Festa Al Lago - Season 5 - Oct 20, 2006

Survival is the key to winning any poker tournament, as it is impossible to move up to the next level of guaranteed money unless you survive the one before. Andreas Walnum’s performance at Festa Al Lago V, held annually at the extravagant Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, epitomizes survival in its finest hour.

Walnum entered day four of this $10,000 buy-in World Poker Tour event dead last in chips out of the remaining eighteen players. After a flurry of double-ups, he found himself bullying the other players at the table, en route to his first World Poker Tour title and $1,090,025 in prize money.

If Walnum stole the show, then Joe Pelton stole the pre-show, as he fought to earn his second World Poker Tour title in as many months, after outlasting a tough final table at the Legends of Poker event just two months prior. His valiant effort came up just short, however, and Pelton would settle for 3rd place prize money.

A group of amateurs gave the pros a reprieve from duty at this final table, as Pelton may have been the most recognizable name from the group. Can Kim Hua, who finished 6th, has found success on the World Poker Tour since reaching his first televised final table in August 2002 at the Legends of Poker tournament, though he has managed to slip under the radar. Steve Wong, Chris Loveland and David Baker all took the first step towards making names for themselves, each reaching their first televised World Poker Tour final table.