Lee Markholt Rises to the World Poker Challenge, Wins WPT Event

Poker pro David "The Dragon" Pham fell short of his first WPT title, but Lee Markholt did not. (Bodog Beat Image)

The last installment of the World Poker Challenge as part of the WPT schedule wrapped up over the weekend with several players making career-defining money and poker pro Lee Markholt taking home the title and the $493,815 first-place prize.

This was the 15th cash for Markholt in a WPT event but his first final table and he made the most of it by claiming his largest career cash to date. The winnings put him over $2 million in lifetime poker tournament earnings. In second place was another player who took home his largest career cash to date at his first WPT final table, Bryan Devonshire for $271,625.

Believe it or not, Zach Hyman was not a first-time big casher. His cherry was popped at the the Wynn Classic last year, which he won for about $730k. However, the $149,862 he took home for his third-place finish in this event is still more than we've ever won. So, even though our last names are "Suave" (as in Rico), he's still better than us at poker.

Fourth place went to the wizardly-named Jason Potter, who now has a net gain of about $75,000 after winning $103,030 at this event but being mugged for $26k at the Aussie Millions. Just behind him was a man, née dragon, who has been to more than his fair share of WPT final tables (six), David "The Dragon" Pham, and has now managed to finish in every place except first. He'll have $93,664 more to help him deal with that.

Finally was another player who cashed bigger than he ever has before, Jeff Dewitt. Actually, according to the intertubes, this is his first-ever cash. Period. A sixth-place finish at a WPT event and an $84,297 prize isn't bad for your first one.

The WPT will head over to Mashantucket, Connecticut next for the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic and Team Bodog will be there in full force. If you want to join Team Bodog at a WPT event then head over to the Bodog Poker room and check out the WPT online poker qualifiers.