Five Diamond World Poker Classic - Season 2
- Dec 18, 2003
The World Poker Tour returned to the Bellagio for the second
annual Five Diamond Poker Classic in mid-December 2003. The
final table saw the return of Gus Hansen (winner one the same
event in Season 1) as well as former final table participants,
Paul Phillips, Mel Judah, and Dewey Tomko.
With 314 players buying into the $10,000, event television
audiences were treated to an exciting final table with an
even more exciting ending. Paul Phillips eliminated Gus Hansen
in 3rd place becoming a massive chip leader against Dewey
Tomko.
Going into heads-up play, Tomko was a huge underdog so the
veteran player adapted an all-in or nothing strategy. As Tomko
announced all-in 6 consecutive times and slowly started to
chip away at the lead, Phillips was visibly frustrated and
was forced to continually fold. Finally, on the seventh all-in
by Tomko, Phillips decided to call with pocket 7’s.
The pocket pair held up and Phillips took home his first World
Poker Tour title as well as the $1,101,980 first prize.
