 to go from the big blind. Barbour announces a reraise and makes it 1.6 million total.
• Total life earnings: $2,502,926. Latest cash: $140,107 on 03-Dec-2020. Click here to see the details of Martin Zamani's 96 cashes.

The turn was the 2-Diamonds and Zamani bet 350,000. Jiang pushed all-in and Zamani called. Jiang showed 8-Clubs, 2-Spades giving him a pair of twos and an open-ended straight draw. Zamani had 10-Diamonds, 9-Hearts, good enough for top pair and a gut-shot straight draw.

Ben Zamani has taken his seat in the Borgata Poker Open WPT Championship and is in search of his first career WPT title after finishing runner-up in consecutive events earlier this season. The Day 1A field is nearing 300 entrants and recently joining the proceedings for the opening flight is current WPT Season XV Player of the Year leader Ben.

With the river to come Jiang had only nine outs, needing a 2, 5 or 10 to win. The river did not hit and instead showed the Ace-Spades, giving Zamani the hand, the tournament title and the extra $60,000.

The cash bumped Zamani’s live poker earnings to just over $4.1 million. Included in that is a pair of World Series of Poker bracelets.

Hand #103: Ben Zamani moved all in for 1,095,000 from the small blind, and Chris Klodnicki called for 1,065,000 from the big blind. Klodnicki was at risk with , up against Zamani's .

The flop came . Zamani picked up a straight draw, but ace-high was still good for Klodnicki. The turn was the , and the river was the .

Klodnicki thought he lost and got up from his seat, but the dealer pushed him the pot, and Zamani was left with just 30,000.

Ben Zamani Poker Games

Hand #104: Zamani was all in for 25,000 on the button. Klodnicki completed the small blind, and Schuyler Thornton checked his option in the big blind. The two players checked down a board reading , and Zamani won the pot with , as Klodnicki held , and Thornton tabled .

Hand #105: Zamani moved all in for 105,000 from under the gun, and Thornton called from the small blind, as did Emile Schiff in the big blind. The two players checked down a board reading , and Thornton tabled for a straight.

Ben Zamani Poker Game

Zamani flashed for trip sevens and mucked his hand before saying his goodbyes. He was eliminated in fourth place, taking home $139,896 for his deep run today.