Gavin Griffin Wins WPT Borgata Poker Classic, Makes Poker History

Poker pro Gavin Smith etched his name in the history books with his win last night at the WPT Borgata Poker Classic. (Bodog Beat Image)

Yay, a good storyline! And not just any story, the best kind, the history-making kind. Last night poker pro Gavin Griffin became the first player to win a WSOP bracelet, EPT event and a WPT event by taking down the WPT Borgata Poker Classic. The infamous triple crown of poker.

The first jewel in the crown came at the 2004 WSOP when he won a Pot Limit Holdem bracelet, for which he received $270,420. Griffin continued to make deep runs in major poker tournaments for the next few years, including four more WSOP cashes, before capturing the second jewel. That came when he won the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo early last year, winning a staggering $2.4 million for defeating an EPT record-setting field of 706 entrants.

The third leg of the triple crown culminated last night with a victory at the Borgata and the accompanying $1,401,109, $25,500 entry into the WPT World Championship, a Tag Heuer watch, and a customized Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This is an accomplishment that may never be matched again what with the astronomical odds of accomplishing these three feats. Based on the attendance, and not taking into account any variance based on the relative talent level of the fields in which he played, the odds were 1 in 1,529, or something like that.

Anyway, here are the final table payouts:

1. Gavin Griffin - $1,401,109
2. David Tran - $737,685
3. Thomas Hare - $381,137
4. Noah Schwartz - $331,958
5. Lee Watkinson - $282,779
6. Ervin Prifti - $233,600

If you wanted to get on your way to winning the Triple Crown of Poker, you could qualify for WPT, EPT and WSOP events with a Bodog "Player's Choice" package. So, head over to Bodog and qualify online for an EPT or WPT event, as well as the 2008 WSOP .