Friday, March 31, 2006

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Reno Hilton WPT World Poker Challenge announces winner

By Steven Williams

The Reno Hilton World Poker Tour (WPT) World Poker Challenge Championship event was won by Mike Simon, a relative unknown in the tournament poker world. Simon beat 592 players, including a number of top pros, to take first place and its prize of over $1 million in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Championship yesterday. Prior to this win, Simon's top tournament finish was at the 2003 New England Poker Classic at Foxwoods, where he collected $639 for placing 22nd in the $200 Limit Hold'em event.

Final table play began in the mid-afternoon yesterday at the Hilton Reno Resort & Casino in Reno, Nevada. Poker pro Barry Greenstein was among the final 6 competitors but ultimately took sixth when he was knocked out of final table by Simon. He was awarded $85,370.

Top pros who finished in the money in the Championship tournament include Barry Greenstein, Liz Lieu, Carlos Mortensen, Chau Giang, Gavin Smith, and David Plastik.

Final Table results are as follows:

Place	Name	Prize
1st	Mike Simon	$1,052,890
2nd	Jason Stern	$529,300
3rd	Tom Schneider	$256,115
4th	Greg Mueller	$142,285
5th	Jonas Norman	$113,830
6th	Barry Greenstein	$85,370

In addition to his $1,052,890 cash prize, Simon was awarded a $25,000 seat to the WPT World Championship at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas next month.

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