The first NAPT after a decade-long hiatus is now in the poker history books
The first North American Poker Tour (NAPT) since 2010 has wrapped up at Resorts World Las Vegas. The featured $1,650 buy-in $1.5 million guaranteed event attracted 1,095 entries, with Sami Bechahed taking all the chips and the $268,945 top prize to surpass the $1 million mark in live tournament winnings. Bechahed holds three WSOP rings, including his win at a $1,700 Main Event in 2022.
“Throughout this tournament, I faced some incredible players, and the final table was an example of it. I was the second least experienced player on this final table. So I had to manage this carefully, take my time, and it worked out well,” Bechahed told PokerStars.
Jonathan Borenstein went beyond the $2.5 million mark in tournament cashes after finishing second. He had two of his top three scores in 2023 after a fourth-place finish at the Borgata’s The Return for $368,324 in January and his third-best at this NAPT event.
David Coleman would finish third for $120,130, just before taking fifth in the $5,300 Pot-limit Omaha high roller event for $17,895. Ping Liu finished in fourth for $92,410 just ten days after winning a $5,300 event at the PokerGO PGT Sprint Series for $89,600 and is over $2 million in career tournament earnings. Sergio Aido of Spain has over $15 million in career cashes but could finish no higher than fifth place to take home $71,080.
Nick Schulman has made six final tables on the PGT since October and finished sixth for $54,680. Sandeep Pallampati took seventh for $42,060, Anthony Dianaty was eighth for $32,355 and Ryan Leng would end the event in ninth for $24,885. The top 159 players earned payouts in the tournament.
